Mining Environmental Issues

A Queensland underground coal mine is on fire up to half a kilometre below ground. Remote control technology is helping in an around-the-clock race to seal the mine and avoid further explosions.

The Head of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, Warren Pearce says it's crucial The Future Made in Australia legislation is passed. The 23-billion-dollar centrepiece of the May budget has taken its first step to being enacted, being introduced into the lower house today.

Northern Territory traditional owners whose land contains one of the world's most valuable untapped deposits of uranium are calling on the NT and federal governments not to grant a mining company a lease extension, as the Coalition's nuclear policy peaks interest in the resource.

After years awaiting compensation, Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation has called for an inquiry into the lucrative Solomon Hub iron ore mine claiming the it operates "below the current standard of industry regulation".

With nearly half of Australia's mining tyre waste generated in WA's Pilbara region, the focus is turning to how they can be recycled locally.   

Farmers fear a company that "couldn't do the right thing" when exploring western NSW for rare earth minerals won't be able to manage if its project goes into full production.

Indonesia has the highest crocodile attack rate in the world — but it's likely not for the reason you think.

Communities, like those in Victoria's Port Fairy, are pushing back against seismic blasting that threatened marine life in the Otway basin and surrounding areas.

The Victorian government's announcement of the first new gas extraction project approved in a decade has been met with mixed reactions, with some saying gas is still necessary while others believe "enough damage has been done".

The tiny western Victorian town of Minyip could soon host one of the world's largest rare earth mines after a multi-million dollar funding injection from a US uranium giant.

Rio Tinto says a new way of treating iron ore for steel production could reduce emissions by 95 per cent. So what's the catch?

The mining giant will spend more than $200 million to test a product it claims would almost completely remove carbon dioxide emissions from steelmaking.

"Opal Bill" Kotru has seen many mines give way during the 43 years he has been digging for precious gemstones in the NSW town, but now he fears another collapse will soon take a local road with it.

Former Chevron employee Simon McKirdy is the co-chair of a committee set up to consider appeals against a controversial decision that recommended the approval to expand the Karratha Gas Plant — something environmental groups say is a conflict of interest.

WA is expected to hit a new record for greenhouse gas emissions this year, and has no chance of reaching net zero by 2050 unless it changes tack, a government-commissioned report reveals.

The Environmental Defenders Office was criticised over its involvement in a court case that saw Indigenous elders challenge plans to build a gas pipeline between a major gas field and Darwin Harbour.

It's known for its fresh fruit and veggies, stunning beaches, and proximity to the southern Great Barrier Reef, but soon the Bundaberg region could also be home to a coking coal mine. 

In 2014, anti-coal seam gas protesters braced themselves for the arrival of hundreds of police, but an 11th-hour decision changed that. Now, while many celebrate the blockade's anniversary, those on the other side of the fence aren't feeling so festive.  

The Federal Court has ruled that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek does not have to consider the environmental impacts of emissions when approving coal and gas projects.

A gold mine near Orange in the New South Wales Central West has confirmed its waste storage facilities are leaking and farmers in the area are seriously concerned about the potential impacts.

Opponents of a controversial plan to store waste carbon dioxide in Australia's biggest underground freshwater system say state government approval will be difficult after the premier labelled the project "not a good idea". 

Queensland government officials have given sworn statements saying Adani's mine could be "causing environmental harm" to protected wetlands after CSIRO rejected the miner's groundwater modelling as "not fit for purpose". 

First Nations activist Murrawah Johnson wins the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize after blocking a proposed coal mine on the basis of cultural erosion and human rights breaches. 

BHP's offer for Anglo American last week shouldn't have come as a complete surprise. After all, the Big Australian has a long history of reinvention — and this time the mining giant is betting $60 billion on a renewable energy future.

A bat ecologist says negative stereotypes and links to the COVID-19 outbreak have given bats a poor reputation, yet they play an important role in controlling insects, pollinating plants and spreading seeds.