Antinuclear

South Australian govt bias in favour of BHP’s uranium mine

Acting Premier Paul Holloway said “It is top priority as far as the Government is concerned.”

Olympic Dam expansion our ‘highest priority’ | Adelaide Now, Christopher Russell, 3 Dec 10, TECHNICAL experts will spend the next eight weeks scrutinising more than 15,000 pages of data which address public and government concerns about the expansion of Olympic Dam.

Mine owner BHP Billiton yesterday handed its draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement on the expansion to the state, NT and federal governments….Acting Premier Paul Holloway said there was a huge amount of public interest in the development. “There is no project that’s more important for South Australians,” he said.

“It is top priority as far as the Government is concerned.”

The draft document must undergo an “adequacy test” by the three governments to determine whether it contains sufficient information to enable them to fully assess the project. Its 15,489 pages are BHP’s responses to issues raised by the three governments and in 4189 public submissions about BHP’s initial expansion plan, published in May 2009 and open for comment until August.

Only after it passes the adequacy test – expected to be in late January – will the document be made public on the internet, libraries and via select government offices. Once public, the governments will begin to assess the statement.

“Each of the three governments can either approve or reject the proposal, or provide an approval with conditions attached,” Mr Holloway said.

“It is anticipated that all governments will be in a position to make their decisions around mid-2011.” The process is not reopened for further public input unless there are significant changes to the original plan.

Areas of concern include the desalination plant at Point Lowly, effects on the Great Artesian Basin, waste storage and energy use.

Olympic Dam expansion our ‘highest priority’ | Adelaide Now

December 3, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia | South Australia