The Rolleston to Springsure Road cut by flooding, which has also inundated the Rolleston coal mine (submitted: Trina Patterson)
Comment: You ask Ace what has a flood at an Australian Coal Mine got to do with uranium mining in VA? Well, this is modern mining at work, Mother Nature loves to slap humans in the face when they make comments like, and “Modern mining won't hurt anyone"! Well, think again, if this was a uranium mining pit, where would the tainted water be pump to? Will the miners be able to draw unemployment checks when the mine shuts down? Does VA really want this type of business in our lovely state! Ban uranium mining and milling now!
By Stephanie Fitzpatrick
Updated Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:01pm AEDT
Rolleston coal mine in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland is still flooded after heavy rain.
The mine has been forced to close with water filling up the open-cut pits.
Xstrata Coal spokesman James Rickards says it is trying to pump the water out.
"The recent rain we have received has been at such a level that there has been widespread flooding throughout the region," Mr Rickards said.
"It has affected the mine significantly therefore production has ceased.
"What we need is clear skies and the opportunity to start pumping out some of that water but it's too early yet to determine how long production will be down for.
"We've been able to move the majority of machinery out of the pits that have been affected so the flooding that had occurred has had a minimal impact on the equipment," he said.
First posted Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:45am AEDT
Read more:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/18/2823146.htm
