Published in Overland Issue 259: Feb/Mar 2026 · Poetry Spill Courtney Mason Incident Description Only facts DO NOT assume or guess Contamination fears grow as Cadia confirms mine waste leak near Orange What happened? Hydraulic line failure Broken. Immediate. Tamar tailings take toxic twist Action taken: Turned off machine Stopped and isolated Fuel, oil and/or chemicals pose a Significant risk to groundwater quality McArthur River Open Cut Mine Expansion: Review of seepage issues related to Tailings Storage Facility Pulled over Notified supervisor Contain The cost to remediate Environmental pollution Can be extremely Expensive Newmont suspends processing at Telfer gold mine after cracking detected on tailings facility Assess under over 100L? Use absorbent products Wear PPE Brazil seals $30 billion compensation deal with BHP over 2015 dam collapse Prevention of spills is The best way to avoid risk Human health and the environment ACTUAL/POTENTIAL consequence Insignificant severity Courtney Mason Courtney Mason is a writer, artist and civil engineer living on Kaurna land in South Australia. Her work has been published by the ABC, Cordite Poetry Review, Jacaranda Journal, Sudō Journal and InDaily. She aspires towards a monochrome wardrobe. More by Courtney Mason › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 18 September 202618 September 2026 · Poetry having a sweetie Gareth Morgan o unfathomable lack! unbelievable luck … really, you wouldn’t believe me my pollen grows in the dark my pollen reeks like bed sheets/br 5 November 2025 · Poetry Force posture agreement Miroslav Sandev The men of Darwin have all taken their rottweilers / out for a walk at the same time. / For our protection. Like Pine Gap: / all those big white eyes that scan / the darkening horizon. / The eyes stay woke, so that we may sleep. / Or so they say.
