The story ignores much of the reality about our mining history –
for example new mines are often discovered near old worked out orebodies. So it is far more efficient in many cases for society to leave the sites alone so mineral exploration can get on with business unhindered.
Sites such as that pictured with old plant still standing can in many cases make attractive tourist stops – they go to make up our history and form part of our industrial heritage. Speaking mainly of metal mining – open cut coal mining does affect larger areas but over the whole country the area affected by mining is miniscule at around 0.3% – big deal. Mined areas are mostly way in the boondocks and on any rational list of our national problems would have to rate much lower than this article is beating up.
The ABC, Green/Left anti-mining Jihad was stepped up on todays Landline. The usual hand wringing about evil, dirty miners with the obligatory predictions of the end of coal mining.
I suspect none of the Green/Left denizens of the ABC would have any idea of what their 21st century lifestyle would be like if it weren’t for mining. Maybe this recent presentation by Geoffrey Blainey would make good starting point for some of them?
Yes Bob, it was a beat-up by Greens who have no technical understanding.
Mt Morgan was founded in 1882 when there was little knowledge about effects on environment , when there was no social welfare and people had to work for a living. Mt Morgan is a tourist attraction and was put on the Queensland heritage register in 1992. The town still provides a living for people and is contributing to the Queensland economy.
The reason for the mining there was the gold and copper minerals present in the ground.
Was called away -the heritage site is here environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600751
The tailings may have some copper sulphate ( from oxidation of copper sulpide ores) this will give a blue colour to the water. In small amounts this is not toxic. There may also be a some ferrous sulphate (from oxidation of pyrites or iron sulpide) this could give a reddish tinge to the water- there is nothing dangerous about small quantities of this. To my knowledge there are no dangerous chemicals such as arsenic in the tailings. Some lime addition to waters can neutralise run off waters. Not a big issue.
Two points, one of historical interest, the other an ongoing thicket of thorns
1) the old Baal Bone Open Cut (near Cullen Bullen, Lithgow area) was a Govt mining operation in its’ early days – troops were attempting to operate it towards the end of WW11 (a unionised strike, would you believe). Finally the Govt decided to close it; it was rehabbed by a small plane flying low over the spoil heaps and pine cones being thrown out of the plane. Some of theseeds from the cones took root, of course
2) Indonesian regulations require a substantial cash deposit be made to various designated Govt-controlled entities to secure rehabilitation funds PRIOR tothe start of mining operations (ie. not bank guarantees of future funding, but cash up front). This is what the greenies here are pushing. The Indo experience is commonly that twenty, thirty years down the track, when rehab time comes up, the cash is simply gone along with the various bureaucrats and politicians who controlled these entities. The mining organisation has a legal receipt showing it legitimately deposited the funds back when so it’s off the hook. The villages suffer of course, since no rehab ever occurs
Ianl, can not remember an open cut at Baal Bone but know the underground mine. Talking about rehab. -the Mount Piper Power station sits inside the Ivanhoe Open cut. Just down the road towards Lithgow one can no longer see what once were the Eastern and Western Main open cuts. Great historical book on the Western coalfields “Bent Backs” by Jim W Brown who I met when he was manager at Western Main (great story but not in book of union rep. being carted out from underground after an “accident” when lights went out)
Second point- too true -corruption is rife in many countries. Note the latest with the CFMEU.
cementafriend:
> … open cut at Baal Bone but know the underground mine
It existed all right. The later Oakbridge underground longwall mine went in off the a section of old high wall after refurbishing it
Another piece of history here I still find amusing (but then, I have a typical mining geologist’s black sense of humour). And the principal players are both now deceased:
A local well-known Cullen Bullen resident in the early 1980’s lived quite near the old Baal Bone Open Cut spoil heaps (by then closed and and abandoned). As fate has it, he was the brother of ex-PM Billy McMahon (too true). I have been told this gentleman regularly regaled the clientiele in the Cullen Bullen pub, but never traded off his family connections
One fine day a geologist and chemist were doing a weekly scan of the old spoil heaps as background to the imminent return of mining operations. They noticed that one of the very large old spoil heaps was actually smoldering, on fire. After about 3 months of dozer work and high-pressure water hosing, the fire was eventually considered as out. So what lit it, initially ?
Why, the very same local resident, who had been in the habit of burning his rubbish out there on a weekly basis
Oh, and of course I knew Jim Brown. A very sad end to an interesting life
Ianl , we must have almost crossed paths. Been to that pub a couple of times to have a beer with miners and some union organisers ( a young Andrew Vickers or something like that comes to mind – if my memory serves me right he moved from there to Qld and onto the state executive of the Mining & Energy division of that union in the sights of TURC) Interesting times then and interesting times now.
Here is another ABC anti mining beatup.
Cyanide ponds from abandoned mine could spill into Murray-Darling Basin; farmers fear ‘catastrophe’
www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-29/ponds-containing-cyanide-could-spill-into-murray-darling-basin/6806184
Note the first word in the ABC headline.
And yet when I read the article the Qld Mines Dept say cyanide levels are “…less than “the level for release to surface waters cited in the International Cyanide Management Code”.”
So a lot of fearmongering but what are the real facts? And the Dept is holding $2mill – which would do a fair bit of earthmoving to make the site safer.
Can anybody find aerial photos?
Found this facts and statistics about mining
www.tradeearthmovers.com.au/features/1303/mining-in-australia-infographic. The article insights the economic benefit of mining.