Under the radar – the real news on Australia’s uranium industry
This week has seen some interesting revelations about BHP Billiton, and about Australia’s uranium mining industry. Wikileaks revealed the influence of BHP over the Australian government. How BHP sank Rio deal
BHP’s draft environmental impact statement update on the expansion of Olympic Dam mine went to government – but without any consideration of the (quite practical) option of Olympic Dam mine becoming a copper industry project, without need for uranium industry.
Also, the Australian government quietly approved US-owned and privately held Heathgate to develop its Beverley North uranium project in South Australia. Heathgate is owned by General Atomics, with its controversial CEO Neal Blue. General Atomics main business is in weapons manufacture, especially the predator drones currently used in Afghanistan. General Atomics is also notorious for its environmental misdeeds. At its uranium processing plant on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, General Atomics for years covered up radioactive water and gas leaks.
Heathgate is not required to clean up its existing Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia
The approval for this new uranium project is the result of years of General Atomic spending $thousands’ lobbying and ferrying of USA politicians to Australia, , and Australian federal and state politicians to USA . Controversies involving Healthgate and General Atomics — Friends of the Earth Australia
When it comes to decisions on uranium mining in Australia, money talks much louder than ethics. – Christina Macpherson
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of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
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