BHP, river wrecker

Earlier this month the Nepean Action Group, the Mineral Policy 
Institute and Greens NSW MP Lee Rhiannon distributed leaflets and 
dumped a bucket of dead fish outside BHP Billiton's annual 
general meeting at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in 
Sydney. The action was a protest against the transnational's 
longwall coal mining on the Nepean, Georges and Cataract 
Rivers.

"BHP Billiton has already wrecked two rivers in the Sydney 
Catchment Area by mining for coal under the riverbeds", said 
Nepean Action Group campaigner Carline Graham. "Now they want to 
destroy the Nepean as well."

Ms Graham said that the Lower Cataract and Upper Georges Rivers 
were poisoned and polluted, and lost much of their flow down 
thousands of huge subsidence cracks in their bedrock. Millions of 
litres of methane and hydrogen sulphide gases were vented, 
killing fish and vegetation.

"We're not prepared to let the beautiful Nepean River become 
another victim of BHP Billiton's destructive practices and the 
Carr Government's indifference", said Ms Graham.

Lee Rhiannon accused the Carr Government of sitting on its hands 
and allowing the environmental destruction and huge waste of 
water to continue unchecked.

"I have put a motion to Parliament condemning longwall coal 
mining for sucking up to three megalitres a day from Sydney's 
water supply. This means ordinary users miss out while BHP gets 
water at a discount rate to try and mitigate its polluting mining 
activities."

Techa Beaumont, from the Mineral Policy Institute, highlighted 
BHP's international polluting activities in PNG and Colombia, as 
well as in Australia. "BHP Billiton is entrenching its reputation 
as a river wrecker.

"BHP cannot keep ignoring the risks of their activities and 
dumping the problems it creates onto local communities. It must 
take responsibility for its actions and agree to stop longwall 
mining under these precious water resources."