Desalination in Cuttlefish Country
What's the plan?
● BHP Billiton to construct a 280 million litre per day plant at Point Lowly (for private use)
● Brine outfall is 3.8 kilometres from Stony Point cuttlefish breeding ground
● Ambient ocean salinity is 38-42 parts per thousand
● Return water salinity (outfall from plant) is 78 ppt
● Will provide approx. 186 million litres 'product' water daily to Olympic Dam
● Annual OD consumption (inc GAB) = 2/3rds Adelaide consumption(SA Water, January 2012)
● Likely to sell excess 'product' to other miners
June 2012 - Dan Monceaux, Cuttlefish Country http://cuttlefishcountry.com
What could happen?
● Ambient salinity may increase due to slow flushing with open ocean
● Brine may 'pool' on ocean floor during dodge tides
● Strong winds can create low pressure systems with potential to draw pooled brine into the shallows - Assoc. Prof. Jochen Kaempf, Flinders University
● Giant Australian Cuttlefish faces total egg mortality at 50 ppt salinity Prof. Bronwyn Gillanders, Adelaide University
● Pooled brine may create de-oxygenated 'dead' zonesAssoc. Prof. Jochen Kaempf, Flinders University
● Plant production capacity can drop to 50% when processing water of 50ppt salinity(as has occurred in the Middle East)
● License conditions may be 'softened' to benefit the polluter
● Olympic Dam will have storage capacity for 2 weeks water supply - Peter Dolan, EPA
June 2012 - Dan Monceaux, Cuttlefish Country http://cuttlefishcountry.com
What are the alternatives?
● Pump Adelaide's waste-water to Olympic Dam(BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam EIS 2009)
● Gravity feed water via pipeline from Tasmania(CE Docklands Science Park, John Martin)
● Appropriately assess alternative desalination plant locations outside Spencer Gulf
June 2012 - Dan Monceaux, Cuttlefish Country http://cuttlefishcountry.com
What are we doing?
We are lobbying for...
● Relocation of approved desalination plant
● Moratorium on industrial developments at Point Lowly
● Fostering of social, environmental and fishery values in Upper Spencer Gulf
CuttlefishCountry.com
…and we're making a feature-length documentary film.
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