IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2022— 81 80 —IGO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2022 Environment Operation, which is fully lined and has been engineered for the life of the mine. Mineral waste management at IGO operated assets are subject to our Group Environmental Standard 3 – Mineral Waste Management which applies to the management of waste rock and tailings. This standard requires the development of a tailings management plan, which includes a risk assessment completed in accordance with IGO’s Common Management System Standard 3 – Risk Management. As part of our ongoing tailings management process, IGO maintain an annual audit schedule to ensure that our practices at IGO operated facilities are being operated in accordance with the mine’s operating strategy, safety conditions, prescribed premises conditions, and mining tenement conditions. We use independent external reviews to provide us with the confidence that our facilities are conforming to regulations. During the FY22 annual audit schedule, IGO commissioned SRK Consulting to review the ongoing operational, management and monitoring aspects of the Nova Operation TSF in line with regulatory licence conditions and IGO operations and maintenance manual commitments. The location of the TSF at the Nova Operation is remote from local communities and public infrastructure. The studies and audits conducted to date provides us with an acceptable level of assurance that impacts from a dam failure will not impact local communities. Risk management systems are in place for operational facilities to mitigate potential impacts on employees and contractors in the event of a dam failure. This includes maintaining current emergency response plans in accordance with our Common Management System Standard 13 — Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning. Last financial year, the Nova Operation team completed a gap analysis of our current TSF practices and processes against the ICMM Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), which sets the precedent for the safe management of tailings facilities. We continue to work through the outcomes of the gap analysis to ensure better alignment with the requirements of the GISTM standard. The Nova Operation deposited 1,421,745t of dry tailings in FY22. There were no significant incidents, uncontrolled releases or material fauna losses associated with the Nova TSF during the financial year. Waste rock generated from our operations is stored and managed in accordance with statutory guidelines and IGO standards. In FY22, the Nova Operation generated 154,300t of waste rock, a 7% decrease on FY22. Additional tailings and waste rock data can be found in the performance data on page 103. Non-Mineral Waste IGO takes a holistic approach to the way we manage our waste. We seek to positively influence environmental and social impacts of our products through the value chain, which includes the way we manage our waste products. We manage our waste in accordance with the IGO Group Environmental Standard 7 – General Waste Management. Case Study: Nova Operation Landfill Management Improvements A great initiative led by the Nova Operation environmental team saw significant improvements in on-site landfill waste management. The team installed a custom-built landfill cage to mitigate the risk of pollution in the area in response to ongoing windblown rubbish experienced at the Nova landfill site. The landfill cage is part of a wider program of landfill improvements happening at Nova and will allow the site to remain compliant as well as protect the surrounding environment from windblown rubbish. Windblown rubbish has been an ongoing problem at the Nova landfill site for many years and occurs when the contents of the garbage bags are exposed within the shallow pits of the landfill facility. The resident population of very clever crows descend on the landfill each day to rip open deposited garbage bags and access the contents. The contents of the garbage bags are then available to be dispersed far and wide by the wind, creating a significant windblow rubbish problem. The original concept of the landfill cage was developed back in 2003. Working closely with local suppliers in Esperance, the Nova team have redesigned the cage, making several improvements to ensure practicality and compliance with the health and safety standards. The general waste is now carted to the landfill site in a modified tipping trailer which is backed up to the landfill cage and directly tipped in. The waste falls into the cage via a curtain of hanging chains, which prevents scavenging from birds and prevents any loose, light material blowing out of the cage. The landfill cage sits over a four-metre-wide by four-metredeep trench with a curtain at the front of the cage to seal off the trench. As the trench fills, the cage is dragged along the trench continually filling over time. The filled section of trench is covered with soil to compress the rubbish well below ground level and start the process of rehabilitation. The I-GO Green waste reduction initiative was established in 2020, founded on the application of the waste-management hierarchy of ‘avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle.’ In mining, main non-mineral waste streams include tyres, oils and greases, scrap metal, rubble and office and kitchen consumables. During FY22, this employee led I-GO Green Waste Reduction Initiative resulted in recycling 50t of waste originally destined for the Nova Operation on-site landfill. Since the launch of the waste reduction initiative, we have successfully: • introduced three new sustainable waste pathways • composted and recycled 190t of kitchen waste that has been composted or recycled, diverting this from Nova landfill • eliminated 100% single-use plastic food packaging from the Nova dry mess, by removing and substituting with sustainable food packaging supplied by BioPak. This includes plastic containers, bags, cutlery, coffee cups and lids and plates • maintained organics contamination levels below 5%; and • continue to improve our waste management and recycling in other areas, including recycling of cardboard bails, small batteries, light globes, aerosol cans and printer cartridges, as well as introducing beer taps at the Nova wet mess to reduce can and glass bottle waste. IGO have been recognised for this industry leading waste management initiative, being nominated as finalists in both the AMEC Environmental Awards and WA Waste Authority Waste Sorted Awards in previous years. During FY22, 567t of materials were recycled at our Nova Operation, including organic waste, co-mingled waste (including glass, hard plastics and cardboard) and scrap metal. Water Management The increasing pressure on global freshwater resources is a well-recognised concern for many stakeholders. Water is a critical resource, and its effective management is fundamental to the sustainability of IGO’s operations, and the ecosystems and communities in which we operate. We use water in all parts of our business. Paterson IGO exploration have increased their presence in the Paterson region, with a staged exploration program through FY22. Although at an early stage, IGO have been proactive to best understand the environmental considerations of the project area and liaise with regulatory bodies in order to align with best practice regarding environmental management. At the planning phase of exploration, key considerations are made to reduce the footprint of our activities whenever possible, this includes using existing tracks and minimising any further ground disturbance. Where ground disturbing activities are undertaken, the work is planned to avoid impact upon species of conservation significance known to inhabit the area, including Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) and Great Desert Skink (Liopholis kintorei). IGO exploration implemented strategies to mitigate any potential impact upon these species. Participation in Research and Conservation Programs IGO have an ongoing commitment to fund or contribute to environmental and biodiversity research programs. Some of the programs we continued to support in FY22 include: • Curtin University Topsoil Health study, determining how the diversity, abundance and activity of soil microbes within topsoil stockpiles is influenced by factors such as storage time • Curtin University eDNA Fauna Research Project, with stage 2 of this project ongoing; and • exploration of future opportunities for collaboration with honours students from Curtin University. Mineral ResidueManagement IGO’s mineral waste material includes tailings and waste rock, the two largest mining-related waste streams produced at our operations. Management and storage of waste rock and the processed mineral tailings is a critical issue for our industry. It represents a social, safety and environmental challenge that we are determined to meet. The effective management of the storage of tailings requires rigorous design practices, comprehensive monitoring and management programs, independent auditing and strict corporate governance oversight. IGO manages one operating Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at the Nova
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