LESSON ON TOXIC MINING WASTE

If anyone still has lingering doubts about whether mining should be allowed in the Clarence Valley, I suggest they consider the news emerging from western Tasmania.

That story involves a copper, zinc and lead mine that has been operating for 80 years, producing toxic waste in the process which is currently stored in two very large tailings dams on the edge of the world renowned Tarkine forest.

Those existing dams will reach capacity within three years, and the owner, MMG, wants to construct a third dam inside the Tarkine, with a massive 285-hectare footprint. Naturally, this has drawn condemnation from concerned citizens and protests have already erupted leading to more than 40 arrests to date.

MMG argues that without the third dam, the mine would be forced to close, which appears to be a clear admission that cleaning up these toxic waste storage dams isn’t possible. After all, to a layman at least, the obvious solution would be to clean out one of the existing dams, dispose of the waste safely, so it could be refilled, thus avoiding the environmentally destructive consequences of building the third dam.

Mining companies are supposedly obligated to eventually rehabilitate the site when a mine is closed down. How will this occur in the Tasmanian case? If history is any indication, it probably won’t!

The well-respected Australia Institute, in its report “The dark side of the Boom” (2017) reported that over 60,000 mines had been abandoned across Australia, and found evidence of barely more than 20 that had been closed and relinquished. In fact, their researchers could only find evidence of a handful of mines that had been successfully rehabilitated.

The report points out that “rehabilitating a single mine can cost millions or even billions of dollars”, which probably explains why, in more recent times, so many mines are “moth-balled”, rather than closed permanently, thus avoiding the required rehabilitation.

 If copper mining gets the go ahead in the Clarence, a similar toxic time-bomb could be the legacy facing the valley’s residents in the future.

            - John Edwards

Published in the "Voices for the Earth" column in The Clarence Valley Independent , July 28,, 2021

More information on MMG Mine near  Rosebery in the Tarkine :  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/06/where-mining-meets-rainforest-the-battle-for-tasmanias-tarkine

 

 

COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO MINING IN THE CLARENCE VALLEY

When community groups form to campaign on issues they are passionate about, there are always detractors, and the current anti-mining campaign being run in the valley by the Clarence Catchment Alliance is no different in that respect.

What is different in this instance, is that during more than three years of campaigning there has been an almost total lack of opposition.

However, milestone events recently, including Clarence Valley Council’s call for a moratorium, and the handing over of a 10,000 signature-plus petition to the NSW State Parliament, has drawn some criticism.

One business group has criticised Council’s decision, arguing the community’s views should have been sought, even though one would have thought 10,000 signatures was a fair indication of that community’s view. Coal seam gas driller, Metgasco, was similarly welcomed by the business community some years ago, and history shows the business sector was way out of step with the community’s views on that issue, so it seems little has changed.

Those speculating on the Stock Exchange, where shares in local exploration companies are trading below $0.05, also stand to suffer financially, and would likewise be unhappy about any local opposition to mining.

The reality is, there are always environmental risks from mining, and no matter how robust the imposed conditions are, accidents will continue to occur, even here in Australia. Those risks are enhanced by factors such as steep terrain, high rainfall and unstable soils, all of which apply to the Clarence Valley.

Well over 100,000 people depend on the catchment for drinking water. Irrigators, commercial and recreational fishers, tourism, other agribusiness and more, all depend on that water for their livelihoods and wellbeing.

The Clarence River itself has enormous spiritual significance to the valley’s three first nations peoples, and is recognised world-wide as a biodiversity hotspot, both on land and in the marine environment.

There are protected wild rivers, world heritage rainforests, nature reserves and national parks, all of which are too precious to be placed at risk from mining, and clearly, more than 10,000 people agree.

           - John Edwards