The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) has listed Xstrata’s Mt Isa Mine as the nation’s top emitter of cadmium, lead, sulphur dioxide, zinc, arsenic and antimony.
The NPI, an initiative of the Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, contains information relating to the emission of 93 substances from industrial facilities and diffuse (non-industrial) sources.
Xstrata Copper North Queensland chief operating officer Steve de Kruijff said the company was committed to sustainably managing its operations.
“Xstrata Mount Isa Mines has a significant operational footprint which is comparable to the sum of multiple individual mines and industrial facilities listed on the NPI,” he said.
“In the 2007/08 NPI results, we reported fewer emissions for four of the six substances for which we are the top emitter.
“Xstrata has achieved significant reductions in recent years and we are continually working on making further improvements.
“The environmental improvements we have introduced have resulted in positive outcomes such as a 77% reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions at the copper smelter since 2000 with the introduction of the acid plant and a 33% reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions at the lead smelter over the same period.”