Processing of uranium has been halted on site until the clean-up and testing can be completed and, with some fearing that halt could last weeks, the market will be keen to know if ERA will need to buy uranium on the market to ensure it can meet its supply contracts.

ERA shares have traded around $1.30 over the past five to six weeks and most of the value in the stock is attached to hopes of starting a new underground uranium mine beneath the Ranger pits, which ceased mining last year after more than three decades.

The underground development is still being explored and will face a heavy load of approvals before it is allowed to proceed. One of the most important approvals will be in the hands of the local Mirarr indigenous group, who expressed concern on Sunday.

''Accident by accident, incident by incident, the trust is diminished,'' spokesman Justin O'Brien said.

ERA has promised it will not conduct further mining at Ranger without approval from the Mirarr and the highly prospective Jabiluka uranium deposit nearby also cannot be mined until the Mirarr give approval.