Advanced Search

Share Coverage



Category: Mining Industry / Industry / Business, Economics and Finance / Mining Environmental Issues / Environment

Elevated ammonia levels detected in creeks near Clive Palmer's refinery

Friday, 18 Mar 2016 12:53:38 | Mark Willacy

Water sampling at Clive Palmer's north Queensland nickel refinery has revealed elevated ammonia levels in two creeks within the site's boundary.

The ABC can also reveal that the refinery's massive tailings dam is seeping more than 4 million litres of contaminated water every day.

The seepage is collected in a series of trenches and dams before being pumped back into the unlined tailings dam.

The refinery sits north of Townsville near Halifax Bay, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area.

The Department of Environment will investigate the discovery of ammonia levels in excess of the company's environmental authority in two samples taken by the operator of the refinery, Queensland Nickel Sales (QNS)

The elevated ammonia levels were in Alick and Blind creeks.

Queensland Nickel Sales reported the findings to the Department of Environment on Wednesday.

Ammonia is one of the contaminants created at the refinery and is stored in the tailings dam.

The department this week took its own water samples during an inspection of the refinery and is expected to get the results next week.

Possible action against the refinery operator could be taken once QNS submits an investigation report and after the results of department's samples are known.

The department is also understood to be grappling with the ongoing seepage from the tailings dam, with 4 million litres of contaminated water being pumped back into the storage facility every day.

During an inspection by Department of Environment officials earlier this week at least one pump for returning the seepage back into the tailings dam was found not to be working.

AustraliaPlus


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend