Olympic Dam threat as BHP puts brakes on
SARAH MARTIN, SA POLITICAL REPORTER
BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers has warned that a faster-than-expected slowdown in China and increasing European instability will rule out a "near-term" improvement in operating conditions, forcing the world's biggest miner to rethink spending on its portfolio of major projects.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/olympic-dam-threat-as-bhp-puts-brakes-on/story-fn59niix-1226437208652
Some of the meetings require people to sign up by the end of Tuesday to participate.
Dan Holmes, state policy director for the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council, said Friday, "I don't think the public has any clue as of today that these are going on."
He learned about the meetings Thursday.
Maureen Matsen, Gov. Bob McDonnell's energy adviser, said information about some of the meetings was posted on state websites Tuesday and information on others was posted Wednesday.
"Notice was given as soon as the logistics and plans for these meetings were finalized and secured," Matsen said.
At issue are meetings the Virginia Department of Health will hold to hear the public's concerns on how uranium mining could affect streams and wells.
The meetings — three lasting all day and three lasting two hours — will be held in Chatham, Warrenton and Virginia Beach. The first will be Aug. 7 in Chatham from 6 to 8 p.m.
The meetings are part of a state study ordered by McDonnell to look into the safety of mining uranium in Virginia, particularly at a proposed site in Pittsylvania County.
The website of McDonnell's uranium-mining study group — supposedly the main source of information on the issue — appeared to contain nothing about the new meetings well into Friday afternoon.
"You can't spend your whole life searching at random on the Internet" for details about the study, said Robert Burnley, a former Virginia environmental director now working as a consultant for an environmental group.
"This doesn't instill the kind of confidence in the process that I know the administration wants," Burnley said.
Matsen, the McDonnell official, said the meeting information was supposed to be on the study group's site and would go there late Friday. Interested parties also will be notified by email, she said.
The first meeting is 12 days away, and the last is more than a month away, Matsen said Friday
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/jul/28/tdmet02-uranium-mining-meetings-questioned-ar-2090503/
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/olympic-dam-threat-as-bhp-puts-brakes-on/story-fn59niix-1226437208652
Uranium miner Cameco reports 85 per cent drop in second quarter profit
SASKATOON - Uranium miner Cameco (TSX:CCO) booked an 85 per cent drop in second-quarter earnings on lower sales, lower prices and higher costs, but said it expects demand and uranium prices to pick up before the end of the year.
The world's largest publicly traded uranium miner said Friday that second-quarter deliveries were low, in line with its expectations that it would be the quarter of 2012 with the weakest demand.
On top of that, the contracts it delivered on during the quarter came with average realized uranium prices that were 10 per cent below where they were during the quarter a year ago.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/93065--uranium-miner-cameco-reports-85-per-cent-drop-in-second-quarter-profitERA Confident Uranium Demand Will Grow Despite 50 Percent Loss2
Uranium Territory: Inuit campaign for referendum over mine in far north
Some environmentalists say the public was not adequately notified of six meetings scheduled in August to discuss uranium mining in Virginia.Some of the meetings require people to sign up by the end of Tuesday to participate.
Dan Holmes, state policy director for the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council, said Friday, "I don't think the public has any clue as of today that these are going on."
He learned about the meetings Thursday.
Maureen Matsen, Gov. Bob McDonnell's energy adviser, said information about some of the meetings was posted on state websites Tuesday and information on others was posted Wednesday.
"Notice was given as soon as the logistics and plans for these meetings were finalized and secured," Matsen said.
At issue are meetings the Virginia Department of Health will hold to hear the public's concerns on how uranium mining could affect streams and wells.
The meetings — three lasting all day and three lasting two hours — will be held in Chatham, Warrenton and Virginia Beach. The first will be Aug. 7 in Chatham from 6 to 8 p.m.
The meetings are part of a state study ordered by McDonnell to look into the safety of mining uranium in Virginia, particularly at a proposed site in Pittsylvania County.
The website of McDonnell's uranium-mining study group — supposedly the main source of information on the issue — appeared to contain nothing about the new meetings well into Friday afternoon.
"You can't spend your whole life searching at random on the Internet" for details about the study, said Robert Burnley, a former Virginia environmental director now working as a consultant for an environmental group.
"This doesn't instill the kind of confidence in the process that I know the administration wants," Burnley said.
Matsen, the McDonnell official, said the meeting information was supposed to be on the study group's site and would go there late Friday. Interested parties also will be notified by email, she said.
The first meeting is 12 days away, and the last is more than a month away, Matsen said Friday
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2012/jul/28/tdmet02-uranium-mining-meetings-questioned-ar-2090503/
