Locals and participants in the Radioactive Exposure Tour gathered to say no to Alkane's rare earths mine, on July 1. The mine, at Toongi, 30 kilometers south of Dubbo, will commence operation towards the end of the year. Uranium will not be sold, but it will be dug up and stored on site in a tailings dam, along with other toxic substances.
At a public meeting the previous night, attended by 50 people and a representative from Alkane, concerns and were raised over contamination of drinking water from the tailings dam. The mine is upstream of Dubbo's water supply, near a creek that flows into the Macquarie River. Other concerns include: up to 70 B-double trucks passing through Dubbo per day, some of which will contain hydrochloric acid and caustic soda; the mine’s water usage; leaving toxic waste for future generation to deal with; and the global role Australia plays in sending uranium around the world.
For more information on the mine and the campaign against it, check out Uranium Free Dubbo on Facebook.
Like the article? Subscribe to Green Left now! You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.