NTL welcomes independent review

New Talisman Gold Mines Limited is welcoming a review of its draft Water Management Plan by an independent expert.

The review comes in response to water contamination concerns raised by protest group Protect Karangahake who marched on the Waikato Regional Council last week.


New Talisman Gold Mines Limited has welcomed an independent review of its draft Water Managament Plan, conducted by Dr James Pope. Photo: File

There are concerns about the environmental impact of NTL's bulk sampling operations at the historic Talisman Gold Mine, which are due to commence in June.

The review was carried out by Dr James Pope who has 20 years' experience in the minerals sector and 12 years research experience into mine drainage chemistry.

It concluded that 'any potential adverse effect on groundwater quality from NTL's exploratory activities will be small scale and negligible in nature and overall likely immeasurable from existing background levels.”

CEO Matthew Hill says the independent review and subsequent report for the Waikato Regional Council should help to allay concerns held by local groups.

'We completely understand why the protection of the waterways in the Gorge is a real concern both to iwi and local groups,” says Matthew. 'That's why we're not undertaking any treatment of the ore onsite; we're simply extracting rock in low quantities and sending it offsite for processing.

'Plus, there will be no direct discharge of impacted water into any waterways, instead it will be retained within a closed water system that merely recirculates water within the mine to holding tanks, where it is monitored, treated and reused.”

For the past 100 years the Talisman Gold Mine has been mined on and off, with NTL (previously Heritage Gold) holding a land use consent for mining activities from the Hauraki District Council for 20 years.

Matthew says it has undertaken two similar activities at the same site, with no adverse consequences.

The company now plans to undertake underground exploration and bulk sampling within the existing underground mine shafts.

NTL's current project plan for underground operations have been consented for one blast per day and plan to remove 600 tonnes a month for two years: equivalent of just four 10 tonne trucks a day.

'We hope Dr Pope's report, which takes into account the existing environment and actual activities we propose to commence on the site, gives these groups peace of mind.

'The scale of our operation will make very little difference to the chemical conditions that currently occur in the mine.”

Dr Pope's report found that '[the] scale of tonnage removed by bulk sampling and scale of water use on a daily basis are the main factors that makes it unlikely that the operation will have impact on mine drainage chemistry or surrounding water chemistry.”

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