∕ The State would release MML from liability and obligations relating to the prior 100 years of mining. In December 1992, MML was released from all liabilities and obligations for rehabilitation and management of environmental impacts, contamination and heritage issues. In January 1993, the State took over management of the legacy environmental and contamination issues and began its management of the site as a decommissioned mine. It is also the primary underlying landowner. 3.1.2 Abandoned Mine Status The nature of Mount Morgan Mine makes administering this site particularly unique. Since the early 1990s, the mine has been (and will continue to be) managed by the DNRMMRRD as a decommissioned mine under the Abandoned Mine Lands Program. While the State is managing the historic mining legacies, the mining leases over the site have been preserved in order to facilitate commercial reprocessing of tailings by private operators. In recognition of the State's management of the site as a decommissioned mine, and as set out in the Phase 3 Agreement and the EA, the State has accepted responsibility for managing the legacy mining disturbance at the site. To support the State's remediation goals, the State has authorised Heritage Minerals to conduct restricted reprocessing activities under the preserved mining leases in defined areas of the site. The abandoned mines status and the Phase 3 agreement are relevant to this application as it meets the definition of standard criteria referred to under Schedule 4 of the EP Act. There are a number of legacy uncontrolled tailings dumps on site, which were created by previous tenure holders before operations ceased in 1990. Since that time, the tailings dumps have caused substantial downstream environmental impacts due to poor positioning and design. Heritage Minerals’ tailings reprocessing activities comprise a key element of the State's remediation plan for the legacy uncontrolled tailings. The State's and Heritage Minerals' activities will co-exist during the period in which Heritage Minerals carries out operations on the site. Following the completion of Heritage Minerals' operations, the areas that it occupied will be returned to the DNRMMRRD, who will continue to manage the site in accordance with a long-term remediation strategy. This work aligns with and forms part of the DNRMMRRD remediation strategy for the site, which will continue to be delivered after Heritage Minerals' departure. The history of the site and the effect of the Phase 3 Agreement are described in further detail below. 3.1.3 Past Reprocessing Endeavours While managing the site as a decommissioned mine under the AMLP, the State preserved the mining tenements with a view to encouraging private investment in reprocessing opportunities, which would in turn assist the State's remediation efforts. In late 1992, with the State's consent, MML issued a public tender for the sale of MML, resulting in transfer of MMLs interests to Aumin Technologies Pty Ltd and Perilya Mines NL (Aumin Perilya JV). A memorandum of understanding executed between the State and the Aumin Perilya JV contained indemnities exempting Aumin Perilya JV from liability for the site's legacy environmental issues. In 2000, the Aumin Perilya JV notified the State it wished to withdraw from the agreement following the completion of its exploration and research activities and the site was handed back by the State, via the then Department of Mines and Energy, in late 2000. Following a public tender, Moonraker Pty Ltd (Moonraker) and the State entered into a 'Phase 1 Agreement' which contemplated the following:
Project number: 25B061
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