Aboriginal women take Cameco to court to stop uranium mining in Western Australia
Currently in Western Australia (WA) there is a landmark court case to stop Canadian uranium company, Cameco from mining uranium at the proposed Yeelirrie uranium project.
Three Aboriginal women from Yeelirrie, together with WA’s peak environmental group Conservation Council of WA, are taking the State Government and Cameco to court to uphold the rights of Traditional Owners to protect sacred lands in WA’s fragile desert country from unwanted uranium mining.
Environmental approval for uranium mining at Yeelirrie was given by the Environment Minister against the wishes of the Aboriginal women and the community who have been fighting for over 40 years to stop this toxic industry and against the recommendations of the Environmental Protection Authority. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) concluded that the project would cause the extinction of multiple unique species of subterranean fauna and recommended the project not be approved.
Canadian mining company Cameco is the proponent of the controversial Yeelirrie uranium mine proposal in the Northern Goldfields, on Tjiwarl Native Title lands. Cameco plans to construct a 9km open mine pit and uranium processing plant. The project would destroy 2,421 hectares of native vegetation and generate 36 million tonnes of radioactive mine waste to be stored in open pits.
The hearing on the 5th March 2019 will be in WA’s highest court, the Supreme Court of Appeals. If the decision to allow uranium mining at Yeelirrie stands, it will create a dangerous precedent for extinction of other wildlife across our vast and beautiful state and it will allow sacred Aboriginal lands to be permanently damaged and contaminated by uranium mining and processing, including the dumping of radioactive mine waste. For more information or to donate to this awesome work by the Aboriginal women go to
