Morrison govt approved Yeelirrie uranium mine just the day before calling the election
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Government approved controversial uranium mine one day before calling the election ABC News, 25 Apr 19, by national environment, science and technology reporter Michael Slezak, The Morrison Government signed off on a controversial uranium mine one day before calling the federal election, and did not publicly announce the move until the environment department uploaded the approval document the day before Anzac Day.
Key points:
The Yeelirrie Uranium mine, located 500 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, requires both federal and state approval. The state approval of the proposed mine is still being fought in the state’s Supreme Court by members of the Tjiwarl traditional owners. In 2016, the West Australian Environment Protection Agency advised the mine not be approved, concluding it posed too great a risk of extinction to some native animals. The former Liberal Barnett government controversially approved the mine in 2017, just weeks before it lost the West Australian election. Canadian company Cameco, the world’s largest uranium producer, is seeking to develop the uranium mine, which would cover an area 9km long and 1.5km wide. It would involve the clearing of up to 2,422 hectares of native vegetation. It is also approved to cause groundwater levels to drop by 50cm, and they would not completely recover for 200 years, according to Cameco’s environmental reports. A spokesperson for Environment Minister Melissa Price said the approval was subject to 32 strict conditions to avoid and mitigate potential environmental impacts. Traditional owner of the area, Tjiwarl woman Vicky Abdullah, said she was surprised by the announcement, and was hoping for the project to be rejected. “It’s a very precious place for all of us. For me and my two aunties, who have been walking on country,” she said……. Ms Price has declined an interview with the ABC. …… Dave Sweeney, an anti-nuclear campaigner at the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the timing suggested the decision was political. “We need decisions that are based on evidence and the national interest, not a company’s interest or not a particular senator’s or a particular government’s interest,” he said. “This reeks of political interference, rather than a legal consideration or due process.” The approval is one of several controversial moves the Government made before entering caretaker mode, where such decisions would be impossible, including approving Adani’s two groundwater management plans for its proposed Carmichael coal mine. At a federal level, both Labor and the Coalition support the development of uranium mining in Australia…….. The company said the mine was expected to produce up to 7,500 tonnes of yellow cake concentrate over a 15-year period. Over its life, the mine would produce around 36 million tonnes of radioactive waste, which would be stored at the site. The West Australian EPA’s recommendation to block the mine was based primarily on the impacts the mine would have on animals that live in groundwater, called stygofauna. Dr Tom Hatton, chairman of the West Australian EPA, said there was more stygofauna in the area near the mine “than anywhere else in the northern Goldfields”. “The stygofauna habitat at Yeelirrie is particularly rich, with 73 species recorded,” Dr Hatton said in 2017. The federal approval is conditional on Cameco producing a groundwater management plan, which manages the risks to those animals. It also has a number of other conditions, including surveys to confirm reports of night parrots in the area, and if they are found, a night parrot management plan would be required. Ms Abdullah told the ABC she and her family have used the area for years to hunt and camp. “Where are all the next generation of our kids going to go,” Ms Abdullah asked……. Ongoing court challengesIn October, it was reported that Ms Price would not approve the mine before the court case in Western Australia was resolved. “My department advised that it was prudent to wait for the result of the WA Supreme Court proceedings before finalising the Federal assessment,” she reportedly told the Kalgoorlie Miner. “This ensures that we know the state decision is valid and we can avoid overlapping with any state approval conditions.”…….https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-26/government-approved-uranium-mine-day-before-election/11047252 |
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