Antinuclear

BHP’s desalination plant a threat to Upper Spencer Gulf ecology

at left – the unique and beautiful Giant Cuttlefish faces extinction by the desalination plant

Green fears aired over Olympic Dam mine plans  ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) May 20, 2011 Concerns have been raised about BHP Billiton’s plan to expand the Olympic Dam mine.A fishing group in Upper Spencer Gulf says BHP Billiton’s revised plans do not go far enough to protect the environment.In its revised environmental impact statement, BHP confirmed it will go ahead with a desalination plant at Point Lowly. BHP also plan to build an unloading facility to barge machinery further up the gulf.

Robin Sharp from the Coastal Homes Association says he is worried the region’s ecosystem will be in danger.”We’ve already got an invasive oyster up here that we believe has been introduced by shipping over the last 20 or 30 years, pretty much overrun the whole razorfish intertidal zone, so it will pretty much wipe out all the razorfish in this area,” Mr Sharp said.Green fears aired over Olympic Dam mine plans – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

May 21, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, South Australia | South Australia