Proposed Blue Bush Project – Environmental Scoping Report Submitted

Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is pleased to provide an update of our proposed Blue Bush Project.

The proposed Blue Bush Project would be Australia’s first east coast near-surface geological waste repository in a semi-arid area, located approximately 45 km’s south of Broken Hill in New South Wales (NSW).  Drilling in the 1970’s and 1980’s identified a thick, flat, dry kaolin clay bed on top of a 1,700 million-year-old gneiss formation called the Broken Hill Block. These are some of the oldest and most stable rocks in eastern Australia which supports the site safety case.

The proposed Blue Bush Facility will be a 200,000 tonnes per annum licenced capacity with a 25-year operating term, and may be supported by a transfer station located within or adjacent to the industrial precinct of Broken Hill. The proposed Blue Bush Facility and Blue Bush Transfer Station are collectively referred to as the ‘Blue Bush Project’.

What is a geological repository?

Geological repositories are highly engineered facilities with multiple man-made and natural barriers and a facility layout that can primarily offer permanent isolation (disposal) of equipment, hazardous materials and waste from the biosphere over geological time. With additional in-ground and surface infrastructure they can also provide long term storage (retrievable) and treatment, recycle and recovery services that support the circular economy.

Why are we developing geological repositories?

Tellus is developing geological repositories because due to our economy and modern lifestyle, Australia is one of the highest emitters of hazardous waste per capita and there is insufficient infrastructure nationally at competitive price points to manage the rapidly growing problem from legacy, production and emerging hazardous waste types. We need to stop seeing waste as a waste and start seeing waste as a resource that can support the circular economy and jobs.

What early stage work have we done to date?

Recent early stage work includes:

  • Completed one exploratory drilling program (57 holes) to confirm the potential resource, one step-out drilling program (69 holes) to identify the extent, and one water drilling program (11 holes) to confirm the lack of ground water.
  • The initial drilling results are encouraging.
  • Completed several field investigations to help us better understand potential environmental and human health hazards, risks and benefits.
  • Finalising a Scoping Study that will recommend the project proceed to a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS).
  • In support of our proposed Project, we have prepared an Environmental Scoping Report (ESR).
  • The ESR was submitted to the NSW Government on 15 September.
  • We have commenced early stage community stakeholder engagement in January 2020 within the constraints of a COVID travel restrictions.

We look forward to ramping up a sustained, transparent, proactive next phase of stakeholder engagement and to provide updates as the company progresses through the project studies and approvals gates. There are several GO/NO GO gates the company needs to go through before it reaches a final investment decision.

What is hazardous waste?

A hazardous waste, as defined in the Australian Government’s National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources (2009), is a substance or object that exhibits hazardous characteristics, is no longer fit for its intended use and requires disposal. A much simpler definition is hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it potentially harmful to human health or the environment.

What are the types and forms of accepted wastes?

Waste material would be subject to Tellus’ strict Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) that must be approved by the NSW EPA and, is necessary for the environmental and human health safety of the Blue Bush Facility. Wastes accepted could include:

  • Acid and alkaline compounds used in manufacturing.
  • Arsenic compounds from gold mining.
  • Contaminated soils with asbestos from housing and PFAS from firefighting.
  • Electronic waste like computers and phones.
  • Fly-ash from energy utilities.
  • Lead compounds from mining.
  • Liquid chemical waste could be accepted, but only if it is immobilised (i.e. made solid).
  • Mercury compounds from dental industry,
  • Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material from the mining of minerals used in the electric car and solar storage batteries
  • Solar panels
  • Zinc compounds used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

What waste types will we not be accepting?

Tellus will not be accepting:

  • Nuclear waste (e.g. from power generation and defence use).
  • Low Level Waste (LLW), Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and High Level Waste (HLW).
  • Tellus will not accept for in cell placement liquid and sludges, explosive wastes, flammable liquids or solids, self-combusting wastes or wastes that can generate a gas-air mixture which is toxic or explosive, highly corrosive or oxidizing, gases (greater than 5% in volume), clinical waste (e.g. infectious hospital waste and body parts), municipal solid waste (putrescible household and commercial waste)
  • Uncertified waste (which cannot be identified or has not undergone characterisation testing).

What is the purpose of an Environment Scoping Report?

The Blue Bush Environmental Scoping Report (ESR) will become a publicly available document. It provides preliminary information on the proposed project and its potential impacts. It is prepared to support a request for Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs).

What are the next steps?

  • The NSW Government will review our ESR for adequacy.
  • If adequate, SEARs are provided to Tellus.
  • With SEARs, Tellus will begin a sustained and stepped up community engagement in the Broken Hill region, and with Local, State and Federal Government.
  • The Board is to approve the project proceeding to a PFS (expected in October 2020).

What are the proposed project timeframes?

  • The Environmental Impact Statement is likely to be submitted by Tellus in early 2021.
  • Tellus is aiming for a three-year approval timeframe for the Blue Bush Project. However, final project approval is dependent on the NSW environmental planning approval process.
  • A final investment decision is required before construction can commence.
  • Construction is likely to take between 18-24 months.
  • Operating life would be up to 25 years and will be followed by an institutional control period.

What are the proposed project benefits and jobs?

If approved, the proposed Blue Bush Project could result in significant and long-term positive environmental, social and economic benefits to the Broken Hill region, NSW and Australia. These benefits could include:

  • Providing an innovative, safe and secure permanent isolation and long-term storage facility for hazardous chemical waste in regional NSW.
  • Providing an opportunity to clean up legacy lead issues in Broken Hill.
  • Providing opportunities for sustainable, long-term employment and training at a local and regional scale in NSW.
  •  Jobs
    • About 80-120 full time equivalent (FTE) and 200 – 300 indirect jobs generated during the peak of construction.
    • About 50-90 FTE jobs and 100-225 indirect jobs generated during operation.
  • Diversifying local and regional economies in the Far West Region of NSW.
  • Boosting the economy
    • Capital expenditure is estimated to be > $100-150 million.
    • Operating expenditure is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars per annum over 25 years.
    • Royalties, taxes and levies.
  • Providing local business support.
    • Fulfilling the Australian and NSW government’s own environmental and waste policy obligations.
    • Supporting the circular economy by providing an opportunity for the future potential recovery of valuable materials (that are currently deemed waste). The project could attract new waste recycling and recovery industries to NSW.

About Tellus Holdings Ltd:

Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) mission is to contribute towards a safer and cleaner Australia by developing a portfolio of geological repositories that provide waste storage, recycling, recovery, permanent isolation services and related commodity by-products.

About Sandy Ridge:

For background, Tellus has recently commenced staged storage operations in line with approvals, at our Sandy Ridge Facility. This is Australia’s first west coast near-surface geological waste repository in a semi-arid area, located approximately 240 kilometres (km) west-north-west of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia (WA).

The Sandy Ridge Facility took 7 years to develop and has a 100,000 tpa licensed capacity for 25 years, located on a 70-million-year-old (m.y.o) thick, flat, dry kaolin clay bed which is on top of a 15 km thick 2,700 m.y.o granite formation which supports the safety case.  Tellus has now shifted strategic focus to a potential similar facility in the east.

For Further Information:

Visit our project website – www.tellusholdings.com/projects/proposed-blue-bush-project/

Phone us at: +61 (0)2 8257 3395

E-mail us at: bluebush@tellusholdings.com

Or visit the NSW Government website – https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/39691

dorrie krahe
dorrie krahe