Dickie,
Sorry but you've underwhelmed me with your 'proof' of the devastation caused by the mining industry.
First, Kwinana is an industrial area where there is no mining per se and mining-related processing is restricted to nickel and alumina. There are many other industries there, completely unrelated to mining, so you're drawing a very long bow. As well, Keith Woollard is a political activist and I have no confidence in anything he says.
Second, the mercury emissions near Kalgoorlie are not a problem to the WA health regulators so you'll have to come up with some concrete evidence or strong suggestions of harm to human health from the emissions before I get concerned about this one.
Third, I have as much time for Paul Llewellen as I do for Woollard - a green activist who, like Robin Chapple before him, was scaremongering so outrageously on every conceivable anti-mining issue that he now has little credibility - a genuine Chicken Little.
Fourth, the lead poisoning at Esperence was an example that I had not remembered so I accept that this is a serious mining industry problem. So that's 2 significant examples of mining industry problems out of 500. With 200 people dying a year in car crashes and thousands dying from obesity, alcohol and tobacco consumption, hundreds from suicide, etc, mining does a pretty reasonable job overall in my view.
The green movement tries hard to hide its true goals and ambitions of being anti-development. After many years as a delegate to the Conservation Council of WA, I've walked away from any involvement with them because their complaints and concerns are on-going, they're never satisfied, just total doom and gloom. Oxfam's attack on the mining industry in the Philippines is simply another attempt to create sensational headlines, raise some more money from well-intentioned but ill-informed sympathisers in developed countries and, as a consequence, worsen the economic and social well-being of seriously disadvantaged people in a developing country where a well regulated mining industry offers one of very few chances of real progress out of squalor and poverty.

"First, Kwinana is an industrial area where there is no mining per se and mining-related processing is restricted to nickel and alumina."

Bernie, you're dumbing down the environmental impacts that mining has in the Kwinana areas.

These Kwinana companies are mining affiliates or are that industry:

CSBP - Ammonium nitrate

Coogee Chemicals/Aust Gold Reagents - sodium cyanide

Alcoa - aluminium

Tiwest - ilmenite (reacting sythetic rutile with petroleum coke and chlorine.) Some brew eh?

Hismelt/Rio Tinto - pig iron plant

Adelaide Brighton - lime manufacturing supplied to the mining industry (they burn hazardous waste oil as a fuel - oh yummy!)

BHP Billiton - nickel plant

Then you have the BP oil refinery, Wesfarmer Gas etc.

And the charming Alannah McTeirnan is set to double the expansion of the Kwinana industrial site.

"The green movement tries hard to hide its true goals and ambitions of being anti-development."

Hey Bernie, you're running on empty when you use the tired old argument that the green movement wants to shut these industries down. Wrong again, Bernie.

These are the people seeking justice for the health of humans and their eco systems where mining is encroaching on entire townships.

These people ask for pollution technology control to mitigate the excessive, hazardous emissions which have contributed massively to the climate dilemma.

But then you hear the protestations from "Dad's Army" - poor old Omodei, Barnett and the ambitious Boswell. You remember him? He's the one who took your seat in parliament through the pre-selection process. These are the rodents who got rid of young Birney's leadership in a most ignominious manner.

These are the rock apes who have a cultural antipathy to any environmental prosecutions - a paucity of regulations - regulations which would clean up the state of WA and beyond and mitigate the impacts to human and eco health but still allow industry to prosper.

"well regulated mining industry offers one of very few chances of real progress out of squalor and poverty."

"Well regulated mining industry" in developing countries Bernie? Tsk tsk!

Yes, my arguments may be old and tired but that doesn't mean there not still true. Face it, Dickie, you're anti-development, like so many other green activists and you really get annoyed at the improvement in living standards and quality of life that is occurring right around the world thanks to development of which mining is only one of many wealth generating activities.

Did I say that the green movement wants to shut down Kwinana's industry? I didn't, but it's a nice way for you to deflect the discussion away from the points that I was raising in defense of mining and development in general.

We know what you don't like. How about telling us what human development activities you do like, so we can understand how you would lift a billion people out of poverty in the developing countries of the world?

"We know what you don't like. How about telling us what human development activities you do like, so we can understand how you would lift a billion people out of poverty in the developing countries of the world?"

Well Bernie, mate....tying a knot in their "whatsies" would be a good start to mitigate population explosions.

However, there is much documented evidence to show that those employed to work in these unregulated mines remain poverty stricken, often becoming ill or dying from occupational exposure to the hazards. Rarely do their lives improve.

http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2951

Plundering and pillaging the lands of developing nations is contributing to the environmental and human health problems these nations are now having to endure. Corrupt and avaricious governments must be held accountable - same as ours actually!

And what do you propose for developing nations after the finite resources have been totally exploited by greedy Western nations who lack any semblance of integrity and who contaminate and pollute the crops, air, water and health of these people?

Depleting Mother Nature's waste repositories is no longer smart. She is indeed growing rebellious.

You see Bernie, it is those you defend, the ones with extremist ideologies, formed from avarice (and not from any sense of altruism) who remain in the Jurassic era.

The lack of foresight, the refusal to consider future generations and the endemic ignorance of irresponsible governments and corporations on anthropogenic atmospheric chemicals, has now seen an entire global movement objecting to the ongoing exploitation of this planet.

Let's face it Bernie old chap.......you and your ilk are fast becoming the minority.

Following are documents which you may like to peruse to find how our "good Australian based corporate citizens" are raping the lands of others.

PS: No need to apologise for your "errors" on Kwinana or for your omission to offer any positives to resolve the dilemma of the impotent and farcical regulations in this industry Bernie. I read you, man!

http://s3.amazonaws.com/corpwatch.org/downloads/Barrick_final_sml.pdf

http://www.cathnews.com/news/608/92.php

Reflecting on the current roles of the Commonwealth and State Ombudsmen in Australia, I seem to recall that recommendations made by these Ombudsmen must be presented to the Minister of the relevant portfolio for approval.

As a result, many of us could view the role of the Ombudsman as farcical and a waste of time. Some investigations have persisted for years whereby the Ombudsman's final recommendations are then rejected by a Minister.

The Energy Ombudsman in WA (gas and electricity), however, is perhaps the only one where his/her decision is binding, preventing any interference by a Minister.

Furthermore, I have been advised that matters before the Energy Ombudsman are expedited far more quickly than those complaints in other areas.

I am concerned that with the advent of a Mining Ombudsman for Australian mining activities overseas, the current status quo will apply where the Ombudsman's recommendations must be presented to the Minister for Industry and Resources for approval or rejection.

Political interference, therefore breeds a potential for a conflict of interest, lengthy delays in decision making and a possible unjust outcome for the people in other nations who have been adversely affected from Australian mining practices in their countries.

I would recommend that these concerns be considered, prior to the establishment of a Mining Ombudsman. One would need an assurance that the Ombudsman's decisions are binding and not manipulated by the political processes in our own country.