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Tiny animals stop Australian mine
The
discovery of tiny, cave-dwelling animals measuring just 4mm in length
has halted plans to develop a $10bn (£5bn) mine in Western
Australia.Environmental protection officials rejected the iron ore mine
proposal from mining giant Rio Tinto when 11 species of troglobite were
discovered.The troglobites are tiny cave-dwelling creatures which resemble spiders.
They
feed on organic matter deep underground and will die if exposed to
ultraviolet light outside their caves.The chairman of Western
Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Wally Cox, said
the proposed mine would cause the extinction of at least five of the
newly-discovered species.
Approval process
A
Rio Tinto spokesman said the company would appeal against the
decision.”It’s just part of being in the mining business,” said the
spokesman. “We support the EPA process in general.”Opposition
environment spokesman Steve Thomas said the EPA ruling put future
developments in the state at risk.”Because [the government has]
upgraded the requirements of the mining sector in the environmental
approvals process to find what’s out there, they go out there and find
things,” he said.Troglobites have no eyes but have long front legs or
feelers to find their way around in the dark.
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