2015 might also have been back when they were making antimony...

2015 might also have been back when they were making antimony billets onsite and recycled water destroyed their recovery.
That has not been mentioned as part of the new plan so far.
I suspect billet making released a lot of undesirable things into their recycle water you would rather export and send away in concentrate to another country with the Antimony.

As to endangered species etc ????

The original site tailings dam and local rubbish dump is mentioned as an environmental concern in a past report.
Not the TS1 we plan to mine,but a far older one that the local farmers and council dumped their waste and chemicals in.
I believe it is joint liability with the council ,hence why I believe the new tailings dam approval is being sought via the local council and will probably tie in with a cleanup effort of the prior site by both over time.
I would also suspect it could become potentially a local rubbish dump as well ,who knows?????
Somethings such things as old hard fill like concrete or construction rockwall lining may be beneficial in stabilising/reducing potential leaching or reducing run off acidity for free or at a profit.

The plant was operational last year or so when it still had a tailings dam to fill,so as long as it still has an operational licence one would think a renewal would be easy maybe with a few extra conditions attached.

My belief right or wrong is the site has been and will be Naturally leaching antimony and other undesirables whether it is being mined or not.
So mining is probably more beneficial to the environment long term than NOT mining at all.
If mining can control and reduce the naturally produced and existing run off from prior mining activities,then a positive environmental outcome can be had.
If a new tailings dam also enables the old one to be rehabilitated/contained then it is in every ones best interest to get on with it.

Good onya for doing some digging around.
I am sure the frogs would prefer a little less Antimony in their stream as well rather than what they currently have.
Then again maybe they wouldn't exist where they are at all if their natural water environment was too far different from what it is now.

DYOR + DYODD