Bowdens Silver

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this project.
I object to Bowdens Silver Project for the following reasons:
- It is too close to the town of Lue, a small, historically significant town of approximately 1000 residents. A huge open-cut mine operating 24 hours a day just 2 km from the town and 30 km upstream from Mudgee is unacceptable for many reasons. It would be hugely environmentally destructive and would damage the lives and livelihoods of the residents of Lue, as well as residents of Mudgee and Rylstone/Kandos.
- As well as silver, the mine would produce approximately 95,000 tonnes of lead during the life of the mine. There is no safe level of exposure to lead and children are particularly vulnerable. Lue school is only 2 km from the mine.
- A cyanide processing plant would operate at the mine. Cyanide is acutely toxic to humans, other mammals and aquatic species even at relatively low dosages. Having a plant like this only 2 km from the town would be extremely risky and dangerous.
- The planned single-wall tailings dam for the mine is less than 1 km from Lawsons Creek. It will contain large quantities of chemicals like arsenic, cyanide, cadmium and lead. There is no second safety wall for the dam so if it leaked, it would flow to Lawsons Creek and then to Mudgee and the Cudgegong River.
- The mine would use around 2000 megalitres of water each year. Most of this water is proposed to be taken from the Lawson Creek Valley. The mine would also use the groundwater from the mine pit and this would reduce the water table by 25 metres on site. It would destroy the local waterholes and springs.
- The mine proposes to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Noise models indicate that both daytime and night-time noise at Lue would increase to a quite unbearable level.
For all of the reasons listed above, I urge you not to approve this mine.

My name is Elizabeth Combes. I am 23 years old and have lived at Lue all of my life on my family’s sheep and cattle property, ‘Lue Station’.
I acknowledge the opportunity to make a submission regarding the Bowdens Silver Project and appreciate the time which is being taken to consider my concerns and the concerns of Lue residents and the surrounding communities.

I strongly oppose the Bowdens Silver Project because of the irreversible environmental, social and health impacts it will have on the Lue and Mudgee region, forever. It is unnerving to be faced with the possibility that such a project will be passed which will have undisputable affects to the health of residents and the environment.

The amount of lead that will be produced from the mine is very concerning for the health of myself and my family. My family and relatives have lived in this region since 1881. I am very concerned that I will not be able to raise my children here or visit my family here because there is no safe level of exposure to lead and as children are particularly vulnerable, it is very frightening to think I will never be able to return to Lue again. This is my home; myself, my family and my community should not have to fight to save our home from being exposed to toxic levels of lead.

I am particularly concerned that the health risk assessment in the EIS is based on out of date references regarding compliance levels for community exposure to lead dust and blood lead levels. Additionally, the lead dust is the main pollutant from the mine and there is no way to completely stop the dust from being exposed to the community. I am concerned that the lead analysis shows high bio-accessibility rates which means it is absorbed into the body at a high rate. This is unacceptable health risk to all in the region. We have already seen this issue in Broken Hill where there was solid evidence that the mining operations there were directly responsible for lead contamination and community exposure to lead. There has already been significant damage to the health of children in Broken Hill, this should not be allowed to happen again in the Lue area.

Thank you for taking the time to consider why I strongly object to the Bowdens Silver Project at Lue.

I am extremely concerned about the Bowdens Silver project - it would be ridiculous for the state government to allow it to proceed.

The following problems are extremely concerning:

1. The proximity of a village to an open cut, 24 hour mine.
2. The toxic nature of the material used to extract the lead and silver and their proximity to a village, school and farmland.
3. The likelihood of lead contamination in prime agricultural land and the consequent risk to the general public.
4. The financial viability (or lack there of) of the project at its current size and the likelihood of significant expansion.
5. The extreme risk of contaminating the Mudgee water supply.
6. The aesthetic destruction of a tourist destination.

The mine raises many concerns and it is imperative the state government show leadership and prevent this mine from being built.

Please review my objection to Bowdens Silver mine project (SSD 5765) as a resident of Lue.

See attached letter

Dear Sir/Madam,
As a farmer of 30 years I believe that water is our biggest asset. The Bowdens Silver mine treatens the security of water quality and quantity for the Mudgee region and below. I do not believe they will have the resources or know how to deal with any problems that may arise from the water extraction process. Furthermore after the mine is finished the tailings dam as per their EIS shows the dam will be highly toxic and will remain insitu. Any probems with the tailingsdam will not be actioned by the silver mine as it will not exist
It is most important to maintain the integtity of agriculture as agriculture is a sustainable industry for ever while mining especially this lead mine is for a very short term.
The next issue is the toxicity of the lead that will be mined. I believe that the mine will be mainly a lead mine with a small volume of silver. The EIS states that the lead from this mine will be highly toxic. This mine is only 2 km from the local town and school as well as nieghbouring farms. How will the mine 100% guarantee the safety of the people in the district and also be able to compensate these people for the future especially after the mine is shut down.
I think it is a tragedy to see the small town in rural Australia being targeted by mining and these smal towns becoming ghost towns as the mine takes over. Wollar and Bylong are classic examples where the coal mines have bought out Wollar and Bylong has been ruined and now the mine there may not go ahead due to bureaucratic failure. A cummunity ruined and no mine. Lue will be ruined and land prices adversly effected and maybe for a longer period than the mine due to toxic lead.

I support this project for a number of positive reasons. This project will provide numerous jobs over the lifetime of the mine at different stages. This affects the local community in a positive way. Local people will be used to fill these jobs providing stability for local families. This in turn allows the local economy to grow. The company is also a willing participant in the local community supporting different types of ventures. The environmental impact statement has provided sufficient evidence that there will be minimal impact on the local environment.

Opposition to the Bowden Silver Project

I live on the Lue Road at Mount Knowles, and also have water access to Lawson Creek. I am pleased that I have the opportunity to make a submission about this project.

I strongly object to the proposed Bowden Silver Project on many levels.

I am concerned about the health effects of lead on the local community. I do not believe that any benefits to the local community, as in any employment, would outweigh the long term impacts to the local area. Look at Broken Hill and the impacts there. No matter what is said or done, lead is a contaminant, a heavy metal. There forever.

I am concerned about the environmental impacts of lead to this unique area. The proposed mine is only 2 kilometres from the Lue township. I am concerned about the lead impacts to the air that we breathe, and the leaching of lead and toxins into our water systems, the creeks and streams. And it will leach! Any damage to the environment from lead CAN NOT BE UNDONE. It is there forever. And it will be children and the rest of their lives it will have the biggest health impact on.

I am concerned about the proposed mine’s water consumption. The Lawson Creek is a minor creek, and would not cope with any significant amount of water taken from it. Most of the time this creek does not even flow. And I am concerned about the water table in general being compromised by any bores etc accessing massive amounts of water. How will it affect the farmers and the natural environment? Even water brought down from Ulan would compromise the Goulburn River and farmland.

I am concerned about lead contaminating our water systems. Poisoning our water supply, for farmers and the Mudgee township, with far reaching effects from the Lawson Creek, through to the Cudgegong River, Burrendong Dam, the MacQuarrie River system, etc.

I am concerned about copious amount of traffic to and from the mine. The Lue Road is a minor pot hole ridden road, and would not cope with B double trucks a regular basis. It would need major upgrading to cope.

I am concerned that this mine will be run by inexperienced operators, who have put in a EIS that is very vague, and with a lot of promises that will most likely not be followed through.

I will reiterate, I STRONGLY OPPOSE this proposed Silver Project.

As a niece of a farming family in the Lue area I am outraged by the proposal of the Bowden’s Silver Mine. Not only will it have a damaging environmental impact but it will also negatively affect the health and well-being of the surrounding Lue community. Please consider our beautiful Australian landscape and the vital country communities who choose to reside there.

Please see attached my objection to the Bowdens Silver Project

As a frequent visitor to the impacted area surrounding this mine site, I have fears around the long term safety of all those who live and visit the area. There is clearly substantial reservations from the community, and their voice should be the priority here. The risks are just not worth it, particularly on a site so poorly suited to this type of high impact mining.

I'm particularly concerned about the unseen long term effects. Particularly the unknown. What becomes of a tailings dam in 50 years time? How is there a safe plan when residents are in such close proximity? If the dam fails or leaches what then? My children would like to play in the creeks and the hills surrounding this area. Their children might want to do the same. They shouldn't have the fear of lead poisoning looming over them.

The human and community cost comes first here. I would be ashamed of those in positions of power if this project is approved.

It is incredibly hard for a small community to speak up against the pressures and promises of a major project like this. The job of our leaders in NSW Government is to listen to the voices of the community. I would like to hope that this process does its job, giving fair consideration for the risks involved and stopping this proposed mine in its tracks.

This mine will have huge negative impacts on the local community. The most concerning is the damage to the environment and the run on effects it will have

The Bowdens Silver Project is unlikely to have a significant impact upon jobs in the LGA nor contribute much to its economy. Tourism already contributes a large amount to the economy. The Orana Mid-West Renewable Energy Zone promises to be a larger contributor to local employment and economy without the adverse environmental impacts of land clearing and habitat fragmentation and loss, with subsequent loss of endangered flora and fauna; the Project, on the other hand, would have enduring adverse impacts upon the environment. The tailings dam is upstream from the Cudgegong River, a potential source of toxic cyanide (and lead). Tailings dams have failed. The operator of the Bowdens Silver Project is not an experienced mining company.