Lorna Seatter
Thursday, 22 May 2008
SWISS mining house Xstrata and the Queensland Government have been accused of
being in cahoots with information implicating the miner in lead contamination
in the Queensland town of Mount Isa. The information includes a report on a
screening program, due for official release today, which found incidences of
lead poisoning in 11% of the 400 Mt Isa children tested.
According to an article in the Australian, Queensland Government press releases were reviewed by Xstrata before entering the public forum. The Swiss miner also allegedly received drafts of the report due for release today.
The Australian said that it had obtained documents through Freedom of Information identifying Xstrata as the driver behind the formation of a new entity to handle the high incidence of lead poisoning in the town.
According to the national newspaper, Xstrata was part of the group Living with Lead Alliance, which also includes government and council agencies and was formed around the same time the screening program was implemented. However, no community bodies are part of the alliance.
The newspaper also claims the miner and government agencies were collaborating over the handling of media enquiries.
The Australian obtained an email under FOI, which forewarned Xstrata community relations manager Melanie Edgar of an imminent visit by a Queensland-based journalist. The alert came from a Queensland health bureaucrat.
In addition, the newspaper claims Edgar emailed various government officials with information on the early findings from the screening program in December last year, before the results were released to the public.
The Australian quotes Edgar's email, "Queensland Health is preparing a media release to be issued later today from the minister's office with the following main points recorded.
"Please find attached a copy of Xstrata's media release which we will proactively issue once the Queensland Health announcement has been made.
"Our key points include … Mt Isa Mines has not waited for the 400 [children] to be reached [in the screening] to improve lead management at its operations."
According to media reports last month, law firm Slater and Gordon is preparing a legal case against the miner, representing a single mother and her six-year-old daughter who is allegedly suffering health and development problems resulting from lead poisoning.
http://www.miningnews.net/storyview.asp? storyid=197735§ionsource=s0