The article does not state what metal they are talking about, unfortunately.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Health-warning-issued-to-northwest-Qld/2007/01/09/1168104946975.html

Residents in north-west Queensland are being told by operators of a nearby mine to avoid using water from their rainwater tanks and to undergo blood tests.

Tests of a number of tanks in Karumba have found dangerously high levels of metal contamination that exceed drinking water guidelines of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Australian newspaper reports.

Mining giant Zinifex will test the tanks and investigate what needs to be done at the Century mine, the second largest zinc mine in the world.

I thought the article was self explanotory.

Zinc and Lead

General Information
Zinc (Zn) is a bluish-white lustrous metal that is brittle at room temperature, but malleable when heated. It has a low melting point (419.5oC) and a moderately high specific gravity (7.13). Lead (Pb) is a soft, ductile, malleable, bluish-white metal with a low melting point (327.4oC) and a high specific gravity (11.3).   Zinc and lead minerals often occur together because, as elements, they have similar chemical behavior and combine with sulfur as primary minerals.
People have used zinc-bearing mineral compounds for more than 2,500 years. Only iron, aluminum, and copper are more used today. The main uses for metallic zinc are for galvanizing steel and iron, in making brass and other metal alloys, battery electrodes, sheet zinc, and as sacrificial metal to retard corrosion of ship hulls, pipelines, and other submerged or buried steelworks. Zinc compounds are ingredients in paints, rubber, chemical catalysts, fungus retardants, pharmaceuticals, electronic devices, and is the core of the U. S. penny.
Lead is easily recovered from its ore minerals. The mainl use of lead is in batteries. Lead oxides are added to glass, paint, ceramics, and other chemicals to impart special properties. Lead is alloyed with antimony, copper, and bismuth to make type metal. Compounds of lead, such as carbonate and acetate, are used in drugs.

I believe Lead was the problem. The mining company has done the right thing and not try to hide anything from the public.
;)

Sure, they've done less damage than if they had covered it up. But the fact remains that they have poisoned a huge area. There is a lot of seafood caught up there. Will these heavy metals accumulate in the food chain?

Obviously a study will be done on it but, because man controls all aspects man is subject to mistakes. Thank goodness it is not a huge catastrophe. The mining company should not be penalised for being honest otherwise we will force dishonesty through the industry.

Mistakes are made for us to learn from. Maybe if we didn't have any mining this might not of happened but that is a ridiculous notion.

If this was a huge area that was contaminated, as you suggest, the outbreak would have been diluted to minimum toxicity levels. I don't think we will end up with two headed fish from it or it will carry through to the food chain. I also believe the impact study they do will be open to shareholders and the public and it will include the answers to your questions.

Let's not have a kneejerk reaction without finding out all the facts first. as there is no secrecy or cover up here to suggest anything major, yet.

In 2007 best practices should have been enforced and there is no excuse for this sort of environmental damage.  As more and more mines are opened up and exploited - will we see more of this type of accident?  What about the "accidents" we don't know about?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Bloodlead-a-worry-for-some-Mt-Isa-kids/2007/03/19/1174152942346.html

Ten per cent of children tested in Mount Isa for exposure to heavy metals have shown blood lead levels above the recommended international limits, a Queensland government study has found.

But the government says it's too early to set up a full-scale investigation.

More kids needed for Mt Isa lead testing

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/More-kids-needed-for-Mt-Isa-lead-testing/2007/09/18/1189881480578.html

Queensland authorities want more young children in the north-west mining city of Mount Isa to be tested for elevated levels of lead.

A total of 349 children aged between one and four had been tested in the past year and 41 had shown elevated levels of lead - although none had shown signs of illness, said Queensland Health director of environmental health, John Piispanen.

But another 51 children were needed to obtain a representative sample of 400 to determine the risk of lead exposure to the general community, he said.

Lead poisoning can affect children's brain development, with those under five most at risk, Mr Piispanen said.

He urged parents to bring their children in for the blood tests, which were free.

"By knowing if your child has an elevated lead level, proper prevention measures can be put in place to reduce the risks to your child," Mr Piispanen said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/CSR-in-court-over-river-chemical-spill/2007/07/04/1183351245438.html

Building materials giant CSR has been charged over a chemical spill which closed two kilometres of the Parramatta River in Sydney last year.

The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change on Tuesday initiated action against CSR in the Land and Environment Court which could lead to a $1 million fine for the company.

Around 1,000 litres of the gluey chemical acrylic polymer, used in paint, clogged the Sydney river between Rydalmere and Olympic Park last July.

While the white residue was not toxic to humans, it caused devastation to local plants and wildlife, while ferries were cancelled for two days during the clean-up.

A spokesman for CSR denied the company had anything to do with the chemical spill.

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Gladstone study finds no link to cancers

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Gladstone-study-finds-no-link-to-cancers/2007/09/20/1189881643518.html

A health study has found no link to environmental factors in a spate of cancer cases in the central Queensland industrial city of Gladstone.

The study was commissioned after locals raised concerns pollution from the city's industrial plants could be behind a rise in cases of chronic lymphoid leukaemia (CLL).

Queensland Health figures from 1996 to 2004 showed there were 19 cases of CLL reported in the Gladstone area - 10 more than could be expected over the same period.

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WA govt still baffled by lead in kids

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/WA-govt-still-baffled-by-lead-in-kids/2007/11/29/1196037057356.html

The West Australian government is still trying to work out why a number of children are showing persistently high lead levels in the port town of Esperance which was contaminated by lead.

Thousands of birds started falling from the sky early this year before testing revealed lead had been blown across the town during ship loading.

The WA Government has spent more than $7 million on the clean-up of Esperance.

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SA steel town show high lung cancer rate

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/SA-steel-town-show-high-lung-cancer-rate/2007/12/06/1196812852968.html

Residents of the South Australian steel town of Whyalla have a 50 per cent higher chance of contracting lung cancer, with the disease mainly striking women, a new report shows.

The state government report, reported by News Ltd, has shown the occurrence of lung cancer is significantly greater in Whyalla - home to a OneSteel plant that manufactures 1.2 million tonnes of steel annually - than in towns with similar size and industry.

Children were more likely to be admitted to hospital for respiratory infections in Whyalla than in other regions in the state, including the lead-smelting town of Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Mount Gambier and Victor Harbor.

Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic hepatitis were also unexpectedly prevalent compared with the other towns.

The report found reasonable evidence of "biological plausibility" for the diseases found in relation to iron-rich dust exposure.

But state Health Minister John Hill moved to allay fears the red dust emitted by the OneSteel plant caused high lung cancer rates.

"There is no clear connection between the incidence of red dust and the pattern of these illnesses in the community," he told News Ltd.

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Brockovich leads US case against Alcoa

http://news.smh.com.au/brockovich-leads-us-case-against-alcoa/20080302-1w87.html

Erin Brockovich will figurehead a legal case in the US against mining giant Alcoa's West Australian alumina refinery, which claimants say has destroyed their town.

Ms Brockovich, who Julia Roberts portrayed in a Hollywood movie about her environmental campaigning, will represent clients who claim Alcoa's Wagerup alumina refinery, 140km south of Perth, has caused them serious illness.

About 160 residents from nearby Yarloop have complained of respiratory problems, skin irritation, sore throats and eyes, nose bleeds, cancers and organ failure during the past 11 years.

They blame emissions from the 24-year-old refinery.