Friday, February 20, 2009

Xstrata To Restart McArthur River Zinc Mine

Mining conglomerate, Xstrata Plc, said on Friday that it will immediately restart mining operations at its 150,000-metric-ton McArthur River zinc mine in Australia's Northern territory. This follows government approval of an open-pit expansion.

Mining ceased in January after the government revoked the permit for a US$110 million expansion granted by a previous minister on the grounds that it was invalid.

Xstrata said additional conditions for the approval were within the mine's existing practices regarding environmental management and community consultation and that
the original approval of the mine's US$110 million open pit development in 2006 was correct.

The McArthur mine expansion involved the diversion of a river for several kilometres.

No comments: