Australian girl, 6, in case against miner: lawyer

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

SYDNEY (AFP) — A six-year-old Australian girl with high levels of lead in her body will be part of a law suit against Anglo-Swiss mining giant Xstrata over alleged pollution, her lawyer said Friday.

Damian Scattini said he expected to lodge pre-litigation documents in court for Daphne Hare, on behalf of her daughter Stella, against Xstrata, and/or the Queensland state government, next week.

Blood tests conducted on the child, who suffers learning and behavioural problems and has had a melanoma on her leg removed, revealed dangerously high levels of lead and more than 10 other metals in her body, he said.

Stella grew up in the central Queensland town of Mount Isa, known as the state's mining capital and where Xstrata has operated two copper mines and a copper...