Regulator gives BHP green light to lift exports

The state’s environmental regulator has given BHP the green light to increase iron ore exports from Port Hedland by 40 million tonnes annually, despite concerns about dust exposure.

In a determination published late yesterday, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation granted the company an amendment to its current licence which would allow authorised annual output at its Nelson Point premises to increase from 290 million tonnes to 330 million tonnes.

The delegated officer moved to approve the amendment application, which was lodged 18 months ago, subject to conditions concerning air quality controls and reporting requirements and on the grounds that there was no increase in dust emissions.

For more than a decade, the state government has been reviewing the possible effects of dust on those in the port town, much of which was developed before the health risks of prolonged dust exposure were known.

Concerns flagged by the Environmental Protection Authority prompted the establishment of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce in 2009, which released a report in 2016. 

The report prompted the state government to implement a suite of measures aimed at mitigating the impact of dust in the Port Hedland community, including a proposed iron ore carrier charge to fund a $150 million plan to buy back homes affected by iron ore dust stockpiles in the port’s West End.

The decision comes just months after Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson rejected appeals against decisions to allow Fortescue Metals Group and Roy Hill to increase their annual exports through Port Hedland.

It also comes as other noteable iron ore exporters, including Mineral Resources, are seeking to lift their export volumes through Port Hedland.