BHP Billiton bets big on new uranium as new era spawns $17bn mine | The Australian

BHP Billiton bets big on new uranium as new era spawns $17bn mine

THE AUSTRALIAN Matt Chambers 22 May 09 “…………….Yeelirrie in Western Australia ……………………..The mine is yet to be approved by the board of BHP Billiton, which also owns Olympic Dam, where it is planning a massive expansion to 19,000 tonnes of uranium oxide a year. Olympic Dam, which also produces copper and gold, was the last major uranium mine to be developed, starting production in 1988.The documents lodged with the Environment Department are part of the environmental impact statement process, the first steps in obtaining government approval for the Yeelirrie project. Processed radioactive uranium oxide is planned to be trucked to Kalgoorlie in drums then put on trains to Adelaide or Darwin – the only ports currently allowed to export uranium.
A spokeswoman for Mr Barnett said last night the state Government did not intend to ship uranium from its ports. She said that even if volumes required it, uranium would never be allowed through residential ports such as Fremantle……………………………….. federal Labor continues to ban the export of uranium to any country that has refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, such as India. In 2006, the Howard government allowed the export of uranium to China, which has not signed the NPT,

BHP Billiton bets big on new uranium as new era spawns $17bn mine | The Australian

May 22, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized