Tour Tasmania’s mining legacies

The Mineral Policy Institute (MPI) and the Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network (TPEHN) are touring Tasmanian mine sites in February to inspect the impacts that mining has had on the environment and especially waterways in Tasmania.

Dr Gavin Mudd from Environmental Engineering at Monash University and Chair of the Board of MPI,  and Isla MacGregor from TPEHN,  will be accompanied by university students and other members of the public on this tour.

On the tour we will inspect operating and legacy mine sites and the numerous waterways that have been contaminated with Acid Mine Drainage and metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, zinc and copper.

With new mining proposals being planned for various parts of the state including the West coast and the Midlands for metals, shale oil gas and coal, it is important for the Tasmanian community to get a better idea about what the ongoing impacts of mining in Tasmania are before the community decides to give their social licence to any future mining proposals in the state.

The tour will be an audit on mining impacts and we will be discussing the history of regulation of the mining industry and the EPA’s capacity to effectively regulate it in Tasmania.

The trip will be highly educational as well as getting to see some unique and valuable ecosystems and biodiverse areas in Tasmania.

Members of the public can join the tour and will need to be properly equipped and responsible for their own costs and especially safety as the tour will be inspecting some hazardous sites.

For further information Contact:  Gavin.Mudd@Monash.edu.au

Isla MacGregor, Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network, via Tasmanian Times