Dealing with Antarctica s rubbish tips

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2000
Dealing with Antarctica s rubbish tips

Exactly 100 years after Norwegian CARSTEN BORCHGREVINK established the first winter
base on pristine Antarctica, the frozen continent is littered with contaminated rubbish
tips.

An international conference in Hobart has been told that some of the worst tips are
Australian, which are leaking metals and petroleum hydrocarbons into the sea and harming
marine life.

However, Australia is now leading the way in research as it looks for ways to clean
up the sins of the past.

The symposium on cold region development has heard that most of the Australian remediation
work is being done around Casey and the abandoned Wilkes station.

The problem is getting rid of the old mess.

And Dr MARTIN RIDDLE says that without care, removal could make things worse.

Scientists are now looking for biological and smart engineering solutions.

AAP RTV dw/dmc/jn

KEYWORD: ANTARCTICA (HOBART)

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