Mount Pleasant project enters next phase

Monday, 27 November 2006

Rio Tinto’s 75.7 per cent owned subsidiary, Coal & Allied Industries Limited, issued the following news release in Australia. All dollars are Australian currency.

Coal & Allied today confirmed its long term commitment to the Mount Pleasant project with the commencement of a feasibility study into the project’s potential development.

The project (100 per cent Coal & Allied) is adjacent to the Bengalla Mine near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

Coal & Allied managing director Douglas Ritchie said the feasibility study is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.

Mr Ritchie said Coal & Allied would undertake extensive community consultation as part of the feasibility study.

“We have a long history in the Hunter Valley and we will continue to work with the community to understand and manage our impacts and to implement programmes which make a positive contribution, both in the short and long term,” he said.

“As part of our ongoing focus on sustainable development, all aspects of the proposed operation would be considered to maximise energy efficiency, manage water use and reduce impacts on our neighbours.”

Mr Ritchie said that a final decision was yet to be made on the future development of the operation.

“The coal industry has a significant long-term role to play in the Hunter and this project has been part of Coal & Allied’s development portfolio for many years.”

The Mount Pleasant project is a consented development.