Antinuclear

Uranium salesman Paul Howes calls for Arkaroola mining

powerbroker and AWU national secretary Paul Howes said he had been convinced of the merits of mining during talks with Marathon Resources, a uranium explorer which had previously lost its licence over breaching of waste disposal conditions…………

Union calls for uranium mining in Arkaroola sanctuary | Adelaide Now, Christopher Russell, 14 May 2010, ONE of the nation’s most powerful unions says uranium miners should be allowed to exploit a huge deposit of the mineral in the Arkaroola reserve in the northern Flinders Ranges…..the union and the miners face a bitter battle to develop the pristine wilderness and popular film setting known as one of the state’s natural geological wonders.

Lined up against developers are film-maker Rolf de Heer – who calls the site “the single most extraordinary piece of South Australia in existence” – local councils, conservationists and geologists.But powerbroker and AWU national secretary PaulHowes said he had been convinced of the merits of mining during talks with Marathon Resources, a uranium explorer which had previously lost its licence over breaching of waste disposal conditions…………

Tourism operators and wilderness campaigners are appalled the unique geological formations could be exploited.

Any mining would “damage the positioning and realisation of SA as a legitimate world-class, nature-based ecotourism destination”, SA Tourism Industry Council executive officer Ward Tilbrook said.

The claims are among 450 submissions received by an inquiry being conducted by the departments of Primary Industries and Resources and Environment and Heritage…………….Marathon – whose directors include formal Labor minister Chris Schacht – made a 97-page submission to the inquiry but has refused to publish it………………Marathon’s exploration licence was renewed last year after being suspended when it breached conditions relating to waste dumping. It remains unable to conduct “ground-breaking” exploration such as drilling, but continues ground and aerial survey work………….Greens MLC Mark Parnell called for a ban, saying more than 80 per cent of the submissions opposed mining.

Union calls for uranium mining in Arkaroola sanctuary | Adelaide Now

May 14, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia, uranium | antinuclear, Arkaroola, Australia, nuclear, radiation, radioactive, South Australia, uranium