A coalition of state and national environmental groups have raised concerns about water contamination and other impacts on Western Australia’s largest national park.
A coalition of state and national environmental groups have raised concerns about water contamination and other impacts on Western Australia’s largest national park.
In an official appeal against the approval of the Kintyre uranium mine project in the Pilbara, the Conservation Council of Western Australia joined with the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Earth and the Wilderness Society to protest Canadian miner Cameco’s proposal to mine on the land.
The Kintyre project, located 270 kilometres north-east of Newman, sits on what was part of Karlamilyi National Park.
“Our appeal identifies a number of serious failings in the assessment of this project which threatens the fragile desert ecosystem and risks irreversible contamination of groundwater with radioactive mine waste,” Conservation Council nuclear-free campaigner Mia Pepper said.
In July, the Environmental Protection Authority gave conditional approval to the Cameco and Mitsubishi Development joint venture project, but recommended conditions to ensure the project did not affect flora and fauna in the area.
EPA chairman Paul Vogel said the project had been thoroughly scrutinised during an environmental impact assessment and could be managed to protect human health.
However Ms Pepper said that wasn’t enough.
“The two conditions recommended by the EPA fail to address the serious issues around ground water contamination, water flows into the national park and leaking mine tailings and avoid on going calls to ensure there is radiation monitoring in the communities and national park,” she said.
“We are deeply concerned about the lack of any independent analysis of ground water contamination risks.
“Our investigations have revealed that the EPA and Department of Water relied solely on information provided by the mining company; even though those documents clearly state that there is a lack of information and understanding about the water in the region.”
Other issues raised in the joint objection include unresolved radioactive waste management, water, transport and impacts on rare and threatened species.
The groups are calling for a halt to any further approvals at Kintyre, pending an independent public inquiry into all uranium mining plans in WA.