Sinosteel Midwest announced that Western Australian Environment Minister Donna Faragher had given the thumbs up for the Koolanooka, Blue Hills direct shipping ore project in the State’s mid west region.

The decision clears the way for the Federal Government assess to the project which is expected to take around 30 days.

Mr Giulio Casello COO of Sinosteel Midwest said that the approval was the culmination of more than 3 years of environmental assessment in consultation with the State Government.

He said that “I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many people who have worked towards this goal since September 2006, including our own project team and members of the mid west community. They showed tremendous support during the appeals process, as well as representatives from the various decision making authorities.”

According to Mr Casello, the Koolanooka, Blue Hills is located on previously mined land and will provide direct employment for at least 70 people.He said that “Furthermore, the project will give Sinosteel Midwest important cash flow and credibility with our customer base.”

(Sourced from Miningaustralia.com)