The owner of the Rosebery mine in Tasmania has agreed to undertake a series of environmental tests following sustained concerns from local residents claiming they and their animals are being poisoned by mining activity.

The decision comes after a high-level meeting earlier this week (December 21, 2009) between lawyers and doctors acting on behalf of the residents and the Tasmania Government.

Peter Long, Practice Group Leader with Slater & Gordon, said the decision by the Chinese owned MMG Australia Limited to undertake the tests is welcome.

“This is something the residents of Rosebery have been calling on for a long time,” Mr Long said.

“We are also very pleased to hear that the Director of Public Health will also re-open investigations into allegations of heavy metal poisoning at Rosebery.

“The health and well being of the workers and residents of Rosebery is paramount and for the environmental testing program to be totally independent it is important the town’s workers and residents are able to participate,” he said.

The Department of Health will devise a program to identify the nature and extent of the risk; the relevant experts necessary to implement the program; and the laboratories to process samples and specimens.

Launceston expert Occupational Physician, Dr Andreas Ernst, who has a number of Rosebery patients said all were suffering from heavy metal poisoning.

The Department has been investigating the concerns about the Rosebery mine since at least 1992. In 1995, a two year old child was shown to have 19 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood with another 21 children having levels of lead above the accepted safe level.

Slater & Gordon act for Rosebery residents who it is alleged are experiencing signs of heavy metal poisoning, particularly lead and arsenic. Slater & Gordon is continuing to receive enquiries from past and present workers and residents of Rosebery.