“Aboriginal claimants are being severely disadvantaged by the ‘commercial imperatives’ of these mining giants,”
Treasurer approves WMC takeover The Age, April 4, 2005 Anglo-Australian resources giant BHP Billiton has been given the green light by Treasurer Peter Costello for its $9.2 billion takeover of Australian miner WMC Resources. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Roxby Downs’ Category
Background: How Government and BHP Billiton undermined aboriginal rights
March 26, 2010Uranium tailings damage at Olympic Dam mine
March 26, 2010Mega-everything: the world’s biggest open cut mine
OnLine opinion By Sandra Kanck – 24 August 2009
Tailings storage facility
Fauna mortalities associated with exposure to the acid liquor of the existing tailings dam were 895 in 2005-06, 311 in 2006-07 and 282 in 2007-08. As well as birds, seven species of mammal and eight species of reptiles have been killed.BHP Billiton recognises these figures underplay the impact because of the removal of carcasses by scavengers or the sinking of dead birds before detection. They state “If the habitat is modified or increases in area, the number and diversity of species increases accordingly”. So still more birds and animals will be attracted to the world’s largest tailings dam, and still more of them will die as a consequence.
Undertakings are given to put netting in place to deter birds and for further research into methodologies to reduce the number of fauna deaths. The EIS acknowledges that methodologies used to date have had varied success. Despite this, the EIS appears to be leading the public to accept an increase in deaths as being an inevitable cost we will have to bear.
Mega-everything: the world’s biggest open cut mine – On Line Opinion – 24/8/2009
Expanded Olympic Dam uranium mine will cause huge greenhouse gases
January 21, 2010“All of our efforts to reduce emissions, to conserve energy, will be undone by just one company, one project” The Advertiser DAVID NOONAN, 20 Jan 2010
The science of climate change demands action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. BHP Billiton’s proposed new open-pit mine at Roxby Downs would blow out SA’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12 per cent. (more…)
Poor safety record of Australia’s uranium mines
January 7, 2010here have been numerous incidents at the now closed Nabarlek mine and the operating Ranger, Olympic Dam and Beverley projects.
Uranium Mining: Australia and Globally League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc , Gavin M. Mudd 7 Jan 2010 “…………………By December 2005 in Australia, on average, each tonne of uranium extracted has led to the production of 848 tonnes of mill tailings and 1,152 tonnes of combined low-grade ore and waste rock (excluding in situ leach production). (more…)
Radioactive uranium dust problem glossed over by BHP Billiton
October 1, 2009The dust that dare not speak its name WA Today September 30, 2009 Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Elizabeth Farrelly “…………………For us, as for most of the world, central Australia might as well not exist. It is almost a paradigm of unthinkability. It’s Timbuktu. That’s why we do things like nuclear testing there. (more…)
Increasing dust storms raise danger of radioactivity from Australia’s uranium mines
September 26, 2009FILMMAKER DAVID BRADBURY: RED DUST DUMP ORIGINATING AT WOOMERA IS GRAVE CONCERN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH September 25, 2009 by Coober Pedy Regional Times“…….70 million tonnes of radioactive tailings to be dumped at the Roxby mine site each year without evidence of dust control is cause for concern”, says David Bradbury.. (more…)
Australia’s groundwater in danger because of uranium mining
September 26, 2009‘Corporate abuse’ hits Great Artesian Basin
The Australian. Michael Owen, SA political reporter | September 21, 2009
THE Great Artesian Basin — one of the largest underground water reservoirs in the world — is in danger of going the same way as the ailing Murray-Darling Basin because of reckless corporate abuse, aided by political ignorance, says South Australian senator Nick Xenophon. (more…)
Massive environmental impact of massive open cut uranium mine
September 26, 2009Mega-everything: the world’s biggest open cut mine
OnLine opinion By Sandra Kanck – 24 August 2009
The expansion of the Olympic Dam mine at Roxby Downs will see environment as the biggest loser. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for which public comment closed early in August 2009, has serious deficiencies. (more…)
Group of BHPB shareholders oppose Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion
September 26, 2009Olympic Dam opponents willing to sacrifice dividends
ABC News 27 Aug 09
A group of BHP Billiton shareholders who oppose the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine say they would rather forego any dividends from the project than see the environment damaged. (more…)
Desalination, waste, groundwater, energy problems with BHPB’s uranium mining plan
September 26, 2009Adelaide Now CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL, BUSINESS EDITOR, and GREG KELTON, WASHINGTON August 24, 2009
KEY environmental concerns about the multibillion-dollar expansion of the Olympic Dam mine must be fixed by BHP Billiton before the mine proceeds. (more…)
