"homogenised tailings" refer only to tailings form the MSP (dry plant) back into the pit as co-disposed tailings (typical for dry plants). That report typically avoids mention of Thorium in the MREC process and where it goes from waste tailings. And why would you tell the market any more about thorium than you had to?
The issue arises with waste from a hydro-metalurgical leaching plant (MREC) where there is Thorium rich, radioactive waste effluent well above anything found in mineral form in the deposit. That thorium is no longer locked up in mineral form (ie very stable, weathering resistant monazite) but is now a free and highly mobile element in solution (or readily dissolved and transported in ground water solution).
As per ILU's Eneabba basically same hydromet plant on type of monazite, the radioactive elements are collected and stored in multiple lined dams for perpetuity...
Don;t get me wrong, I'm all for a realistically tiny area to be permanently off-limits due to radioactive storage dams (with well capped surfaces for fauna/flora protection) given the huge net benefit for Australian and humanity form the responsible production of critical minerals. Just that the NIMBYs everywhere don;t see it my way...
I'll walk naked through HC if VHM get to FID for Stage 1 and 1A at the same time, hell, I'll do it if VHM get to FID during 2023.
(20min delay)