Anglo American Marks Rehabilitation Milestone at Dawson Coal Mine

An 82 hectare area at Anglo American’s (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKD) Queensland-based Dawson coal mine has achieved progressive certification for rehabilitation under the Environmental Protection Act.

In a June 20 release, the company said Dawson is the first of its steelmaking assets in the Bowen Basin to show how mined land can be responsibly restored for future agricultural use. The certification was issued through the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, which is Queensland’s environmental regulator.

“We’ve been working towards this since 2012 and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the land thriving again — this time as productive grazing country,” said Jason Fittler, Anglo American's environmental manager.

The rehabilitated portion of Dawson now supports cattle grazing, with up to 135 head on the agisted land near the Central Queensland communities of Moura, Banana and Theodore.

To achieve this milestone, Anglo said that certain procedures had to be done, such as reshaping the land and returning carefully stockpiled topsoil containing native seed banks and beneficial bacteria.

Grass seed was sown to prevent erosion and provide food for grazing animals, and the company also secured reliable water sources to ensure the mine’s productivity.

Located on the southern end of the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, Dawson is recognized as one of Australia’s longest-established coal mines. The area was initially known as Moura Mines when coal mining commenced in the early 1960s, with the first feed to the new coal-handling preparation plant happening in July 2007.

Anglo American holds a 51 percent stake in Dawson, while the remaining 49 percent is owned by Mitsui Coal. Operations are handled by Anglo. Culturally, the traditional owner of the mine is the Gaangalu Nation.

“This Dawson Mine certification is just the beginning,” Fittler said. “We’re continuing to seek opportunities to reinforce our commitment to sustainable mining and positive environmental outcomes on the lands where we operate."

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Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.