Toro Energy has inched closer to opening Western Australia’s first uranium mine with the release of an Environmental Scoping Document (ESD) for the planned extension of the company’s wholly-owned Wiluna uranium project.
The release of the ESD follows the approval from the State and Federal Governments for the establishment of a processing facility and the start of mining at Wiluna’s Centipede and Lake Way deposits.
It also includes plans to integrate two additional deposits, Millipede and Lake Maitland, and identifies the key environmental issues to be addressed during further government assessment of the project.
The ESD will be on public exhibition until 20 October, allowing interested parties to make comments about the document to the Western Australian Protection Authority.
According to the media release by Toro Energy, the company will be required by the EPA to respond to comments made during the public exhibition period and to then produce a final ESD. This will guide the preparation of a Public Environmental Review which continues the government assessment and approval process.
“Toro welcomes the opportunity to discuss our plans for the wider Wiluna Project with the community, and to explain how the development of the Millipede and Lake Maitland deposits can be undertaken with the environment and local community in mind,” said Toro’s Managing Director, Dr Vanessa Guthrie.
“Millipede is immediately adjacent to the Centipede deposit which was approved in October 2012 and April 2013 by the WA and Federal Governments, while the environmental conditions at the Lake Maitland deposit have been extensively studied prior to its acquisition by Toro in late 2013.”
According to her, the assessment process will most likely take up to two years.
“We look forward to consulting with the community on our expanded Project and remain confident that a thorough and rigorous environmental assessment process for Millipede and Lake Maitland will be implemented by government and can be completed during 2016.”
 for the planned extension of the company’s wholly-owned Wiluna uranium project.){kind=link}