Douglas Mine

Last updated

Douglas Mine
Location
Australia Victoria location map.svg
Schlaegel und Eisen nach DIN 21800.svg
Douglas Mine
Location Kanagulk
Victoria
Country Australia
Coordinates 37°15′06″S141°49′25″E / 37.2517°S 141.8236°E / -37.2517; 141.8236
Production
Products Heavy Minerals
History
Opened2006
Closed2012
Owner
Company Iluka Resources
Website www.iluka.com

The Douglas Mine, also known as the Douglas and Echo Mine, is a mineral sands mine near the town of Balmoral, Victoria, Australia. It was established in 2006 to mine rutile and zircon, and then closed in 2012. [1] Watpac estimated that it extracted 7.5 million tonnes of mineral sands from the mine. [2]

Contents

Closure

Iluka Resources stated that it is committed to rehabilitating the site. [3] However The Age reported that Iluka Resources was seeking approval to continue to operate the Douglas mine site as a dumping ground for up to 20 years. [4] ABC News 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 Environment Protection Authority declared that it found that neither pollution or environmental hazard has occurred nor is likely to occur in the future as a result of current and proposed disposal activities. [7]

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References

  1. "Murray Basin, Victoria, Australia". Iluka Resources . Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  2. "Douglas & Echo Mines". Watpac . Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  3. "Murray Basin, Victoria, Australia". Iluka Resources. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  4. Willingham, Richard (28 June 2015). "Horsham Council debates Iluka Resources mining dump site at Kanagulk". The Age . Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  5. "Radioactive gas levels at Wimmera mining site near Horsham too high says Landcare group". ABC News . 29 June 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  6. 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.
  7. "Iluka Douglas mine site archive". Environment Protection Authority . 8 December 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2018.