Jam the Dam plan

By Lauren Mellor (Uranium Education Project Officer, ALEC)

The Arid Lands Environment Centre and Alice Springs’ residents will today hold a ‘Traffic Jam against Olympic Dam’ at the railway intersection of Larapinta Drive and Stott Tce.

The action will coincide with protests at the BHP Billiton AGM in Melbourne.

In October BHP Billiton was granted approval by the Federal and South Australian governments for a massive expansion of the copper, silver, gold and uranium mine which would make Olympic Dam the world’s largest open cut mine.

The proposal relies on NT government approval for the transport of yellowcake and uranium-infused copper concentrate along rail networks from the mine site in SA to the Port of Darwin, where a massive upgrade of the harbour will be required to handle high volumes of radioactive ore. BHP plans to add two extra trains of radioactive ore shipments a day through Alice Springs.

These dangerous and unnecessary shipments will cut Alice Springs in half for almost 20 minutes every day. To highlight this threat to the community, commuters stuck at the Larapinta Drive railway intersection today will be treated to free servings of ‘yellowcake’ and Geiger counter radiation readings while they wait for the 8.30am scheduled freight train to pass. BHP’s plan to send uranium shipments through Alice Springs and other communities along the transport route, within metres of busy rail crossings and residential areas, is courting disaster.

There have been eight recorded derailments on the line since it opened, and a further five serious accidents involving vehicles and crossings. Rail accidents are an unfortunate reality on the Adelaide to Darwin line. Adding radioactive freight only heightens the risks.

Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan has suggested constructing a flyover option to reduce traffic inconvenience but this will still leave Alice Springs vulnerable to the potential of a serious radioactive accident taking place on our railway and in highly populated areas.

This threat will increase pressure on NT emergency services and workers to have the facilities and trained personnel constantly at the ready for an eventuality of this type.

Three representatives from the NT will address the BHP Billiton AGM in Melbourne to voice opposition to the company’s expansion plans, declaring the mining and transportation of uranium to be an unacceptable risk to the people of South Australia and the Territory.

BHP Billiton made a record $32 billion in profit last year, yet it will be Northern Territory residents who will pay the price in increased rail traffic, risk of serious radioactive incident, and environmental contamination and pressure on our emergency services if this massive expansion project is allowed to proceed.