Ann: GENERAL: CRP: Chatham considers EPA staff report premature

• Release Date: 19/08/14 08:30
• Summary: GENERAL: CRP: Chatham considers EPA staff report premature
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					CRP
19/08/2014 08:30
GENERAL

REL: 0830 HRS Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited

GENERAL: CRP: Chatham considers EPA staff report premature

Media Release
18 August  2014

EPA staff report premature
The Environmental Protection Authority staff report issued today is premature
and should have not have been issued until the information requested of
Chatham Rock Phosphate was provided, managing director Chris Castle said
today.
"In order to be a fair and balanced report, it should have taken account of
information we either recently provided or is still yet to be prepared."
Mr Castle said CRP would never expect a report at this stage in the process
to recommend approval. "Otherwise what is the point of all of the additional
information, the caucusing of expert witnesses, and the weeks of hearings
that are still ahead.
"Of course there are uncertainties.  That's what this whole Marine Consent
process is designed to identify and clarify, and it is important to remember
that the decision will be made by an independent committee rather than EPA
staff."
Mr Castle said the key sentence in the report is: "EPA staff are not
currently able to recommend granting this marine consent on the face of CRP's
application as it stands, but recognise that there is more information to be
provided, which may change our view."?
"I should hope so - otherwise the value of a hearing process is undermined.
"However I do think it was unnecessary for the staff report to come out prior
to us completing the additional information that was requested.  I understand
the report should not be too late in the process (as it was with Trans Tasman
Resources) but I think in this case it was too early.
"My other key concern is the EPA issued the report without any reference to
us, in the middle of a business day.  We are a Stock Exchange listed company
and need to ensure our investors are continually informed.  We had expected
that the EPA understood the issues that would be caused by their releasing a
huge swathe of information without us having the opportunity to assess the
information and advise our shareholders.
"While the EEZ Act contains a prescribed process for dealing with Marine
Consent applications,  the EPA should be more careful to consider the
commercial position of applicants when it follows those processes.
"We remain confident we have done the work to show we can undertake our
mining operations in a sustainable way, and we believe the Marine Consent
process will demonstrate this.
"I'd prefer to see a process that actually identifies how we can undertake
seabed mining, rather than say why we shouldn't, which I believe fits with
the purpose of the EEZ legislation - that is to provide a way of enabling
sustainable development."
Contact Chris Castle on +64 21 55 81 85 or [email protected]
End CA:00254015 For:CRP    Type:GENERAL    Time:2014-08-19 08:30:05