Douglas Mine
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Douglas Mine | |
| Location | Kanagulk |
| Victoria | |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°15′06″S 141°49′25″E / 37.2517°S 141.8236°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Heavy Minerals |
| History | |
| Opened | 2006 |
| Closed | 2012 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Iluka Resources |
| Website | http://www.iluka.com/ |
'The Douglas Mine' also known as the 'Douglas and Echo Mine' is a mineral sands mine near the small Western-Victorian town of Balmoral. It was established in 2006 to mine rutile and zircon, and then closed in 2012.[1] Watpac, the construction company responsible for mine operations, estimated that it extracted 7.5 million tonnes of mineral sands from the mine.[2]
Current status[edit]
Iluka Resources stated that it is committed to rehabilitating the site.[3] However The Age Newspaper reported that Iluka Resources "is seeking approval to continue to operate the Douglas mine site as a dumping ground for up to 20 years because laws require mining companies to be operating a mine in the state to be able to process and store byproduct."[4] The ABC reported that radioactive gas, a byproduct of the mineral sand mining, had been reported at levels that exceeded the "maximum for public exposure".[5] After the mine closed, The Wimmera Mail-Times reported that local landowners were concerned that the levels of air and water contamination were not being independently monitored.[6] However, the Victorian Environment Protection Authority declared that "it has found that neither pollution or environmental hazard has occurred nor is likely to occur in the future as a result of current and proposed Pit 23 disposal activities."[7]
References[edit]
- ^ "Murray Basin, Victoria, Australia". www.iluka.com. Iluka. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Douglas & Echo Mines". www.watpac.com.au. Watpac. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Murray Basin, Victoria, Australia". www.iluka.com. Iluka. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Willingham, Richard (28 June 2015). "Horsham Council debates Iluka Resources mining dump site at Kanagulk". The Age Newspaper. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Radioactive gas levels at Wimmera mining site near Horsham too high says Landcare group". ABC. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Scully, Sarah (13 February 2015). "Kanagulk Landcare Group calls for Iluka Resources to put up a bond for Douglas proposal". The Wimmera Mail Times. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Iluka Douglas mine site archive". www.epa.vic.gov.au. EPA. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2018.