Independence Group Sustainability Report 2019

Managing transport, dust and air emissions We recognise that some of our activities can impact the amenity of the environment and our host communities. The nature of resource extraction, primary processing, transportation of our products, and ship loading for export can result in dust, noise and pollutant emissions. Truck transport is an important logistics component of our operations, delivering the consumables and delivering our products along the supply chain. Truck traffic within regional areas is a concern for the public, and we work closely with our transport partners and local communities to understand our impacts and improve our practices. IGO seeks to minimise truck traffic through regional towns, and in FY19 we supported a road train safety and awareness event hosted by our logistics partner Qube Ltd at the Norseman school. We aim to ensure that the resources we produce are properly managed when in our control and we work with our stakeholders in the supply chain to manage any impacts on the communities in our transport route. We have mechanisms to record and respond to complaints around such issues as dust, noise and truck movements. During FY19, we received no community complaints concerning the transportation of our consumables or products. During the community social impact assessment undertaken in FY19, the key concern highlighted by the broader Esperance community was the potential for dust emissions from loading activities at the Southern Ports, Port of Esperance. Historically, dust emissions associated with the transportation and ship loading of heavy metal concentrates by other businesses at Esperance were not well managed. The emissions resulted in a range of environmental impacts and the creation of a public health hazard, due to the proximity of the port to the Esperance township. Since commencing the export of IGO products through the Port of Esperance, we have operated to an exemplary standard to secure community confidence and maintain our social licence to operate. IGO conducted baseline soil metal assessments along our transport route prior to the commencement of shipping. We implemented dust, noise, odour and weather monitoring at the port to establish pre-existing baseline conditions. During the trial shipment period, strict management procedures in handling and loading our concentrate were implemented. These included the use of sealed containers for transportation of our product from the Nova Operation to the port. The containers remain sealed until the ship is loaded, at which point, the Qube’s Rotabox device is used to automatically lift the sealed containers into the ships hold, remove the lid, empty the container and replace the lid prior to the container being placed back on the dock. The combination of tipping our product from a limited height with the Rotabox technology, and the concurrent use of dust suppression water sprays, results in the minimisation of fugitive dust and odour emissions. In FY19, after two years of shipping through the Port of Esperance, IGO can report that the port has had no licence exceedances in respect of dust emissions related to our product. Extensive data collected at the boundary of the port and a reference site in town show levels of respirable nickel were five times less than the target limit prescribed by the regulator. This data has been published and is publicly available on the Southern Ports, Port of Esperance webpage https://www.southernports.com.au/ . Ongoing monitoring and strict loading controls will be maintained and continue for all future IGO shipping events. At our Nova Operation, our main activities involving resource extraction and primary processing result in the release of emissions and particulates to the atmosphere. Our major air emissions from the Nova Operation are carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds. IGO completes its annual National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) reporting in accordance with the Australian Government regulations to disclose these emissions. NPI is used to track pollution across Australia, and ensures our community have access to information about the emissions and transfers of toxic substances which may affect them locally. Data on the key reportable pollutants for FY19 are included in the performance data tables of this report. 42 — IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2019 SECTION 3 RESPONSIBLE OPERATIONS