This came across the Dow Jones news wires about half n hr...

This came across the Dow Jones news wires about half n hr ago


PERTH--Australia's Aquila Resources Ltd. (AQA.AU) has cleared a key environmental
hurdle for its proposed Anketell iron-ore port project after regulators in Western
Australia state backed the proposal.
Conditional approval for the venture, in Western Australia's Pilbara region, has
been recommended by the Environmental Protection Authority, said EPA Chairman Paul Vogel
in a media statement Monday.
"A strict suite of conditions has been recommended to ensure the proposal meets
the EPA's environmental objectives," Dr Vogel said in the statement.
These include limiting effects on seabed habitats from dredging, and undertaking
regular surveys to monitor and report on potential changes during the construction phase
of the proposal, he said.
The project is operated by API Management Pty., which is 50%-owned by Aquila.
The multi-user venture aims to process and export about 45 million metric tons per
annum of iron ore from a new deepwater port with stockpiling, transfer and ship-loading
facilities.
The port will have an initial capacity of 115 million tons a year, the EPA said.
The EPA's report to Western Australia's environment minister is now open for
a two-week public appeal period, closing August 13