Strong call against Australian company Lynas’ rare earths radioactive wastes in Malaysia
Lynas, ….. expects to bring in RM8 billion a year from 2013 that too tax-free, based on current prices.”……
Petition signed by 52000 residents protesting the building of the plant
By Aliran, on 12 November 2011, M N D’Cruz raises the alarm over the Lynas rare earth refinery near Kuantan and says it is the duty of every Pahang resident to oppose the plant……
The biggest question is ‘Why do we want this plant in Gebeng or for that matter anywhere in Malaysia’? Continue reading
Olympic Dam “Every word of the agreement favours BHP, not South Australians” – Liberal MP
Opposition industry spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith joined the criticism of the deal struck with BHP Billiton. Mr Hamilton-Smith said, “Every word of the agreement favours BHP, not South Australians.”
Greens turn new Premier Jay Weatherill blue, The Advertiser, Sarah Martin , November 10, 2011 “……Mr Parnell agreed that the Greens did not support any expansion of uranium mining in Australia, and argued the mine could be viable without uranium exploration. Continue reading
Uranium: Greens are asking some critical questions about BHP’s Roxby Downs Indenture Bill
Greens put forward 100 amendments to gridlock mine’s $525 million, by:Sarah Martin, The Advertiser, November 09, 2011 Greens MLC Mark Parnell said his minority party was “not going to be cut short and stopped from asking the questions that need to be asked”, …. BHP says the revised Indenture Act needs to pass Parliament before the end of the year to trigger spending on preparatory work for the mine…. the Bill’s passage could be delayed until Parliament resumes in February next year…..
- WHAT THE GREENS WANT TO KNOW
1. ROYALITIES
Why did the Government lock in a royalty regime for 45 years, and why is it based exclusively on old-style production-based royalties, rather than one that captures a fair share of mining profits?
2. ECONOMIC RETURN
How good an economic deal did SA receive when BHP CEO Marius Kloppers is claiming to his shareholders that the Olympic Dam Expansion will be low cost and highly profitable?
3. PROCESSING IN SA RATHER THAN CHINA
How many South Australian jobs will be lost by not requiring BHP to process our ore here in South Australia rather than exporting it to China?
4. EXEMPTION FROM SA LAWS
Why is BHP exempt from over 20 South Australian laws that every other mining company in SA has to comply with?
5. NO URANIUM OPTION
Why wasnt a No Uranium Roxby Expansion considered when we know it is not only technically feasible, it would also mean less water and energy use and more jobs as the processing would be done here in SA, rather than in China?
6. GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN
Why isn’t there a plan to wean BHP off using 42ML/day of ancient water from the Great Artesian Basin, when they plan double that volume in excess capacity (80ML/day) from their desalination plant?
7. DESALINATION PLANT & CUTTLEFISH RISK
Why is the Government prepared to risk the breeding grounds of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish by not requiring the company to build in a different location?
8. RADIOACTIVE LEAKAGE FROM TAILINGS DAM
How can the Government claim that they have met their public commitment for the expansion to meet worlds best environmental practice when only 4 per cent of the tailings dams will be lined and the dams are designed to leak up to 8 million litres of toxic radioactive waste liquid/day?
9. RESPONSIBILITY POST MINE CLOSURE
Who will ultimately be responsible to manage the open pit, tailings dams and rock waste pile for the 10,000 years after the operations cease that the radioactive risk remains: the company or SA taxpayers, and how much will that management cost?
10. GREENHOUSE POLLUTION & RENEWABLE ENERGY
Why isn’t the company committing to any investment in cleaner energy to meet their whopping 650 MW electricity demand beyond the 57MW commitment for powering the desal plant (less than 10 per cent of total demand) to reduce their enormous increase in the states greenhouse pollution of 12-15 per cent?
Submission by Australian rare earths company Lynas rejected by Malaysia on safety concerns
Miti on Lynas plant: Safety is top priority, Free Malaysia Today Stephanie Sta Maria, | November 8, 2011, Lynas will not be allowed to operate its plant until it meets IAEA conditions. KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) today clarified its stand on the controversial rare earth plant in Gebeng, saying the government would not allow Lynas Corporation Ltd to operate if it flouted the rules.
Miti secretary general Rebecca Sta Maria said safety was the ministry’s top priority.
Last week the government revealed that it had rejected Lynas’ submissions on safety requirements for the RM1.5 billion rare earth refinery. This followed reports by the Australian Associated Press that Lynas was expected to commence operations late this year and begin commercially supplying radiation-risk rare earth by next year. Continue reading
Liberals kow tow to BHP ‘s poor deal for South Australia in Roxby Downs Indenture Bill
Roxby Spin vs Reality as Libs Roll-over:
1) EPA not fully independent
2) No guarantee of extra processing on site
Greens Leader Mark Parnell has accused the Liberals of ducking responsibility over the Roxby approval Bill, as more details emerge that undermine confidence in the deal signed between the Government and BHP Billiton. “The Liberals claim they could have got a better deal. Well, they still can,” said Greens Parliamentary Leader Mark Parnell.
“It is not too late for the Parliament of South Australia to insist on a much better deal for our State. We can and should amend the legislation to ratify the Roxby expansion currently before Parliament. “To roll over and pass the Roxby Indenture Bill unchanged will miss a once in a generation opportunity to get this right,” he said.
The call comes as more gaps emerge in the Government’s claims over the Roxby expansion. “The Government claims the EPA will be fully independent. Yet with this Indenture the EPA will still be operating with one hand tied behind its back,” said Mr Parnell.
“Also the Government has talked up the potential to double processing on site at Roxby Downs to 350,000 tonnes of refined copper. Yet this is not a condition in the approval and there is nothing to stop BHP Billiton ignoring that commitment in the future and export all the ore from the expansion and jobs to China. “And this is on top of locking in a ridiculously low royalty rate for the next 45 years.
“The closer we look, the more concerned we are at the very poor deal the State Government has signed on behalf of all South Australians,” he said.
Surprise, surprise, Liberal Party backs BHP’s massive new uranium mine
Opposition to back Olympic Dam mine expansion bill ABC News 8 Nov The Olympic Dam mine expansion legislation is almost certain to pass the South Australian Parliament before Christmas after winning the Opposition’s backing. The SA Liberal Party has met and decided to support the legislation for BHP Billiton to turn Olympic Dam near Roxby Downs into the world’s biggest open cut copper, gold and uranium mine.
The Opposition has decided it will allow the legislation to pass without amendment or delay. Liberal leader Isobel Redmond says her party’s support for the bill will give BHP Billiton certainty.
“There are things that maybe could have been better for the state but with the economic circumstances, with the massive debt, we felt that economically we could not afford for this project not to go ahead,” she said…..
The Minister says there is an option for Parliament to sit an extra week if needed to get the bill through.
SA Greens leader Mark Parnell says it is no surprise the Liberals have given the legislation their support. He says the Greens will ensure the tough questions are asked. “What we have to remember is that it is the biggest industrial project in South Australian history,” he said. “It’s going to be the biggest hole in the ground on the face of the planet and I think the people of South Australia expect their members of parliament to give this project very thorough scrutiny.”
BHP Billiton is to make a final decision on the multi-billion-dollar expansion early next year…http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-08/liberals-olympic-dam-legislation-mine/3651486/?site=newcastle
Northern Territory’s new mining law might put the brakes on uranium push
New Territory mining legislation comes into force, ABC News, By Tom Nightingale, November 07, 2011 The mining industry says exploration companies will be the most affected by new Northern Territory legislation that takes effect today.
The Minerals Titles Act aims to increase transparency about the environmental impacts of mining, by increasing obligations about what needs to be reported.The Minerals Council says it agrees with the changes in principle, but is mindful of the potential for excessive red tape….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-07/20111107-mininig-legislation/3650374
Australian uranium producers struggle, Paladin’s shares dropped 70 % this year
Paladin punished for African shut-downs, THE AUSTRALIAN , November 01, 2011 SHARES in Africa-focused miner Paladin were punished after it reported a fall in uranium production amid weak market prices, despite record sales for the September quarter.
Paladin produced 1.24 million pounds of uranium in the September quarter, a 15 per cent fall compared with 1.46 million pounds in the previous quarter.
The fall was due to shutdowns at Paladin’s operations in Namibia and Malawi, including a ground movement that affected the Malawi mine and reduced its production by 30 per cent.
Paladin shares fell 6.5c, , or 4.2 per cent, to close at $1.50….
Chief executive John Borshoff said the persistent deterioration of the uranium spot price since the Fukushima nuclear accident in March was affecting financial returns..The effects of Fukushima on the industry had highlighted its inability to sustain production growth in an orderly way, he said.
Uranium prices had recently fallen to levels of about $US50 a pound, last seen after Japan’s nuclear accident, causing grief to struggling Australian producers such as Paladin. Paladin’s shares have slumped 70 per cent this year, mainly because of the Fukushima accident.
Secretive and inadequate plan for Toro Energy’s uranium mining project at Wiluna, Western Australia
Toro Energy acknowledges that it has not fully verified the accuracy or completeness of its own application, and does not accept responsibility or liability for its application.….A mining agreement with Traditional Owners has not yet been negotiated…Uranium mining and tailings disposal in this region would occur below the water-table and be connected to aquatic ecosystems. There is a risk of contaminating the aquatic ecosystems….The mine rehabilitation plans are incomplete and Toro Energy’s preliminary costing for rehabilitation is being kept secret.
Submission to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia on behalf of the Conservation Council of WA, the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and the Anti Nuclear Alliance of WA. This submission was prepared with the help and advice from Dr Jim Green, Dr Gavin Mudd and Dr Nic Dunlop.
re: Toro Energy Ltd Wiluna uranium project Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP) Wiluna ERMP Submission_Final.doc
Australian uranium mines have a history of leaks, safety breaches and failed rehabilitation. Accordingly a 2004 report by a Senate References and Legislation Committee found “a pattern of under-performance and non-compliance” in the uranium mining industry and identified many gaps in knowledge. To date, not a single uranium mine in Australia has been rehabilitated to the point that radiological conditions are stable and ongoing monitoring is no longer required.
The history of the wider mining sector in WA has also been problematic as detailed in a recent Auditor General’s report . Continue reading
Big losses at Paladin uranium mine
Toro Energy has no credible plan for radioactive waste in its Western Australian Wiluna project
Greens says uranium mine plan flawed ABC News, 1 Nov 11 WA Greens Senator Scott Ludlum says Toro Energy’s proposal to the Environmental Protection Authority for its planned Wiluna uranium mine is full of gaping holes. In his public submission as part of the EPA approval process Mr Ludlum says there are a series of unanswered questions regarding the company’s proposed mine in the northern Goldfields.
Toro Energy is seeking environmental approval for what could become WA’s first uranium mine. Scott Ludlum says there are serious flaws in the company’s plans.
“The company is proposing to leave behind in the landscape tens of millions of tonnes of very finely powered carcinogenic radioactive waste and they are asking the tax payer to take on that liability ten years after the mine closes.” “To do that they need to put up a credible proposal for how that material is going to be isolated from people and the environment for tens of thousands of years and they haven’t even made an attempt to do that.” Toro Energy has declined to comment. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/11/01/3353209.htm
International and Australian walkers join Aboriginal struggle against uranium mining
Australia: Anti-uranium mine marchers reach Perth Summit County Citizens Voice November 1, 2011 by Bob Berwyn, Groups show solidarity with indigenous people, call for halt to mining, By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — After nine weeks walking through rain, wind and dust across a big chunk of Australia, 50 protest marchers arrived in Perth to call for an end to uranium mining in Australia.
“Footprints for Peace have organized international walks against uranium mining for seven years. On each walk we hear
the same stories about the broken promises from the nuclear industry. said march coordinator Marcus Atkinson. “This industry … divides communities and leaves people uncertain and afraid about the future.”
The group has been walking in solidarity with the Traditional Custodians of theWiluna and Yeelirrie areas where uranium mines have been proposed; many are opposed to the mines but have no legal recourse.
Bilbo Taylor, spokesperson for Walk Away from Uranium Mining, said, “Although we are walking into the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, this is not about the Queen or any other heads of government, this is about common people from around the world who have walked together with the indigenous peoples of this land in respect for their sovereign rights, and with a simple message ‘Irati Wanti – uranium, leave it in the ground “
Jocelyn Peyret, from the Resau Sortir du Nucleaire– an anti-nuclear federation of 915 organisation and 54,109 individual members, has been with the walk since the beginning. He has witnessed the way the nuclear industry works both in France and Australia.
“We support the indigenous people in their fight because it’s the same in France,” Peyret said. “They arrive with a lot of money and promises of jobs, but when they’re done, they just leave problems. It’s the same fight. The nuclear industry take’s your land and your future”
“For an indigenous person of North America, it simply means no more exploitation and colonization,” said
Ammon Russell, an indigenous person from the Dine/Navajo reservation in Arizona. “Australians can begin by simply respecting what the original caretakers of this land maintained in culture, language and belief systems.” http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/11/01/australia-anti-uranium-mine-marchers-reach-perth/
Paladin uranium miner struggles with continued losses and share price falls
Paladin chief slashes his pay, SMH, Peter Ker,November 1, 2011 PALADIN Energy boss John Borshoff has taken the knife to his $2.5 million salary, in the latest chapter of a miserable year for the struggling uranium miner.
Barely 10 months after enjoying a 5 per cent pay rise, Mr Borshoff has agreed to reduce his pay by 25 per cent as part of a drive to reduce administration costs at the Africa-focused company. The pay cut coincided with a lacklustre quarterly report from Paladin, which has earned a reputation for over-promising and under-delivering. ……… mine production targets were missed by 15 per cent over the past three months, while the company’s forecasts for the uranium price also proved too optimistic.
But the cut to Mr Borshoff’s pay was the stand-out item in the report, and comes after much agitation from investors who have watched the share price plummet since the Japanese nuclear disaster in March. Mr Borshoff’s remuneration package was worth $2.522 million in the year to June 2011, up from $1.9 million the year before.
That increase to his remuneration, which included a 5 per cent rise in fixed pay, came in a year when Paladin made an increased trading loss of $US82.3 million. The company sought to justify Mr Borshoff’s remuneration by describing him as a ”recognised global authority” on nuclear power, whose expertise was in ”extremely limited supply” around the world….
Paladin shares fell 6.5¢ to $1.50 yesterday. The stock was fetching $5 in March before the Fukushima nuclear disaster damaged investor confidence in the uranium sector…. http://www.smh.com.au/business/paladin-chief-slashes-his-pay-20111031-1ms4l.html#ixzz1cV3q88BL
Redlight for Yellowcake: National spotlight on WA uranium plan
31 Oct 11 Environment groups from around Australia have joined West Australian trade unions, environment groups and civil society organisations to call for no uranium mining in WA. The groups have submitted a formal submission to the WA Environmental Protection Agency detailing their concerns over plans by Toro Energy for uranium mining near Wiluna in WA’s central desert.
Leading national and international groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Wilderness Society, the Australian Conservation Foundation and a number of States and Territory peak environment groups have urged the EPA not to approve the controversial Wiluna uranium mine and to instead support an independent public inquiry into plans for uranium mining in WA.
Public comment on the application for the Wiluna project, planned to be WA’s first uranium mine, closes today. Around two thousand submissions opposing uranium mining have been sent to the EPA. “There is growing national concern about the Barnett governments move to fast track uranium projects in WA,” said Conservation Council of Western Australia nuclear free campaigner Mia Pepper. “Many of the groups that support our call have a close experience of the costs and consequences of the nuclear industry and there is growing attention and resistance to this toxic industry in the West”.
The joint groups have identified fundamental deficiencies in the Toro Energy application including in such key areas as water, transport, cumulative pollution impact, Aboriginal heritage and radiation protection. These deficiencies are so significant that they preclude any credible approval of the Wiluna project.
“Many West Australians are opposed or have deep concerns about this planned industry, particularly in the shadow of Fukushima and the EPA should not sign off on this flawed project on the basis of this deficient application,” said Mia Pepper.“Radioactive waste lasts longer than a mining company and a lot longer than a Premier’s assurance. West Australian’s deserve no less than an independent public inquiry into plans for this contested industry.”
Few Australians aware of the environmental disaster that will be Olympic Dam uranium mine
The project was vigorously opposed from the start by both the local Arabunna and Kokatha peoples …..
The mining operations are expected to produce 8 million litres of radioactive tailings every day – which will eventually leach into local aquifers – and will create 9 billion tons of radioactive waste that will need to be monitored for the next 10,000 years,
Virtually every adult Australian citizen was aware of the “carbon tax” …Very few, however, were aware that at much the same time, a project had been set into motion that made a complete mockery of any pretensions to act in a an environmentally responsible manner.
Learning To Shine Through The Ruins, By Vincent Di Stefano, 30 October, 2011,Countercurrents.org “…….Despite the fact that the Chernobyl melt-down 25 years ago has already cost nearly a million lives , and despite the fact that hot Strontium from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has been detected on the rooftops of houses in Yokohama 250 kilometers away, the nuclear industry, together with its marketing arm, the International Atomic Energy Commission continues to aggressively pursue their deadly interests.
On October 10th 2011 , both the Australian Federal Government and the South Australian Government obligingly rubber-stamped a massive industrial development at the Olympic Dam mine complex at Roxby Downs in South Australia that will, over the next 10 years, see an additional 19,000 tons of uranium oxide (yellow cake) produced annually for export every year. Australia already exports over 10,000 tons of yellow cake every year.
This mammoth project will result in the creation of the world’s largest open-pit mining operation. Continue reading
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