Contaminated Clarence River area subject to re-exploration

Mining sites along the Clarence River

Between 1974 and 1976 Mt Carrington Mines Ltd extracted a small tonnage of high-grade silver and gold from the Lady Hampden open pit mine. The abandoned pit is polluted with contamination flowing into the Clarence River.

In 1988 a small-scale mining campaign was launched to extract open pit oxide, but the ore was depleted by 1990 and the mine was closed, leaving acid rock drainage. Despite efforts to remediate, there is still a significant discharge of contaminated water from the tailings dam during wet weather. Last month, the community was informed that exploration in the area would begin again.