Dirty Gold: The toxic legacy of cyanide leach mining

By Christine Nicholas

Cyanide kills. It is toxic to all plants, wildlife and humans. But the lethal chemical continues to be used in gold mining today despite many spills worldwide, which are testament to the destructive capacity of cyanide and the repetitive failure of mining companies to ensure safeguards. Christina Nicholas investigates the practise, the political debate and safer alternatives. FULL STORY

What is the real price of gold? Case study: Lake Cowal

By Natalie Kent and Sandra Reidenbach

Located in central NSW, Lake Cowal is the heartland of the Aboriginal Wiradjuri Nation and home to a variety of rare and endangered species of plants and wildlife. But a cyanide leach gold mine threatens to destroy this high conservation wetlands despite strong public outcry from local and international communities. A potential cyanide spill could severely damage the waterways, wildlife and vegetation. FULL STORY

Broken Hill

By Peter Hindmarsh

Broken Hill once famous as the largest gold mine in Australia has fallen from grace. Fast becoming a ghost town, the township is riddled with abandoned mines, plagued by poverty, sickness, despair, and contaminated with deadly lead poisoning that has infiltrated the entire food chain. FULL STORY