A new independent review has been released by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) looking at the water monitoring programs of the Cadia Valley Operations gold mine.
The review was commissioned by the EPA and conducted by environmental consultants Hydrobiology, who analysed over 10 years of monitoring data provided by Cadia Valley Operations from the groundwater, surface water, and aquatic ecosystem monitors at the mine.
The study assessed the design, implementation, data quality, and overall effectiveness of the mine’s monitoring programs in detecting, characterising, and managing potential environmental impacts associated with mining activities.
The aim of the review was to determine whether the mine’s monitoring programs are fit-for-purpose and provide reliable information to support compliance, risk assessment, and environmental decision-making.
While the review found no evidence of ground or surface water impacts from the mine, it did identify opportunities for improvement in site monitoring coverage, data integration, and analysis methods.
Hydrobiology also examined whether acid mine drainage processes are evident, effectively managed, or require further monitoring consideration.
The study found no evidence of net acid mine drainage across both surface water and groundwater environments within the Cadia Hill Pit area.
The EPA has provided a copy of the finalised report to the mine’s owner Newmont, and their feedback will be taken into account as we continue to work to implement improvements to strengthen the water and environmental monitoring networks at the mine.
The report and recommendations will be considered by the EPA’s water technical specialist to ensure that any future licence changes are evidence based and reflect environmental monitoring best practice.
The Hydrobiology report can be found at Monitoring water programs at Cadia Valley Operations | EPA
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