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/