As most on here know, I am against wide spread mining. I, like BowerBird, have and still see the detrimental effect it has on the environment. These companies have to sign an agreement with the government to rehabilitate the mined area. They smile greedily and sign away, knowing full well they will never honour that agreement. Most foreclose before the end of their lease, leaving any rehabilitation cost to the taxpayers. Clive Palmer is the most recent in Townsville. He has walked away from the Yabulu smelter, leaving the toxic run off pits and their constant maintenance to cost of taxpayers. QNI has foreclosed and therefore renigged on their responsibilities. Until a court upholds criminal charges against the owners, not patsy directors, of these companies nothing will change. These companies, most of them anyway, come in and destroy all for instant profit, putting nothing back into the local community who will eventually have to live with the scars they create. We are country that lives for today and today alone. We have no vision past midnight.
Hey!! I have stood about where that photo was taken - it's braggin' rights to be able to say you have stood on the edge of an abandoned Uranium mine looking down At least I haven't been swimming in the water - leave that to the locals.........
Agreed SL. There are long term legacy issues with toxic run off and slurry pits. I have NO idea what they will do with the underground portion of the big mine here - I mean it is only 5 K deep!! You can still feel the blasting morning and night - which gave rise to the old joke about why women like living in Mt Isa - because the earth moves twice a day!!! It would be different if we could rehabilitate the sites to become dams or something valuable and viable but most just end up being big ugly holes in the ground