Location of BHP Billiton’s proposed desalination plant opposed
Australian environment body calls for shifting of BHP Billiton’s desalination plant domain-b.com news 24 August 2009
Environmental concerns over mining major, BHP Billiton’s expansion plans at Roxy Downs have come to the fore with the Australian Conservation Foundation calling for the shifting of a desalination plant from Upper Spencer Gulf in South Australia………………………
According to Dave Noonan from the foundation, the company has no choice but to shift the plant to address the environmental and other concerns. He added that the company should accept that a desalination at the planned location would not be allowed and that they would not be allowed to design a mine to leak millions of liters of radioactive waste a day.
domain-b.com : Australian environment body calls for shifting of BHP Billiton’s desalination plant
Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion will go ahead, no matter what?
SA assures BHP Billiton on Olympic Dam environmental concerns
Business Spectator 25 August 09
The South Australian government has raised a number of environmental concerns with BHP Billiton Ltd about its planned $20 billion expansion of Olympic Dam, but assured the miner the proposal is not under threat……………
The $20 billion project will convert the underground mine into a massive open pit through an excavation of rock and waste material that will take around six years to complete………….
“None of the issues that have been highlighted by the government authorities are dealbreakers,” acting Premier Kevin Foley told the newspaper.
Business Spectator – News – SA assures BHP Billiton on Olympic Dam environmental concerns
Liberals join Greens against some uranium mining in South Australia
Greens, Libs fight wilderness mining
ABC News 2 Sept 09
The Greens and Liberals are joining forces to urge the South Australian Government to keep mining out of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges. Continue reading
Will South Aust govt really enforce conditions on Roxby Downs uranium mine expansion?
South Australian govt calls on BHPB to fix gaps in Olympic Dam Environmental Impact Statement
Carbon + Environment
25 August 2009
The South Australian Government has called on BHP Billiton to fix inadequacies in its draft EIS for the proposed expansion of its Olympic Dam mine. Continue reading
South Australia Sets Sights On Exporting Renewable Energy
South Australia Sets Sights On Exporting Renewable Energy
Energy Matters 26 August 09
South Australian Premier Mike Rann recently unveiled a plan to see renewable energy sourced power generated in South Australia exported to the nation’s eastern states. Continue reading
Key environmental concerns over BHP Billiton’s Roxby Downs uranium mine
CHRISTOPHER RUSSELL, BUSINESS EDITOR, and GREG KELTON, WASHINGTONAugust 24, 2009
KEY environmental concerns about the multibillion-dollar expansion of the Olympic Dam mine must be fixed by BHP Billiton before the mine proceeds. Continue reading
Beverly Four Mile uranium mine- “world’s worst practice”
Uranium mine called ‘World’s worst practice’
The Flinders News 21/08/2009
Uranium mining in the far north of South Australia at the Beverley location near Arkaroola Wilderness Resort is being openly challenged by Aboriginal Traditional Owner Mrs Enice Marsh. Continue reading
South Australian govt fails to regulate nuclear lobbysits, fails to address corruption issues
Schacht lobbied Rann for miner
*Michael Owen, SA political reporter | August 20, 2009 The Australian“………………..The Rann government is under pressure because of its lack of action to regulate the activities of lobbyists and establish a lobbyists’ register, as the Rudd government and other states have done. Continue reading
Growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion
(more Australian news at nuclear news Australia )
Greens growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion
MINING SAFETY5 August 2009GREENS MLC Mark Parnell says that BHP Billiton ‘s Olympic Dam Expansion Environmental Impact Statement contains glaring omissions alongside startling impacts.
Parnell claims that there are holes in this EIS almost as big as the mine’s open pit. For example, there is a woeful description on the 242 million tonne waste rock heap – a heap that will be so large it will be visible 30 kms away, soar higher than the Santos building and contain millions of tonnes of uranium and acid.
Parnell says the EIS is also silent on long term dust management. More than 25,000,000 litres of water will be sprayed around the site each and every day to prevent toxic dust storms, but what happens when the mining stops?
In many sections of there statement there are reportedly ‘options’ given – some sound, but expensive; others cheap and nasty. The huge concern is that the Federal and State Governments will approve the mine first, and leave it to the company to decide which options they pursue later.
Greens growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion – Mining Safety
Neal Blue: U.S. arms salesman in charge of South Australian uranium mines
Digging dirt with a sledgehammer
The weapons manufacturer who converted Labor’s staunchest opponents to nuclear development has a controversial past, write Nick O’Malley and Ben Cubby…………………………….
………………..Neal Blue’s single-mindedness emerged during the battle over a Blue-owned uranium processing plant on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.
After a series of radioactive spills a nine-legged frog was discovered outside the yellowcake factory.
A government investigation eventually established the company had known for years that radioactive material was leaking and that radioactivity in water around the plant was at levels 35,000 times higher than US federal laws permitted………………………………….
As General Atomics grew, Blue kept an eye on Australia. One of his former employees recalls that in the late 1980s Blue was sure the future was nuclear and Australia was going to be a key part of it.
He went about buying pastoral leases sitting on uranium deposits in South Australia and the Northern Territory, gambling that bans on uranium would one day be lifted.
He was right. In 1990 Blue established Heathgate Resources to operate the new Beverley uranium mine, near Lake Frome in South Australia……………………..The South Australian Government has recorded 59 spills of radioactive material on the surface at the site,……………..
there is no requirement it decontaminate the site when mining ceases.
The environmental impact assessment for Blue’s nearby Four Mile mine, approved this month by the federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, similarly carries no such requirement.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/digging-dirt-with-a-sledgehammer-20090729-e1lj.html
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Uranium mining company jumps the gun at Beverly 4 Mile in South Australia,
Traditional Owners call for immediate halt to uranium operations at Beverley 4 Mile
Coober Pedy Regional Times 28 July 09
Traditional Aboriginal owners of the country that includes the Beverley 4 Mile uranium deposit are outraged with mining operations having commenced prior to the completion of State and Federal approvals processes.
Last week Traditional Owners visiting the site were greeted by new fences and locked gates. They were advised by company representatives that future visits would require company consent and supervision as the mining site was ‘already operational’.
Community members believe the company has pre-empted the Australian approvals process as Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has not yet approved a Monitoring and Management plan, a Mine Closure plan and a Community Engagement plan, all of which are required prior to the start of mining works at Beverley 4 Mile.
Similarly Petratherm announced the commencement of drilling without community consultation being satisfied and without a Risk Assessment being obtained to satisfy community concerns of their intentions regarding chemicals use and contaminated waste disposal procedures.
“On the 4 Mile a number of important South Australian Aboriginal heritage assessment processes are also currently unfinished or incomplete. This was not the deal. The company has jumped the gun. Our community is being left out and our concerns are being ignored,” said Adnyamathanha elder Enice Marsh.
“We want the Federal and State governments to make this company stop work now.”
Traditional Owners and custodians are deeply saddened and angered by the position taken by the mining company Quasar Resources, an affiliate of the US weapons and nuclear energy corporation General Atomics ……………..
BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam will cause greenhouse emissions to soar
Mining growth a greenhouse gas threat
– Adelaide Now 29 July 09July 29, 2009
SOUTH Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions will skyrocket with the expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine if the power comes from non-renewable sources.
The Australian Conservation Foundation says the State Government must make the expansion conditional on the use of renewable energy.
“This BHP mining plan is equivalent to putting more than one million inefficient polluting cars on to the roads and keeping them there for decades to come,” said ACF climate change program manager Tony Mohr.
A spokesman for Premier Mike Rann said the greenhouse gas emissions were “a key issue for consideration” and that the Government would ask BHP Billiton to demonstrate how it would comply with relevant legislation.
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