Bowdens Silver

Re: Bowdens silver mine Lue NSW.

I’m writing this in objection to the proposed Bowdens Silver Mine at Lue.

I am a father to 3 young boys,My wife and I have just built a new home here In lue, we moved to this valley a short time ago to live in the fresh air of the country and raise our boys in this beautiful Peaceful place.

The construction of this mine will affect our young family and our way of life as we are a stones throw away from the tailings dam.

My wife Licia and I are very concerned about the known effects of lead dust especially on young children. This is a risk we are not willing to take with our boys. I have invested all the financial stability our family has, into this place we call home “Lue”, and cant afford to have this area ruined and our property value shrink to nothing, who would buy a house near a silver mine??!!

The damage to our water is just unacceptable and a risk we just can’t take.

To be clear we are strongly against this mine
And to put our kids, our water and our lively hoods at risk is just not acceptable and is playing roulette with my young boys future, we rely solely on rain water to drink and if this mine goes ahead we will not be able to use our water,
What does Bowdens propose we do to live??
This is an absolute joke that this is even a consideration to have this mine so close to a town.

No to Bowdens silver mine.

Andrew and Licia Curro.

see attached submission

I'm 22 years old and I grew up in mudgee. This is my home and I love it. This project threatens my regions happiness, health and general wellbeing. The community even hired experts Professor Barry Nollar and Mark Taylor to invesitage the risks. The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that residents and environment within 2km of the Mine would almost certainly be affected and it was probable that residents and the environment out to 5km from the mine would be affected by Lead. The effect would be from dust blowing from the site. Due to the nature of the open cut mine, there would be no possible way to prevent the lead dust leaving the site and effecting the surrounding community and environment.
They are proposing to build a mine within 3km of a public school, that alone should give anyone pause. The likelihood of children in the area breathing in toxic dust isn't just likely, it's inevitable.
This government cannot once agin chooe a profit margin over the wellbeing of their own people. This project cannot and should not go aead. Do the right thing listen to your constituants they DONT want it.
To veiw more information and understand how desperate the people of lue are, this site explains those dangers:
http://www.lueactiongroup.org/
To understand the choice your are making, you must first understand how it will affect people in the area. The decision is unanimous. They dont want it.

I am a resident of Rylstone and and am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed silver mine near Lue.

First of all let me state that this is not some far left 'environ-mental' protest letter. I am not against mining, in fact for the most part I'm pro-mining and the use of our resources as I realise that it is essential for many aspects of daily life. I do not think solar panels and windmills can replace fossil fuels such as coal for base load energy requirements (and am a supporter of nuclear energy for the future) and I have never voted for The Greens in my life and never will as I consider most of them to be fringe dwelling loonies.

However in saying that it is a scientific fact that mining does have impacts on the surrounding environment, many of which are negative and that certain types of mining are more hazardous to the environment than others, 'silver mining' from what I know is on that list.

That's not to say that we shouldn't mine for silver, we need silver for many things we take for granted in day to day life and of course sooner or later the environment 'heals' no matter what we do to it but it's a different story when the negative impacts of a mine are occurring so close to established towns, schools and farmlands and that's my main concern with this operation.

Of course I am aware of the economic benefits for the local area however that's not going to do us much good if the town’s water is 'poisoned' in the process.

The question remains… Will our water be poisoned?

Well that’s up for debate and best left to people more educated on the matter than I am but from what I've read mining silver, or any mineral in general, can greatly impact the environment. For one, it causes lots of erosion. It also contaminates groundwater, soil and surface water by using chemicals from the mining process. Plus, mining contributes to the formation of sinkholes and loss of biodiversity.

As I have said this wouldn't really concern me if the mine was no where near a township or essential water supplies as eventually the surrounding environment will heal but when the local water supply is put at risk for towns and farmland that does concern me, especially when I live in a nearby town.

The name also seems deceptive. Despite being named a 'silver mine' according to Bowdens own website the operations will in fact produce in the sixteen year life of the mine just 2.5 tons of silver and 80,000 tons of lead, or "average production during the first three years of operation will be approximately 5.4 million ounces of silver per annum and 6,000 tonnes of zinc per annum and 5,200 tonnes of lead per annum”. So a more descriptive name might be a Lead Mine or perhaps even a Nickel one.

In short I am not convinced Bowdens can support any claims that their operations will not negatively impact the environment and essential water supplies around the towns of Lue, Rylstone and Kandos, especially when this is their first such operation, so unless they can definitely prove otherwise I would have to say I currently lean towards opposing this particular mine.

I also refer to the concerns raised by the experts such as Chris Pavich and Haydn Washington in this recent news article.

https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/fears-a-central-west-silver-mine-may-have-a-lead-lining-20200724-p55f66.html

To whom it may concern,

Thank you for allowing me to write to you about my concerns over the Bowdens Mine project.

I moved to Lue some 30 years ago , when married. My husbands family have been on the property Lue Station since 1923 . We have raised 3 children here and hope to have many more years here, with their families and our friends in this beautiful valley.

We run a successful agricultural business with sheep and cattle, and also the Louee Enduro and Motocross Complex, which is a off road dirt bike complex .It has been running for 27 years and brings the enjoyment to over 15000 guests each year, also with accommodation for 76, and economy into the district. With this we have worked very hard for the enjoyment for our guests, they mostly come from the city and love the peace and quiet that Lue offers. I fear that that the mine noise from the traffic movements , the blasting and constant machinery will effect our business heavily. Our accommodation and home is only just 2 km from the site , so I worry we will be impacted .

My main concern of the mine is the health impacts to us all in the area, with this I’m deeply worried . I cannot believe that we have this bought upon us, why do I have to fight to save my home . My daughter said to me the other day, that she will probably not come home with her family to visit, as she will be too worried for her children . I was mortified. Home is supposed to be a safe environment, and now I cannot guarantee that. Why should we have to move ? Why can my family not come to their family home ? This is what I ask of you when your considering the benefit of this mine. Think of your self in my position.

I know that mining has to happen , and my closest town Mudgee relies from the coal mining , tourism and agriculture. Though I truly believe this mine is the wrong mine in the wrong place. It really is going to be situated just to close to the village . I cannot see how we will not be impacted by the dust and noise , contamination of our water , reduce the value of our homes ,the extra traffic on our all ready busy road, very real mental health issues and above all that effect on the environment that will last forever.

2km is too close……….

Yours sincerely,
Susan Combes.

The project is important locally and for the State of New South Wales. We need to be creating more employment and importantly for young people. I am young and I am seeing very few opportunities for employment. In this era of the Covid-19 and its dire economic consequences, it is projects like these that need to be supported. I am pleased to see that silver is such a useful metal and in particular it's uses in solar power, water purification, electric cars and all sorts of medical applications. This is important for all of us.

I would like to make my objection to the Silver mine clear. After such a destructive planned project the land may never rejuvenate and I cannot imagine the masses of water required for the mine- despite the area merely surviving drought conditions for years. As a member of a rural community in Victoria, I respect and support their opposition to the proposed Bowden's mine. Lue Action Group can stand proud as they fight for the protection of the precious land they live on.

I believe that the project will pollute the environment & decimate the local community.

I am extremely concerned about the impact of this proposed project on both the township of Lue and the region. I grew up in the area and attended Lue Public School. It is a wonderful community that is very dependent on the water for drinking and for agricultural purposes. The proposed mine site and its adjunct facilities pose an unacceptable risk to the community, particularly to the children that live in the area and attend Lue Public School only 2.5kms away. Lawson creek is an important water source that feeds the Cudgegong River. A river important for the town of Mudgee and many farmers along its passage. The creation of dams as a water supply is not sustainable and will reduce this water reaching the Lawson creek, an already scarce water source. With an already changing environment and water scarcity being our greatest threat, it seems an absolutely absurd proposition to reroute more water from both the immediate area but also from the already pillaged Ulan area as well.
In addition, the accessing of ground water will impact on all the local springs and waterholes but also on the wider network of aquifers, impacting on soil health across the entire region.
The building of a tailings dam is also an unacceptable risk to the community. This would be highly toxic and should a leak occur, which is a very real and potential possibility, the impact of this is immeasurable on both the local people, the flora and fauna in the immediate vicinity but also if it were to leak into the waterways, impacting on the entire Mudgee region. There are other ways to create jobs within the area without destroying and damaging our children's potential health and the prosperity of the land and valley which we all love so much. Should we not be taking the lead in looking at renewable energy resources for jobs and our future?
Mudgee and surrounding regions have never been busier with tourists. Rylstone & Lue in particular are seeing surging numbers in tourists. How will the building of this mine impact on our tourist numbers? It will be very visible from the road and with audible blasts and vibrations occurring Monday to Saturday, will it not actually be detracting and reducing our economy rather than stimulating it as it proposes to do? The perception of Lue as a mining area, particularly lead mining with associated potential health impacts, does not sound like a place tourists would rush to. Add to this, the overwhelming lack of support locally, already this project is creating significant division within the community.
We implore you to please consider extremely carefully before supporting such a project as this.

Thank you for accepting my submission against the Bowdens Silver Project.
Please see attached PDF document.
Regards,
Tom Combes.

We object to this project.

We have read summaries from a number of scientific experts who have reviewed the EIS for this project. These reviews have demonstrated numerous failings of the EIS and we refer you for details to those reviews that will have been submitted.

We are particularly concerned about the unacceptable health impacts. There is no safe level of lead exposure. This project has inherently high levels of lead in the mine area, and lead analysis for the project area demonstrated high bio-accessibility rates (i.e. it will be absorbed by the body). Lue village is only 2 km from the mine. This is totally unacceptable.

Water is another major concern. To begin with, there is not enough water available locally to operate the mine. The proposal to pipe water from Ulan and/or Moolarben mines is seriously flawed:

• Those mines tap into the Goulburn River aquifer and the water “mined” should be returned to that river and the downstream river system.
• Water from Ulan and Moolarben is Eastern water and should remain in the Eastern catchment (Lue is in the Western catchment).
• There is no guarantee from those mines that they will send the water, and there is no guarantee that approval will be given to transfer that water.

Another major concern is the impact of acid mine drainage on the groundwater and surface water systems. This is extremely concerning, especially given that the United Nations recently labelled acid mine drainage as “the second biggest problem facing the world after global warming” (Engineers Australia, 2019). The EIS does not adequately address this issue.

The mine will leave a final void and the EIS does not adequately deal with the problems this void will produce for generations to come. Again, we refer you to submissions from scientific experts who have demonstrated the failing of the EIS in these areas.

This silver/lead mine has serious environmental impacts which are unacceptable. The project should not go ahead.

I am all for progress and job creation when it does not pose a significant negative effect on the community and future generations.

1- I am concerned with this project and the destruction of agriculture land and access to water. Bowden proposes to use approx 2000 Megalites of water each year. Most of this water is proposed to be taken from the Lawson Creek Valley. The Mine will use the groundwater from the mine pit and Bowdens admit they will reduce the water table by 25 metres on site. It will have a direct effect on the bore we use at our property and many other farms in our valley as well.

2- I have a concern that there will be permanent scarring to the land and it's sorroundings. Bowdens have declared that they will not rehabilitate whole site. It will cost too much to repair the damage. With this sort of attitude at the start we do not want another Cougar Energy as witnessed in QLD with negative lasting effects to the community and environment after they left.

3- With farming and drinking water being the looser in this development, due to the lack of professionalism and experience, this project has disaster and environmental vandalism written all over it. Bowdens will build a 68 m high single wall tailings dam less than 1 km from Lawsons Creek. Bowdens will pump it full of chemicals like Arsenic, Cyanide, Cadmium and Lead. There is no second safety wall for the dam so if it leaks, and it will, it will flow to Lawsons Creek and then to Mudgee and the Cudgegong River.

Bowden does not have the interest of the community and the environment in mind. All they want is profit fast and quick. Support the farmers and the quality of the region, stop destroying it.
Mudgee and this region needs to think of job creation in smarter value adding industry not another hole in the ground.

BOWDENS SILVER MINE AT LUE

I very strongly oppose the Bowdens Silver Mine.
I live in Mudgee and know what a disaster this mine would be, foremost for the residents of Lue and its surroundings, but also for Mudgee.
The mine is located 2km away from the village of Lue, itself situated in one of the most beautiful valleys of our region. Considering it will operate 7 days a week and release a great amount of lead extracted with the silver, this will have very unhealthy consequences for the local residents. A cyanide plant planned nearby would also increase the possibility of leaks into Lawson Creek which flows into the Cudgegong river which ends in the Macquarie and Murray rivers. Mudgeeites cannot find this acceptable.
Bowdens says they will transfer for their operation water from the Goulburn river. Who in their right mind would allow a company to pinch water from a totally different catchment and pump it across valuable farmland?
The whole shire still has water restrictions and this mine would use the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool a day. How could this happen when we know that due to climate change water will become ever-more scarce.
Regarding the impact of the Bowdens Silver Mine on Mudgee I cannot see this project would benefit our region where tourism is the biggest drawcard and provides a great number of jobs. The best valley leading into Mudgee would be ruined and allowing B-doubles to pass through the town would destroy the amenity of our country town.
The Bowdens Silver Mine project should be rejected outright.

Elisabeth Brasseur
4 George St
Mudgee NSW 2850
Ph: 63721619

25 July 2020

The environmental impact on the people of Lue has not been taken into consideration.

Bowdens Silver Mine

I strongly object to the proposed Silver Mine at Lue. As a former resident of the Lue community who lived on the Pyangle Rd I have witnessed first hand the appalling impact this proposed mine has had on the cohesion and very social fabric of this once tight knit community.
The project from its initial proposal back in 2011 by Kingsgate has been flawed due to the basic fact that it is too close to the village of Lue and its surrounding properties. The risks inherent in a silver mine that produces 99% heavy metals of zinc and lead and 1% silver is great.
The array of risk factors include but aren’t limited to Lead Dust covering the village , contamination of the Lawson Creek, contamination of the drinking water in the village of Lue, noise and light pollution form the mine itself, devastation of the water table and increased traffic along the already dangerous Lue Road, the presence of a tailings dam filled with toxic waste would be an enormous risk to the environment. These risks are all exacerbated by the fact that Silver Mines Limited have never owned or operated a mine before.
This mine will have a devastating impact on the community of Lue -likely to go the way of Wollar and become a ghost town. What a travesty if 140 years of history is destroyed because of a ill conceived project is allowed to proceed.

As a land owner, parent, and a community member I am seriously concerned about the potential lead dust that will affect the local region.
I am also worried about the impact on our small town, it’s businesses and the number of families, especially new families, that come to our area.

Having lived for 6 years in Gaffney Street Broken Hill I am only too aware of the dangers associated with silver and lead mining. Children who were brought up in Gaffney street often displayed. These included:-
Developmental delay
Learning difficulties
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Sluggishness and fatigue
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Constipation
Seizures.

I feel that the mines close proximity to Lue, and Lue Public School poses an unacceptable probability that they will be exposed to lead poisoning.
I am also concerned the acid mine drainage has not been taken into account and the high probability of pollution to Lawson Creek and subsequently the Cudgegong River and Burrendong Dam.

Submission re my objections to the Bowden Lue Silver/Lead Mine

Points to be addresses –
Noise levels – Village noise travels long distances and can even here approaching car klms away
Operating times – 24hours – 365 days of the year is not acceptable
Road suitability – Does not fully comply for BDouble trucks, even though Council has approved
Property Value impacts – Already significant decreases in property value making impossible to sell
Water contamination and levels
Lead contamination – Mt Isa is already showing significant effects especially in children
Mental, physical, environmental and economical impact of residence.

Upon reading a 2 page advertisement for the mine in my local paper, I was totally complexed by the information they had produced especially in the Facts as per their interpretation of the “Truth”

It states that it is a Silver mine and not Lead as it makes more money in the Silver than the Lead but the real truth is they still will be mining the Lead with levels 66.3 million ounces compared to 130000 tonnes of zinc and 95,000 tonnes of Lead and these levels are supplied by Bowden themselves.

It also reflects on our concerns of the water levels depleting due to the significant water required to run the mine and states that it is transferring waters through the Ulan coalfield, but does not say where and from whom the water will be supplied as Ulan Coal has not approved anything and our Mayor on radio stated his concerns on where they will be getting the water.

The most questionable point they raised is that the majority of Lue residents support the mine, which I can highly argue as being a resident myself and knowing how the community does not marginally support it. Not so sure where they are getting this information.

So it is my interpretation, that if they can “Fluff” the truth to suit their cause, how does all this information in the EIS stand as being true and correct.

Major concern is the lead exposure. As a small village we are all on tank water. It is clearly stated in Towns such as Mt Isa that the best way to keep down lead contamination is wiping and washing hard surfaces. After such a hard an impacting drought we have just experienced, where do we get this additional water from AND MORE TO THE FACT how are we to stop the lead from settling on our roof and the rainwater washing it into our tanks which is used for every day use especially drinking, food preparation and washing. Mt Isa uses town water which is not available in Lue.
Should there be any lead contamination ie due to paint in buildings such as schools, they are automatically shut down until the source is removed, however, there is a school and a village only 2klms from mine where children will be exposed.

Noise will be completely mentally draining on residence with the 24 hour running of the mine. Even if they put up a freeway near residence a barrier is generally erected to eliminate the constant exposer to the noise.

Other organisations have submitted all the relevant statistics and flaws that will affect our Village. Hence I am not qualified to do this, however being a resident I do understand that this will not be the sleepy little Village where we choose to create our great Australian assets and dream.

Can it be 100% clarified that the mine will not impact the residents of the Lue village, socially, mentally, environmentally, economically, and most importantly, physically

My name is Lara Altimira and I appreciate the opportunity to make this submission objecting to the proposed Bowdens Silver Project.
I am a resident of Lue having moved here in 2016. Lue is the type of small locality that some people would drive through and think "who would live here?" but it is what is not seen from the road that makes the village of Lue a special place to live and grow, and a place to be protected for current and future generations. I moved to this wonderful community with my partner, who grew up in Lue, to raise a family and start a farming business. Our daughter is now 2 years old and is the 5th generation of the family to be born and raised in Lue. My key concerns with the Bowdens Silver Project with regards to the suitability of the site and environmental and social impacts through lead contamination, noise pollution and water usage by the mine.
Suitability of site and lead contamination:
Lue is a completely unsuitable site for a lead mine. There is no safe level of lead and the proposed mine is too close to the Lue village and residences and mining activities will ultimately result in lead exposure in the village through lead dust travelling through the air. Lead is a neurotoxic heavy metal and of concern is that the lead found in Lue has a high bio-accessibilty (as acknowledge in the Environmental Impact Statement). This is of great concern to me because I have a small child and I plan to have more children. Research shows that infants, children and pregnant women are at the greatest risk from the harmful effects of lead exposure. NSW Health reports that lead exposure in childhood can cause behaviour and attention problems, learning difficulties and cognitive losses. It may also affect physical growth, blood cell development and the functioning of the kidneys. Once exposed to lead there are no reversing the negative impact on health (https://leadsmart.nsw.gov.au/effects-of-lead/). Lead dust from the Bowdens Silver Project mine will drift onto our house and backyard and my children will ingest it through no fault of their own. All our house drinking and household water is rain water as we do not have access to town water. It is highly likely our water will be contaminated by lead dust blown onto the roof and gutters. LeadSmart NSW advises against consuming rainwater from water tanks exposed to lead dust. In addition on our property we grow all our own vegetables and fruit. If the mine was to be approved we would not be able to grow and consume these as they would be contaminated and result in lead exposure. The information in Bowdens Environmental Impact Statement is vague and unclear about dust transmission to the Lue village from the proposed mine. Also the compliance level referred to in the EIS, for acceptable community exposure in houses is taken from out of date guidelines and the EIS should use more recent USEPA criteria which considers a safe lead blood level of children to be below 5 micrograms pre decilitre. In the Environmental Impact Statement Bowdens states that the risk of dust exposure is negligible and their mitigation response is that an Air Quality Management Plan is expected to be developed prior to commencement of operations at the Project that would outline the measures to manage air emissions. So this acknowledges that there will be air lead emissions and this is not an appropriate mitigation strategy. An Air Quality Management Plan needs to be presented to the community now in the proposal stage.
Other lead mines in Australia including in Broken Hill and Mount Isa have exposed the communities to unsafe lead levels and infants and children have been adversely effected through this exposure. Analysis of NAPLAN testing data shows children in these towns have decreased literacy and numeracy skills compared to children living in areas with lower environmental contamination (https://theconversation.com/australian-children-exposed-to-toxic-mining-metals-do-worse-at-school-48343). The lead that is proposed to be mined at Lue is more toxic than the lead at Mount Isa so this is extremely worrying considering the effect the lead mining in Mount Isa has had on the community there.
Social impact- noise
The Bowdens mine proposes operating 24 hours a day 7 days per week only 2km from the Lue village. This is a major concern for my family as one of the attractions of living in Lue is the peace, tranquility and the healthy lifestyle this brings with it. Noise along with the vibrations associated with the use of the machinery and blasting will have a major social impact on our health and livelihood. Constant noise exposure can lead to sleep disturbance, cognitive effects and annoyance. The World Health Organisation (2011) reports that noise exposure can result in cardio vascular disease, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, tinnitus and annoyance. These are all serious health concerns (https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/A12B57E41EC9F326CA257BF0001F9E7D/$File/health-effects-Environmental-Noise-2018.pdf). The EIS is confusing in its explanation of noise levels and it does not provide enough data to make an accurate decision. In addition in the EIS Bowdens have not given explanations to address the noise concerns the Lue community have raised about noise levels from the proposed mine.
Environmental impact- water usage
Lue does not have adequate water supply for the proposed mine and I am concerned about the mine using all the ground water and/or contaminating it through the leaking of the tailings storage facility and waste rock emplacement area. The proposed Bowdens mine plans to use 1857 litres of water annually of which they plan to take the majority from ground water supplies. This will have a devastating effect on the community of Lue, in particular our livelihood. We have a bore which we use to grow our garden, if the proposed mine draws such a huge amount of water from the water table our bore will not work. Gardening is an important part of my life and it provides several health benefits and if we did not have access to water I would not be able to garden.
In the current drought (2017-2020) water levels of bores in Lue dropped. Our bore water level decreased significantly and we can now only use our bore for a short period of time as drought has caused the water table to drop. In the EIS Bowdens have not investigated the impact the mine will have on bore users in Lue such as the drawdown and the deterioration due to mining with only 2 bore users being assessed for the EIS. Furthermore the water draw from the ground water supply is not for the short period of time (17 years) of the project but for the next 100 plus years.
In addition I have serious concerns about contamination of the ground water and local waterways from leakage from the tailings dam and the wast rock emplacement which will contain acid forming rock. There is no acid treatment plant presented in the EIS so how can the environmental impact of the mine be accurately assessed. The Waste Rock Encasement is being built from a thin layer of geotextile material, which is supposed to contain the material for eternity. There are no contingency plans if this thin 1.5mm material fails. There are so many factors such as this which are not factored for in the EIS and therefore cannot be accurately assessed for their environmental impact.
Recommendations:
The only recommendation that would protect my child and future children from lead exposure and the negative health impacts of the proposed mine is that it does not go ahead, it is too close to an already populated and economically viable community. However if the Bowdens Mine is given approval then the proposal should be amended to include a requirement that Bowdens purchase the properties at current market value and compensate families to relocate from the village of Lue. This may seem like an extreme proposal and I do not want to leave Lue however the mine site is too close to Lue and there is no safe level of lead exposure in children and vulnerable members of the community need to be protected.
Regards
Lara Altimira

This project would be beneficial to the region providing many jobs and regional investment opportunities considering the current economic outlook with the impact of Covid19 on Australian communities. Silver is an essential manufacturing metal suitable for industrial and medical uses. The environmental impacts from mining are far offset by the industrial and medical benefits. Its end use will contribute to society through improved environmental and medical equipment.