nuclear-news

World’s biggest uranium hole and mountain of radioactive wastes planned

“This Environmental Impact Statement shows the company has designed Olympic Dam to leak up to eight million litres of liquid radioactive waste per day.  BHP Billiton plans to dump radioactive tailings on the surface and leave them there forever, rather than pay to isolate the toxic waste from the environment.”

BHP Billiton has released a multi-phonebook-sized environmental impact statement to support its proposal to make Olympic Dam the world’s largest uranium project, but the EIS does not address the risks that go along with Australian uranium when it is used in nuclear reactors overseas.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has challenged the company to re-do its environmental assessment to take account of disasters like Fukushima.

“In the same week the German and Japanese governments have made decisions not to proceed with new nuclear reactors, BHP Billiton has released a mammoth document that completely dodges the question of international responsibility,” said ACF nuclear free campaigner David Noonan.

“BHP Billiton hopes to lock in the world’s largest uranium project in the shadow of the continuing nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan.

“ACF calls on the company to be a responsible corporate citizen by ending this dangerous uranium trade and designing Olympic Dam to trade only in copper and non-radioactive minerals.

“After announcing record profits this year BHP Billiton is trying to avoid environmental protection measures and is cutting corners on waste management

“This EIS shows the company has designed Olympic Dam to leak up to eight million litres of liquid radioactive waste per day.  BHP Billiton plans to dump radioactive tailings on the surface and leave them there forever, rather than pay to isolate the toxic waste from the environment.

“Processing the copper on site and leaving all the uranium and other radioactive waste on the mine site is the only potentially acceptable path for this proposed new open pit mine.”

May 16, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, environment