Choosing underground mining at Mount Lindsay would slash the area disturbed and its tin would help cut greenhouse gas emissions, the proponent says.
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Venture Minerals Limited managing director Andrew Radonjic shot back at the environmentalist Bob Brown Foundation after campaigner Scott Jordan rubbished Venture's claim it wanted the potential West Coast tin and tungsten mine to be carbon dioxide emissions neutral as "amateurish greenwash".
"It's about the rainforests, stupid," Mr Jordan said.
"If Venture was serious about a carbon neutral future, they would walk away from projects in takayna/Tarkine at Mount Lindsay and abandon plans to clear the remaining three (iron ore) strip mine stages at Riley Creek."
Mr Radonjic said: "When people have to resort to petty name calling, it's a clear demonstration of the frailty of their arguments."
"The underground solution we are proposing for Mt Lindsay reduces the mine's area of disturbance by up to 80 per cent (compared with open cut mining).
"The tin mined will be used for numerous applications, including in electric vehicles, where tin is crucial to the electrical circuitry, to decarbonise transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"And we will be creating more jobs for North-West Coast residents.
"Plus, when the mine eventually closes, the disturbed area will be fully rehabilitated."
Mount Lindsay is not far from the veteran Renison tin mine.
"We're trying to find another Renison," Mr Radonjic said.
The company recently started a tin exploration drilling program at Mount Lindsay.
The first hole found a large mineralised skarn along strike from Renison, potentially bearing tin.
"It's pretty exciting with the first hole into the Renison mine sequence," Mr Radonjic said.
An airborne electromagnetic survey in 2019 generated 50 exploration targets, with 12 of those given priority.