Mount Isa, Monday 2 June 2008
Xstrata Mount Isa Mines confirms it has now received a copy of the supporting data to the 10-year old draft report prepared by Associate Professor David L. Parry from the then Northern Territory University (now the Charles Darwin University) and his research team in 1997-98, which included Dr Niels Munksgaard. The draft report was prepared in conjunction with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as part of the Mount Isa Mines Limited Panel Assessment Study (PAS).Xstrata has also provided a copy of the draft report to the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Steve de Kruijff, Chief Operating Officer, Xstrata Copper North Queensland said, “While we don’t know why the draft report was not finalised and its supporting data was not included in CSIRO’s final report, we are grateful to Dr Munksgaard for providing the information.
“The primary focus of Dr Munksgaard’s study was to complement other studies to trace the sulphur dioxide plume and metal dispersion from the Mount Isa Mines’ smelters, away from the town.
“It was not a human health assessment study. In speaking with Dr Munksgaard today, he has confirmed the focus of the study.
“Last year we commissioned a comprehensive, peer-reviewed Whole of Emissions study looking at the impact of lead on the Mount Isa community,” he said. “Over the years, many studies have been conducted, so there is a lot of information in the public domain. “The Mount Isa Mines’ smelters and the Incitec Pivot acid plant are well managed through the Air Quality Control Centre (AQC) which incorporates 15 monitoring stations throughout the city to monitor ambient air quality levels and in turn direct operations. Dr Munksgaard has acknowledged that there have been many improvements to Mount Isa Mines’ operations since Xstrata took ownership in 2003. ABOUT XSTRATA PLC Xstrata Zinc’s operations in Spain comprise the San Juan de Nieva zinc smelter and the Arnao zinc semis plant in Asturias, and the Hinojedo roasting plant in Cantabria. Around half of all zinc currently consumed is used for galvanizing steel, which is an environmentally friendly method of protecting steel against corrosion. Zinc also finds application in the manufacture of die-cast alloys, brass and the production of zinc oxides and chemicals.
The three-phased study, conducted by Associate Professor Barry Noller from the University of Queensland, is looking at lead in air, land and water in Mount Isa.
“Looking forward, Associate Professor Noller’s study will look at lead in Mount Isa, and will have a human health focus – something Dr Munksgaard’s study did not touch on, but which is critical to what we’re interested in.
“This is what Xstrata’s focus is on – the health and well-being of our community.
“Dr Munksgaard’s study focused on the environmental method of tracking metals associated with emissions from the Mount Isa Mines’ smelters focussing up to 100 km away from the residential area of Mount Isa, in the prevailing wind direction.
“At the moment, we’re not comparing apples with apples. People are talking about a host of different reports, each with different purposes and methodologies.
“This is why we’ve commissioned a world-renowned toxicologist to categorically research the status of lead in the community.
“Xstrata has stringent environmental monitoring and reporting processes and we are committed to achieving the highest standards of environmental performance.
“We have reduced sulphur dioxide emissions from the copper smelter by 77% since 2000, and we are progressing further initiatives to increase the capture and treatment of these emissions to 95%.
“We have an extensive network of environmental monitoring systems in the community and consistently report well below the EPA limit of 1.5 micrograms per cubic metre for lead in air levels,” he said.
"We are proud of our environmental performance and our commitment to the health and safety of our employees and the community," Mr de Kruijff said.
ends
Xstrata Contacts Melanie Edgar Sue Sara Manager Community Relations NQ General Manager Corporate Affairs Queensland Telephone +61 7 4744 2832 Telephone +61 7 3295 7535 Mobile +61 7 423 820 701 Mobile +61 7 411 206 090 Email medgar@xstratacopper.com.au Email suesara@xstrata.com.au
Xstrata is a global diversified mining group, listed on the London and Swiss Stock Exchanges, with its headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. Xstrata’s businesses maintain a meaningful position in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, with additional exposures to platinum group metals, gold, cobalt, lead and silver, recycling facilities and a suite of global technology products, many of which are industry leaders. The Group's operations and projects span 18 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Germany, New Caledonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, the USA and the UK. Xstrata employs approximately 56,000 people, including contractors.
ABOUT XSTRATA COPPER
Headquartered in Brisbane, Xstrata Copper is one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group Xstrata plc. Its operations and projects span eight countries: Australia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Canada, the USA, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Its operations are administered by five separate divisions, based close to the mining operations, namely the North Queensland, Minera Alumbrera, North Chile, Southern Peru and Canada divisions. It also has a recycling business (Xstrata Recycling) with plants in the United States and offices in Canada and Asia.
Xstrata Copper is the fourth largest global copper producer with annual attributable production capacity of over one million tonnes.
ABOUT XSTRATA ZINC
Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Xstrata Zinc is one of the world’s largest producers of zinc and one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group Xstrata plc. Xstrata’s zinc and lead operations and exploration projects are located in Australia, Canada, Germany, Peru, Spain and the United Kingdom.
In Australia, operations comprise the Mount Isa, George Fisher underground and Black Star open cut zinc lead mines, zinc lead concentrator, lead smelter and Bowen Coke Works in north Queensland; 75% of the Lady Loretta zinc lead deposit in north-west Queensland; the McArthur River open pit zinc lead mine, processing and port operations in the Northern Territory; and 50% of the Lennard Shelf underground zinc lead mine and processing operations in Western Australia.
In Canada, operations and exploration projects include the Brunswick zinc-lead mine and lead smelter in New Brunswick; 25% of the CEZ zinc smelter near Montreal; and the Perseverance zinc deposit in Quebec.
Xstrata Zinc also operates the Nordenham zinc smelter in northern Germany; the Northfleet lead refinery in the United Kingdom; and owns 33.75% of the Antamina mine in Peru.