Operations Report
25
Water Quality
The Annual Groundwater Review Report indi -
cated that analysis of groundwater samples 
collected from the mine site groundwater moni-
toring network are generally below the relevant 
guideline, and in many instances near or below 
the Limit of Reporting (LOR).
Concentrations of CNWAD (cyanide weak acid 
dissociable metals) analysed from groundwater 
samples collected from monitoring bores 
surrounding the tailings storage facility (TSF) 
suggest the natural attenuation of cyanide is 
occurring and containment measures in place 
for process water and tailings slurry are perform-
ing as designed. 
Incident Reporting
Challenger’s online incident reporting system 
was upgraded from Skytrust to QHSE Data 
Manager during the 2012/13 financial year. The 
updated reporting commitments approved in 
March 2012 have lead to an increase in the 
number of reported incidents during 2012 and 
2013. A total of three environmental incidents 
were reported to government regulators in the 
2012/13 financial year with the incidents 
assessed as low to moderate risk. All incidents 
were investigated and were closed out before 
the end of the financial year.
Environmental Audit 
An independent environmental compliance 
audit was undertaken by specialist consultants 
Outback Ecology in March, 2013. The compli-
ance report was submitted to DMITRE as part  
of the annual MARCR in April, 2013. The compli-
ance audit identified action tasks which have 
now been completed. 
Cyanide Management
At Challenger tailings are stored in an integrated 
waste landform (IWL). This is essentially the 
same as a traditional tailings storage facility  
but is built to blend into the waste dumps. 
Groundwater monitoring bores located around 
the Integrated Waste Landform (IWL) were 
sampled quarterly in line with Challenger’s 
approved Program for Environment Protection 
and Rehabilitation. The supernatant pool water 
was well managed throughout the year with the 
cyanide concentration remaining below the 
adopted guideline limit of 0.5 milligrams per litre 
(mg/L), within the TSF. To date cyanide ground-
water quality has remained below the revised 
reporting limit of 0.08 mg/L. 
Rehabilitation
Ecosystem Function Analysis (EFA) was 
conducted on five previously established moni-
toring sites and two new monitoring sites at 
Challenger in August 2012. Natural Acacia and 
Chenopod sites located within the mining lease 
were monitored and compared with the eastern 
and western Integrated Waste Landform (IWL) 
monitoring sites. 
Some progressive rehabilitation was undertaken 
throughout the 2012-2013 financial year. More 
than half of TSF1 has been capped with fresh 
waste rock and will continue into the next 
reporting period. A decision has not yet been 
made if TSF1 will be raised any further as per 
approvals, however fresh rock capping will 
remain until this is determined.
Fresh waste rock armouring of the crest bund 
around the western and eastern landforms has 
commenced. The eastern crest bund was 
armoured with 0.5 metres of fresh rock. This 
crest armouring is proposed to continue into the 
next reporting period with topsoil added and 
seeded with local province seed.
Previously disturbed areas around production 
bore four CPW04 were lightly ripped; contoured 
and seeded with local province seed. Disturbed 
areas around other production and gusher bores 
were lightly ripped and then contoured by a 
grader for future seeding.
Dust Monitoring
The triennial noise and hygiene survey was 
conducted in 2012 and comments on dust survey 
results. All respirable dust results were below the 
set exposure standards for atmospheric contami-
nates. Higher than limit inhalable dust results 
were recorded from the lab technician and 
crusher operator, who wear a P2 dust musk as 
personal protective equipment to reduce the limit 
of dust inhaled. Underground dust results were 
all below the recommended limits. 
Operations Report