Olympic Damn Uranium Mine – the battle against it continues
Goliath-like Corporation BHP Billiton is up against not just one little David, but many, in its drive to dig a giant uranium hole.
Australia’s Federal government, the South Australian government, and the Northern Territory government have all approved BHP Billiton’s plan for a huge open-cut copper and uranium mine. These approval were done with unseemly haste, so that that hypocrite, Mike Rann, Premier of south Australia, could step down, clothed in the glory of that decision. Mike Rann originally rose to prominence in the Australia Labor Party by being a leader of opposition to uranium mining.
However, this unimaginably vast enterprise to make the world’s biggest man-made hole , the biggest mountain of rocks and radioactive dust , the biggest radioactive tailings dam – this f is far from a done deal.
There are just a few enthusiastic mega rich executives like Marius Kloppers pushing this. They’re supported by their lackeys in politics, media and academia. Against this small crew of the corporate big boys, are the many thousands of Australians who care enough about our environment, health, and future prosperity, to oppose this uranium mega mine.
The opponents of Olympic Damn expansion are not its only hindrances.
Other factors come in to play against it, too. No.1 – the ever declining price of uranium. Even BHP Billiton might get sick of trying to sell it, at a loss. Even before the economic facts hit BHP, there are a few obstacles. For example, Australia’s Environment Minister, Tony Burke, virtously touts numerous regulations that must be met. Some of them might prove a nuisance to BHP.
Then there’s the South Australian Parliament, which must consider the Indenture Act – a piece of legislation that already overrides about 6 important State Laws. It might not be all that easy to pass a new Indenture Act and still show some semblance of democracy to the electorate.
It would n’t be too good if the (statistically inevitable) next nuclear catastrophe happened sooner, rather than later.
BHP Billiton’s planned monstrosity is still going to be environmentally disastrous, even without the uranium. But, a lesser disaster would be a decision by BHP to not extract the uranium – to leave it in the ground. And this would be advisable, as a prevention from creating another Maralinga-style irradiated region in South Australia.
There are so many news items on this topic, that many have been left out of this site. More Olympic Damn news items can be read at http://nuclearnewsaustralia.wordpress.com/
Call for moratorium on uranium mining in Australia
Australian Nuclear Free Alliance calls for a moratorium on uranium mining, 11th October 2011 In the wake of the approval of the Olympic Dam expansion, the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA) is calling for a moratorium on uranium mining due to the long term impacts associated with the nuclear industry. Uncle Kevin Buzzacott, Arabunna elder from Lake Eyre and President of ANFA, addressed a rally at Parliament House in Adelaide yesterday held in response to the approvals announced by the State and Federal government:
“Today is a very sad day, but it’s not over yet. We are not going to rest until the government reverses its decision. We want BHP Billiton out of the desert. If we have to bring this town to a standstill, then so be it.”
South Australian Minister for Mineral Resources Development Tom Koutsantonis said yesterday that the mine will be subject to the most “stringent environmental conditions.”
“If 8 million litres of radioactive waste per day leaking into the underground rock and aquifer, and almost 9 billion tonnes of radioactive waste left in the desert at the mines closure, is acceptable under these conditions, then the South Australian government is setting the bar extremely low,” said ANFA Committee member Nectaria Calan.
“The radioactive waste will remain on Kokatha and Arabunna Country long after the former ‘Big Australian,’ now 76 per cent foreign owned, packs up its business and moves on.” The expansion means an increase in shipments of uranium oxide and copper concentrate railed through the Northern Territory and shipped out from East Arm wharf on Larrakia land.
Donna Jackson, ANFA co-chair and Larrakia woman said, “the transport and export of these goods puts additional pressures on our emergency services, if we increase the volume, we increase the chance of an accident happening.” “We stand by the Kokatha and Arabunna who oppose this expansion and we repeat our opposition and distress to the approved increase of two trains a day transporting radioactive materials through the NT and out from our Darwin Harbour.”
Olympic Dam an unprecedented attack on Australia’s environment
BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine expansion will leave an uprecedented environmental legacy THE AUSTRALIAN, BY:PAUL CLEARY October 11, 2011 FUTURE generations of Australians will have to contend with an unprecedented environmental legacy from the expansion of Olympic Dam’s copper-uranium mine, but our system provides no way of compensating them.
BHP Billiton’s open-cut expansion of mining to extract an estimated $800 billion in mineral wealth will leave behind an above-ground heap of radioactive tailings spread over 44sq km and as high as the Sydney Opera House.
After 40 years of production, the mine will also leave behind a toxic crater measuring 4km wide and more than 1km deep.
Both legacies pose significant risks to ground water, according to BHP’s environmental impact statement . . . although these were dismissed yesterday by Environment Minister Tony Burke.
Under Australia’s federal-state system, the South Australian government has no incentive to set up a future fund so that it can compensate future residents for having to live with much less mineral wealth, and with the environmental costs of this development. Nor has the federal government or opposition shown any interest in measures to compensate our grandkids, and their descendants, for having used our inherited mineral wealth to inflate our standard of living….. the mineral resources rent tax won’t collect any of the above-normal profits earned from developing one of the world’s biggest ore deposits, because it only taxes coal and iron ore production. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/counting-the-cost-of-bhps-olympic-dam/story-e6frg9if-1226163362958
You’ve heard of Penis Envy? Now Rio Tinto brings Dirty Great Uranium Hole envy
Under today’s announced agreement, Tasman will get an immediate cash injection of A$10 million from Rio Tinto and that would see Tasman undertake a A$5 million search programme over Vulcan in the next 12 months. Tasman’s executive chairman Greg Solomon said Rio has the right but not the obligation to earn up to 80% in the project by committing to a two-stage farm-in arrangement by spending up to A$75 million and, in addition, paying Tasman up to A$17 million including the initial A$10 million payment….
The ambitious programme would see Olympic Dam transformed from a big underground mine to an open pit, but the ore system is under about 400 metres of sterile cover and would involve creating mountains of stockpiles in the pancake-flat terrain.
The market is awaiting a decision on Olympic Dam going open cut and it was considered imminent given the fact that South Australian Premier Mike Rann, who is soon to depart, indicated that he wanted to stay in the chair to be able to announce the mine upgrade…. http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page103118?oid=137193&sn=Detail&pid=102055
France: nuclear safety problems revealed, doubts arising on nuclear’s future
convicting nuclear operators guilty of negligence or issuing reprimands and demanding immediate corrective measures from giants like EDF or Areva,…
With accusing fingers increasingly pointing towards the nuclear industry, a hesitant debate is beginning to open up in France. Socialist leader Segolene Royal who was defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy in France’s last presidential poll but hopes once again to be her party’s candidate, said she would close down the EPR under construction at Flamanville and completely abandon the EPR technology being pushed by Areva.
Post-Fukushima, France breaks silence on nuclear safety, The Hindu VAIJU NARAVANE, 11 Oct 11 Doubts have been raised about the benefits of the EPR reactor, of which India plans to buy six. For a country as given to debate and argument as France, there has been a deafening silence surrounding the choice of nuclear as the prime source of energy. With a population of 62 million, France boasts 59 nuclear reactors — the highest per capita in the world, with over 75 per cent of its electricity coming from the power of the atom.
In the post-Fukushima period, however, that tacit silence is being broken with increasing frequency not just by anti-nuclear associations or candidates hoping to win elections but by French courts and the Nuclear Safety Authority. Continue reading
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