A Waste Discharge License (WDL) is the formal approval under section 74 of the Northern Territory Water Act that authorities and regulates the release of potential contaminants to water in the Northern Territory to ensure environmental protection objectives are met.
The WDL controls the type, quality and quantity of the release and ensures that monitoring and reporting occur on a regular basis.
The current WDL 178-8 applies from 30 November 2020 until 30 November 2022.
During this period Vista Gold is required to monitor and report the results of water quality, macro invertebrates and sediment sampling and analysis. Details of the monitoring programs and results are now required to be posted on our website every month, when releasing water.
The WDL recognizes a 3.2 kilometer mixing zone. Monitoring just below this mixing zone will be undertaken to ensure that water in the Edith River complies with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for Health.
Vista Gold is committed to protecting the water quality of the Edith River system and has already invested more than $9 million to treat water in the Batman pit and installed an automated pumping system that regulates the release of water according to the flow rate of the Edith River and will cease pumping in the event of loss of radio signal.
A copies of the WDL's and Vista Gold's Discharge Plan, required as a condition of each WDL, are provided below:
