Government Recognition

NT EPA Board has released the Chandler Assessment Report and Recommendation to the NT Minister for Environment.

• The NT EPA supports the concept of Australia’s first dual underground rock salt mine and deep salt geological repository to manage hazardous wastes
• The NT EPA considers that subject to 19 recommendations in the Report, the Chandler Project can be managed in a manner that meets the NT EPA’s objectives
• The Project involves mining up to 750,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of rock salt and receiving up to a maximum of 400,000 tpa of hazardous waste for approximately 25 years
• The NT EPA recognises the advantages on a whole -of-project perspective of managing and storing large volumes of hazardous waste in appropriate infrastructure in a tightly-regulated environment compared with storage at locations around Australia in temporary or insufficient infrastructure that may create contaminated sites or pose environmental hazards
• The next step is for the NT Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources and the Minister for Primary Industry and Resources to consider the EPA’s Report and make their determinations

Australian Government approval secured with 13 conditions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) Australian.

• Government approval signifies confidence that Tellus can manage matters under the EPBC Act at Australia’s first dual underground rock salt mine and complementary storage business
• The next step is to incorporate 19 NT EPA recommendations and the 13 Australian Government conditions into an Extractive Operations Mining Management Plan (MMP)
• Once the MMP is approved, a Mining Authorisation can be granted by the NT Minister for Primary Industry and Resources to allow salt mining to commence

Sandy Ridge and Chandler Projects awarded Major Project Facilitation (MPF) status by the Australian Government (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development.

• MPF awarded to projects of strategic significance to Australia and/or regional Australia
• The MPF program provides approvals support for Tellus’ proposed developments