Cote Blanche island mine

Compass Minerals America
Cote Blanche, Louisiana, USA
  • Mine environmental & social
  • Environmental management, permitting & compliance

Challenge

Compass Minerals America, Inc. (Compass), owns and operates the Cote Blanche Island Mine, an underground salt mining facility located in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Mining activity takes place approximately 1,300-1,500 feet below the surface. The site utilises Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil explosive to blast the salt from the walls and floors of the mine.

The mine utilises SLR’s ability to cover multimedia permit/compliance support to help ensure the operations at the site meet the company’s high level of environmental governance.

Solution

  • Provide multimedia permit compliance support to the site
  • Assist in permit required reporting (Air and Hazardous Waste)
  • Conduct site internal audits for Permit Compliance
  • Permitting for site expansions and modifications
  • Updates to site’s SPCC and SWP3 Plans
  • Development of LPDES/NPDES permit renewal application
  • Reporting and agency interaction as needed

Highlights

  • Worked with the State Agency (LDEQ) to get an expedited permit issued to allow the site to meet an aggressive construction schedule
  • Work closely with the site to provide environmental compliance support for multimedia permitting
  • Communications between the field team, modellers, and client to optimise the field programme during implementation with data and observations
  • Optimised the drilling programme to collect additional data
  • SLR expertise in the Arizona regulatory programmes is a key to efficient scoping and performance of the project.

Impact

SLR has continued to partner with the Cote Blanche Environmental Team for over 5 years to provide environmental permitting and compliance for the site and its changing activities.