VRX Silica Limited (ASX: VRX) is pleased to announce that is has lodged a referral and supporting information document for its Arrowsmith Central Silica Sand project with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under Section 38 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
The EPA’s Statement of Environmental Principles, Factors and Objectives provides a list of potential key environmental factors to consider for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which include requiring assessment from initial baseline surveys, project planning and consultation processes. The referral identifies the relevant baseline environmental information for the receiving environment, proposal activities, mitigation measures, impacts and underlying assumptions.
The EPA has 28 days to determine whether to assess the referred proposal and, if so, what level of assessment to assign. This time frame starts once the EPA has received all required information and has determined the referral to be valid. The EPAs decision to assess the proposal will be published on the EPA’s website in due course. Based on the EPA’s decision on Arrowsmith North, the Company is anticipating a Public Environmental Review (PER) level of assessment.
VRX Silica Managing Director Bruce Maluish said:
“This referral to the EPA commences the process for environmental approval for VRX Silica’s Arrowsmith Central Silica Sand Project, which is our second silica sand project at Arrowsmith. This will determine the level of assessment required for project approval.”
“Based on our environmental approval work to-date and continued consultation with the EPA, we have identified what studies are likely to be required and, to the extent not already undertaken, are under way as part of this Spring field season. These studies will provide relevant information for the Environmental Impact Assessment for this project.”
