Uranium scare in SA

By Anthony Thirlwall

ADELAIDE -- Western Mining Corporation on February 14 revealed a contamination alert at its huge uranium and copper mine, Olympic Dam, in the north-west of the state.

The alert was sparked by the discovery of a leak of between 1 and 5 million kilolitres of processed waste water. This has raised the local water table by 10 m to within about 45 m of the surface. The water is believed to have come from the surface retention system used to contain the tailings -- left-over materials from the mine's production of uranium oxide, copper, gold and silver.

Western Mining claims that no danger has been posed to the environment, employees or residents of the nearby town of Roxby Downs. The state Liberal government stated that it was satisfied with the company's response.

The Labor opposition spokesperson on the environment, Carolyn Pickles, asked the government “why this massive leak was not detected several years ago”. Her colleague, the former mines and energy minister in the Labor government, Frank Bevens, was reportedly made aware of the leak last September 1, yet had failed to act or tell the public.

Environmental Youth Alliance campaigner David Cornish told Green Left Weekly that this latest incident once again proves that the uranium industry is unsafe and should be halted.

Environmental Youth Alliance will be holding a demonstration against uranium mining on Friday, February 25, at 2 p.m. outside the Department of Mines and Energy at 30 Wakefield St in the city.

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