Issues at Operating Uranium Mines and Mills - Australia
(last updated 6 Jan 2012)
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Australian trade union bans workers from uranium mines
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in Queensland and the Northern Territory 
is banning its members from working on uranium mines or within the nuclear energy industry.
ETU secretary Peter Simpson says corporate interests and political leaders are trying to bribe workers with the promise of high wages while denying the health risks of uranium mining.
"We have got a world renowned expert on the subject, we have got several other experts in Australia that have gone out and done the research on this stuff," he said.
"Whilst the industry will tell you that it is all fine and that gamma radiation is not an issue, they don't tell you about the hidden dangers that are associated with this product."
(ABC June 1, 2010)
Australian uranium dust found in Antarctic ice
An ice core from the Antarctic bears traces of uranium that may have been carried by the wind from Australian mines in 1995, a glacier expert has told a Chilean newspaper.
The minuscule amounts of the radioactive element "correspond to a year (1995) when Australia increased its uranium production," Ricardo Jaña, who participates in an international research effort in the frozen continent, told El Mercurio daily.
He said scientists theorise the uranium particles were carried by the wind from Australia and deposited in the northern part of the Antarctic's Detroit peninsula.
Dr Jaña works for the Chilean Antarctic Institute , which takes part in a joint Brazilian-Chilean-American glaciological and atmospheric research on the Detroit Plateau.
(ABC May 3, 2010)
Anglican Church's investment fund in Australia removes ban on uranium mining shares
Glebe Asset Management Ltd. , the second-biggest so-called ethical investment fund in Australia, removed its ban on buying uranium mining shares after a three-month review, Director David Andrews said. The company decided to scrap the restriction after BHP Billiton in June bought WMC Resources Ltd., owner of the world's largest deposit of the nuclear fuel.
(Bloomberg Aug. 23, 2005)
Activists finish 2000 km uranium mining protest trek
Anti-nuclear activists have arrived at Parliament House in Canberra, after walking more than 2,000 kilometres from the Roxby Downs uranium mine in South Australia.
Aboriginal elder 'Speedy' McGuiness and activist William Taylor are calling for an end to uranium mining in Australia. (ABC March 30, 2004)
Review report backs acid ISL uranium mining in South Australia
On Nov. 9, 2004, South Australia's Environment Protection Authority released the review report on the environmental impacts of the acid in-situ leach uranium mining process.
The review recommends the practice be allowed to continue.
South Australian Environment Minister John Hill told Parliament the State's Environment Protection Authority has accepted recommendations made in the report. (ABC Nov. 9, 2004)
Review of Environmental Impacts of the Acid In-situ Leach Uranium Mining Process, by Graham Taylor, Vic Farrington, Peter Woods, Robert Ring and Robert Molloy, CSIRO Land and Water Client Report, August 2004
> Download Full report (1.1M PDF)
SA EPA invites submissions for In-situ acid leach mining review
A public meeting will be held on 4 March 2004.
The closing date for written submissions is 2 April 2004.
SA EPA issues tender for review of the environmental impacts of the In-situ acid leach mining process
> View Tender EPA009148 info
Tender closed at 5:00 PM Adelaide time 1 August 2003.
South Australia to assess environmental impact of acid in-situ leach uranium mining
The South Australian Government has announced plans to assess the impact of acid-leach uranium mining on the surrounding environment - the mining method used at the Beverley and Honeymoon uranium mines. The investigation will be coordinated by the SA Environment Protection Authority . (ABC 27 Mar 2003)
> See also: Senate launches inquiry into uranium mining
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General ·
Beverley ·
Honeymoon ·
Olympic Dam (extra page)
> See also Issues for:
New Mining Projects ·
Decommissioning Projects ·
Legislation & Regulations
> See also Data for:
Deposits, Proposed and Active Mines ·
Old Mines and Decommissioning
> View deposit info
> See also: Beverley Four Mile ISL project (Alliance Resources Ltd)
> See also: South Australia to assess environmental impact of acid in-situ leach uranium mining
> View PIRSA announcements
Beverley uranium protesters win legal costs in fight with South Australian Government
A court has ordered the South Australian Government to pay the legal bills of nine people who were assaulted and unlawfully detained during an anti-uranium protest.
The Supreme Court had already awarded more than $700,000 in damages.
Back in April, it found eight protesters, a news cameraman and a girl were unlawfully detained and assaulted during a protest at the Beverley mine in South Australia's far north-east, a decade ago.
Police locked some of the group in a shipping container and the girl, who was 11, had capsicum spray used on her.
The judge awarded extra damages over comments by the South Australian treasurer and police minister that they would not negotiate.
Justice Timothy Anderson said video footage should have prompted the state to compromise.
Now the government has been ordered to pay the group's legal bills after the judge was told the protesters had offered to settle before the trial.
Seven protesters who were awarded more by the court than their settlement offers will get extra money for their legal bills.
(ABC June 30, 2010)
Beverley uranium mine protesters awarded compensation
Uranium mine protesters who were beaten, capsicum-sprayed and locked in a shipping container by police have been awarded compensation by a South Australian judge, who criticised the state's Deputy Premier and Police Minister for provocative comments they made about the case.
The South Australian Supreme Court yesterday (April 9) awarded $724,560 to eight protesters, a television cameraman and a then 11-year-old girl involved in a protest at the Beverley uranium mine about 600km north of Adelaide, on May 9, 2000.
Judge Timothy Anderson found some of the force used by police was unwarranted: "Some of those arrested, some being plaintiffs, were mere passive observers, several of whom were taking video footage." And he said the use of the shipping container as a holding cell was "ill-conceived and resulted in fundamental breaches of human rights".
(The Australian April 10, 2010)
> View court judgment White & Ors v State of South Australia [2010] SASC 95 (9 April 2010)
Beverley uranium mine now under native title
The largest native title claim in South Australia, covering a uranium mine and the iconic Wilpena Pound rock basin, will be signed off today by the Federal Court in Adelaide, in a move welcomed by state and federal governments.
The claim by the Adnyamathanha people was lodged in 1994 after the landmark Mabo judgment in the High Court, recognising the existence of native title.
The Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, chaired by Vince Coulthard , will manage the native title rights and interests of the region.
(Australian March 30, 2009)
The Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP) for the construction and operation of the Beverley North Field Leach Trial has been approved.
> View PIRSA release Jan. 7, 2011
South Australia Premier Mike Rann today announced approval for a Heathgate Resources uranium project at Beverley North.
(Adelaide Now Dec. 28, 2010)
Environment Minister Tony Burke has given approval for US-owned and privately held Heathgate to develop its Beverley North uranium project in South Australia.
Overall production from the greater Beverley area is to remain about the same although the incorporation of reserves from the northern deposits will lengthen the life of the project.
(Sydney Morning Herald Dec. 7, 2010)
> Download Approval - Beverley North-Extension to the Beverley uranium mine , Dec. 6, 2010 (3M PDF - Environment Australia)
Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd have submitted two applications in relation to the proposed Beverley North Uranium mine:
- a Retention Lease Application, seeking approval for Heathgate to conduct an ISR Field Leach Trial at Beverley North, and
- a Mining Lease Application/Public Environment Report (PER), seeking approval for Heathgate to undertake commercial mining of uranium at Beverley North.
Members of the public are now invited to submit comments on either or both of these applications during a 6 week consultation period which closes at 5pm on Friday 28 May 2010.
> View Beverley North Uranium Project (PIRSA)
On Feb. 18, 2010, the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts issued a notification of assessment approach: The project will be assessed by Public Environment Report.
On Oct. 16, 2009, Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd submitted a referral for the Beverley North Extension to the Beverley Uranium Mine.
> View EPBC Referral No. 2009/5138
Approval of Beverley ISL uranium mine extension a “blank cheque licence for pollution”
The Australian Government has approved the expansion of a controversial uranium mine in South Australia, but environmental groups say the radioactive waste increase will greatly impact surrounding areas.
“Fundamentally, they have allowed the area of pollution from the Beverly mine to be expanded quite significantly,” ground water specialist Dr Gavin Mudd told The Epoch Times.
Dr Mudd, a lecturer in environmental engineering at Monash University, says he has looked at the data from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and it is not convincing.
The Government's expansion plans for the mine are a “blank cheque licence for pollution”, he said.
“Until they have got that data on the public record that has been independently verified by people who are independent and not subservient to the mining industry - until that's done - I think they really have been given a blank cheque to leave groundwater in a much worse state than before.”
(The Epoch Times Sep. 2, 2008)
Beverley Uranium Mine Extension approved
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has approved the expansion of South Australia's Beverley uranium mine.
Output will remain within the already approved 1500 tonnes of uranium oxide per year.
(AdelaideNow Aug. 28, 2008)
Claim Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension ignores groundwater
An environmental engineer says a report on the extension of the Beverley uranium mine does not address the potential risks to groundwater.
Mining company Heathgate Resources wants to extend the lease area of its mine in South Australia's north-east and issued the report in response to public submissions about the mine plan, as part of the approval process.
Dr Gavin Mudd from Monash University says the report inadequately deals with the public submissions.
"Their response has always been, 'Well it's still the same category of water quality and it's not impacting on the potential uses of that water'," he said.
"When you look at the increasing value of water and the ability for desalination plants now to desalinate water or sea water or quality like that - and Beverley's a lot less than sea water - then I think we need to be taking an attitude that we protect our groundwater resources."
"The nature of the acid leaching process is they inject the acid, it removes a lot of the uranium obviously but also in that same process it also mobilises a lot of the other metals and so on, so it leaves the groundwater quality a lot worse than what it was prior to mining."
(ABC Apr. 24, 2008)
Heathgate releases draft Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension
Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd announces the publication of its draft Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension. The proposed development outlined in the Mining Proposal is an extension of the area outside
the existing Mining Lease in which wellfields may be installed. There are no proposed changes to the existing operations at the Beverley processing plant, and no increased production above the existing approved level is sought.
On April 18, 2008, Heathgate issued a Response Document following public consultation.
> View Referral 2006/3167 (Environment Australia)
> View Public Notice (PIRSA)
Heathgate seeks mining lease extension
On Nov. 23, 2006, Heathgate Resources has applied to extend the operation of the Beverley uranium mine for at least 20 years.
Heathgate is seeking a new mining lease surrounding the existing Beverley lease. A request has also been made to Native Title claimants for negotiations to commence for a new Mining Agreement.
On Nov. 6, 2009, Petratherm Ltd announced that the Paralana Geothermal Energy Project has been awarded a A$62.762 million Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP) grant. The grant monies are to be applied to the development of a 30 MW geothermal demonstration project post the proof of concept stage currently underway at the Paralana project.
Petratherm's Paralana project's longer-term aim is to develop Australia's first large-scale (260+ MW) base load geothermal power station to deliver zero emission electricity to the National Electricity Market.
On Sep. 3, 2008, Petratherm Ltd and its joint venture partners Beach Petroleum and TRUenergy announced that they have secured a 2,000 HP Drilling Rig from Weatherford Drilling International Australia Pty Ltd for the Paralana Geothermal Energy Joint Venture Project.
Petratherm expects to spud the Paralana 2 well (up to 4 kms deep) in February 2009 and is planning to spud the Paralana 3 well in early 2010.
The Paralana JV aims to supply power to Heathgate Resources' Beverley Uranium Mine in the second half of 2010.
Heathgate Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a geothermal developer, Petratherm Ltd. , to explore opportunities to supply the Beverley mine with more power, produced by geothermal, or hot rock, sources.
(AAP Nov. 1, 2006)
Dispute between aboriginal communities over mining royalty
Heathgate has filed papers in the District Court asking it to resolve a dispute between members of the Adnyamathanha and Kuyani communities for the royalties, due to be paid in about a month.
(news.com.au Feb. 15, 2002)
Production at Beverley in-situ leach uranium mine halted after spill
The Beverley uranium mine will not resume production until an independent inquiry was held into a 60,000-litre spill of radioactive liquid, federal and state politicians said on Jan. 14, 2002. (The Age, Canberra Times, Jan. 15, 2002)
Meanwhile, the Beverley mine has resumed commercial production, after modifications to the plant were made to ensure a repeat spillage would not happen. (WNA News Briefing 02.07, Feb 13, 2002)
License Violations at Beverley in-situ leach mine
It has been revealed that there have been more leaks from the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia's north since the last publicised leak in May 2002.
Almost 15,000 litres of acid uranium solution leaked in that incident, and a further nine leaks ranging from 50 litres to more than 6,000 have now been reported on the South Australian Government's Primary Industries website. (ABC Sep 12, 2002)
Spills of 1000+ litres:
- Feb. 19, 2011: spill of 10,000 - 15,000 litres of injection solution (7 ppm U)
- Apr. 22, 2006: spill of 14,400 litres of solution containing approx. 0.5% uranium
- Oct. 31, 2005: spill of 23,700 litres of mining solution, containing approx. 0.06% uranium
- Aug. 8, 2005: spill of 13,500 litres of extraction fluid containing approx. 0.01% uranium
- Mar. 7, 2005: spill of 50,000 - 60,000 litres of injection fluid
- Dec. 8, 2004: spill of approx. 2,300 litres of mining solution, containing 0.028% uranium
- June 13, 2002: spill of 1,750 litres of brine solution
- June 7, 2002: spill of 1,500 litres of injection fluid in the well field
- May 5, 2002: spill of 14,900 litres of water containing 0.0018% uranium (Australian May 7, 2002)
- May 1, 2002: spill of almost 7,000 litres of brine solution containing some uranium (ABC May 2, 2002)
- January 11, 2002: spill of 60,000 liters of groundwater containing acid and uranium, after pipe rupture (ABC, The Age, Jan. 12, 2002)
The total number of spills reported in 2002 so far (August) is 11.
A total of 24 spills of radioactive liquid had occurred over the past two years.
Three of them were more than 2,000 litres. (The Age, Jan 14, 2002)
> see also: Beverley Spill Incident Summaries (PIRSA)
> View older issues
License Violations at Honeymoon in-situ leach mine
- Jan. 6, 2012: 30 cubic metre spill of injection solution (2 mg/L U3O8)
- Oct. 25, 2011: 4 cubic metre spill of uranium oxide concentrate slurry
> See also Honeymoon Uranium Mine Incident Summary (DMITRE)
> View older issues
> See extra page
