Big Island Mining has been fined more than $100,000. Image: Screenshot/Google Maps.
Two wastewater overflow incidents within days of each other in the NSW Southern Tablelands have led to a company being fined $125,000.
On Thursday (24 July), the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said it had issued the penalty to Big Island Mining Pty Ltd.
The two incidents occurred in July 2023 at Dargues Gold Mine in the NSW Southern Tablelands, near Majors Creek, the NSW EPA said.
On 13 July 2023, a malfunction in a holding tank valve caused by a build-up of scale resulted in an overflow of tailings wastewater into a nearby sediment dam, according to the NSW EPA.
Tailings wastewater is a by-product from gold processing operations and contains pollutants such as salts and metals.
A few days later, wastewater again overflowed from the tank following a manual valve being left open. This resulted in more than 190,000 litres of wastewater overflowing with some spilling beyond the sediment dam into Spring Creek.
The NSW EPA issued a clean-up notice and ordered the mine to make changes to stop wastewater from leaving the site.
NSW EPA Executive Director of Operations Jason Gordon said the organisation treated all overflow incidents seriously.
“Dargues Gold Mine is situated near waterways used for drinking water, and it’s not the first time Big Island Mining has polluted Spring Creek,” he said.
“The company has a history of non-compliance with environmental legislation and took several days to notify the EPA about the second, more serious incident.
“Wastewater must be controlled on the premises so it doesn’t reach our waterways and can be appropriately reused for other purposes including mining operations or to suppress dust.”
Big Island Mining has since agreed to fund a project that supports the long-term remediation of Araluen Creek and its tributaries, including Spring Creek.
It must also present its findings on water management and rehabilitation progress at three industry forums, aiming to boost environmental performance across the mining industry.
Big Island Mining was ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in penalties and costs from a pollution spill during the construction of the mine in 2014.
More recently, Big Island Mining was fined $15,000 in March 2020 for an alleged discharge of sediment-laden water from the mine in a September 2019 incident.
The public can report concerns regarding pollution and other incidents potentially affecting the environment to the EPA on 131 555.
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