Mineral Company is Looking to Explore Heavily Contaminated Wittenoom, Australia
An iron ore miner has applied to explore the mineral potential of Western Australia’s most heavily contaminated areas. Wittenoom, Australia, 1,400 km north of Perth in WA’s Pilbara, was the site of a blue asbestos mine. Operations at the mine contaminated the surrounding area and are linked to the deaths of more than 1,200 former workers and residents. The contamination led to the town being de-gazetted and essentially wiped off the map by the Western Australia government, with access to the town site and surroundings being heavily prohibited.
Exploration company Fe Metals recently lodged the application for a mining exploration license with Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety for tenements within the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Areas and close to the former town site. Fe Metals is a subsidiary of iron ore miner Macro Metals. If the license is granted, it would allow the company to enter the area and survey the mineral value of the land. The application was made by an exploration geologist contracted to the company who was unaware of the area’s history and contamination. The company has no intention of mining the area and is calling for the law to be changed so that exploration within the asbestos management zone is permanently banned.
Exposure to even small amounts of blue asbestos can cause fatal respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. It is estimated that 1,200 of Wittenoom’s residents and miners were killed by blue asbestos-related illnesses during the mine’s operations between 1930 and 1966. It is considered one of Australia’s worst industrial disasters. The town was officially closed in 2022. The above ground structures have been demolished and all roads leading into and out of the town are closed. A state government spokesperson claimed that mining applications could be submitted for Asbestos Management Areas in Australia like Wittenoom. No approval will be given without strict conditions.
Any activity within an Asbestos Management Area must be conducted in such a way that prevents or minimizes the risk of asbestos contamination and human exposure to asbestos material. There would also be a condition that would require the proponent to submit a detailed plan to DEMIRS prior to any ground disturbance activities. The plan would have to be assessed and approved by DEMIRS before any activity, including ground disturbance, could start.
Some owners are angry that a company can come in and survey the area when traditional owners of the land cannot access their land since there are asbestos tailings that have not been removed.
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