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Uranium approval a blow for the environment

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Posted in Nuclear | Tagged Nuclear

Contrary to the Australian government and mining industry assurances, the newly-approved uranium mine at Four Mile in South Australia will harm the environment. The Australian Conservation Foundation has described the Federal Government approval of the new uranium operation as out of step with community opinion and inconsistent with Labor’s commitment to best practice industry standards. “Canberra has given a secretive American uranium company the green light to conduct activities it would not be permitted to conduct in the USA,” said ACF nuclear free campaigner David Noonan.

The operation has been granted approval to use the contested acid in-situ leach (ISL) technique to extract the uranium.  This method involves injecting chemicals into aquifers, contaminating groundwater and poisoning the underground environment.

In 2003 a detailed Senate examination of the Beverley mine recommended that “mines utilising the ISL technique should be subject to strict regulation, including prohibition of discharge of radioactive liquid mine waste to groundwater”.

“General Atomics and its subsidiary Heathgate Resources will be directly dumping increased volumes of liquid radioactive and heavy metal wastes to the groundwater with no requirement for rehabilitation,” David Noonan said.

“This is a long way from best practice; it is a quick and dirty way to get hold of a long-lasting and dangerous mineral.”

ACF and other environment and Indigenous organisations have been critical of the operations of the existing Beverley mine and the safety culture of Heathgate Resources following multiple sub and surface spills at the mine.
http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2354&eid=6801