Mount Isa Mines has disputed researcher Mark Taylor’s response to their Lead Pathways air report.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Prof Taylor was one of author of an article in The Conversation last week which said Mount Isa’s children have an average blood lead level of 35 parts per billion (three times higher than normal) and local schoolchildren were performing below the national average, according to standardised testing data from the first year of school.
In a wide ranging interview with the North West Star, Chief Operating Officer for Glencore' Glencore’s Australian Copper Assets Mike Westerman welcomed academic debate on their air report but said he didn’t know where Prof Taylor got his numbers from.
“Our report is ten years in the making and has an unprecedented access to data and the scientific rigour that went into that report stands for itself,” Mr Westerman said.
“The recommendations are very clear what the mines can do and what the town can do – we have spent $500m identifying the sources of lead most relevant to elevated lead levels.”
Mr Westerman also expanded on his statement to the community consultation about expanding the life of the mine beyond 2023 depending on "cave mining and metallurgical process”.
“The current mining techniques have a cost and costs increase when the mine gets older its harder to offset the drop in grade,” he said.
“The future requires a change of technology, greater innovations around the type of mining we do. Cave mining is implemented at Ernest Henry but not (in Isa).
“Metallurgical processes, we do crushing and grinding but we’d potential need to look at leaching of that material, dissolving it in acide and re-crystalising it out.”
Mr Westerman said more investment was required but governments at all levels need to create the framework for investment and power and transport costs were a major impediment to business.
He also said that at the end of 2017 Mount Isa Mines would seek approval for the $30m re-bricking of their primary vessels, with a promise of $15m from the state government’s Jobs Growth Fund.
“As part of that it would need an income stream from the current smelting operations to pay back that investment,” he said.
“Our submission to the Jobs Growth Fund will not only look at the amount of money but the conditions attached to that money.”
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
