Researchers say they have found a reliable new way of predicting whether water seeping from a mine into a creek is toxic.
After studying an east Kimberley nickel mine they say toxins only seem to affect animals in the creek in the late dry and early wet seasons.
This, they say, is easily predicted by seeing how readily the water samples conduct electricity.
Science Network [read this story]
This appears to be good news as it is much easier to control the flow of water at these times.
There was no legal requirement to conduct this research.