BHP Billiton Claims Mask Years of Damage

Wednesday, 13 February 2008 10:00

Allegations by BHP Billiton that Total Environment Centre is distributing “confusing and misleading” information about its longwall mining impacts are designed to cover-up more than a decade of environmental vandalism in the NSW Southern Coalfield.

The claims were issued via media release last week by wholly owned BHP Billiton subsidiary Illawarra Coal. They follow widespread media coverage of methane gas bubbling to the surface of the Nepean River where mining is currently taking place.

“There is nothing confusing about the bubbles on the Nepean’s surface. BHP Billiton have mined too close and cracked the bed of yet another river,” said TEC spokesperson David Burgess.

The issue of fugitive methane bubbling into a river in the Southern Coalfield was first noticed in 1996 when longwall mining by BHP cracked the riverbed of the Lower Cataract River. At the time BHP Billiton told New Scientist magazine that they were changing their mining methods so that “fracturing of the sandstone will be much less likely in future.” *

“In the ten years since the New Scientist story BHP Billiton have moved on to fracture the riverbeds of the Georges River, the Upper Cataract, Native Dog Creek, Wongawilli Creek and now the Nepean River. They have done nothing to change their mining methods.

“Claims that millions of tonnes of coal have been ‘sterilised’ by not mining directly under rivers are greatly exaggerated. To compensate for withdrawing 80m from the Nepean, BHP Billiton opened up longwalls near the Upper Cataract River, which cracked as well. You cannot describe this as responsible,” Mr Burgess said.

Along with other mining companies, BHP Billiton intends to expand mining across enormous leases in the Southern Coalfield, including nearly all of Sydney’s southern water supply catchment.

“Let’s remember that the current impacts on the Nepean are only the very start of a mining operation that BHP Billiton expects to continue for many years to come. It is too early to tell the full extent of the damage and the next panel is also certain to have major impacts,” Mr Burgess said.

“It is no longer good enough for mining companies to say that damage is within predictions. Environment groups predicted it too and that’s why we opposed this particular project in the first place.”

“BHP Billiton claim to make their decisions based on facts. The fact is that rivers are being cracked and swamps drained. Mining is taking place too close to these important natural features and needs to be regulated to pull back to a position where damage is prevented.”