Aboriginal Elder Calls for Scrap of BHP's Olympic Dam Uranium Mine Expansion

Strategic Insights -

The South Australian government has approved an expansion of BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam uranium and copper mine, but an Aboriginal elder and anti-nuclear campaigner, Kevin Buzzacott, is urging the government to reconsider. Buzzacott, a president of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance, claims that the long-term impacts of the nuclear industry are a significant concern. He is calling for a moratorium on uranium mining and for BHP Billiton to be removed from the desert.

Key Takeaways:

  • The South Australian government has granted BHP Billiton permission to develop the world's largest open-pit mine at Olympic Dam, which will produce 750,000 tonnes of copper and 19,000 tonnes of uranium oxide each year.
  • The mine will operate for 40 years and will grow to be over four kilometers long, 3.5 kilometers wide, and one kilometer deep.
  • Much of the ore will be carried by rail through the Northern Territory for export from Darwin, raising concerns about the transportation of goods and potential accidents.
  • ANFA spokeswoman Donna Jackson is concerned that the increase in ore transport will put additional pressures on emergency services and increase the chance of an accident happening.
  • The anti-nuclear campaigner, Kevin Buzzacott, is calling for a moratorium on uranium mining and for BHP Billiton to be removed from the desert.
  • The approval of the mine expansion was given despite concerns from local communities and anti-nuclear groups.

Statistics:

  • The mine will produce 750,000 tonnes of copper and 19,000 tonnes of uranium oxide each year.
  • The mine will operate for 40 years.
  • The mine will grow to be over four kilometers long, 3.5 kilometers wide, and one kilometer deep.
  • The ore will be carried by rail for 1,600 kilometers in the Northern Territory.

Sources:

  • Adelaider Now Pty Ltd, "Aboriginal Elder Calls for Scrap of BHP's Olympic Dam Uranium Mine Expansion" (October 11, 2020).
  • AAP, "SA approves BHP's Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion" (October 11, 2020).