Greens call for end of Ranger uranium mine operations after slurry spill

Updated

The Greens are calling for a permanent end to operations at the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory after a radioactive spill at the site yesterday morning.

A tank containing up to a million litres of uranium ore and acid split, damaging the crane that was trying to repair it and surrounding infrastructure at the mine near Kakadu National Park.

Mine operator Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) says it has contained the spread of the slurry, and has temporarily shut down processing operations at the site.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt says government officials have already been on site.

"It is unacceptable, it is something which we have taken immediate action of, and instructing that there be an immediate clean up," he said.

But West Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says the mine should now be shut down for good.

"The company thinks that the way to save operations at Ranger is to go underground through the 3 Deeps projects," he said.

"As far as the Greens are concerned the company should be as good as its word and close that facility when its lease runs out.

"I think this latest disaster doesn't improve anyone's confidence that the mine is capable of running for another 10 or 15 years."

Senator Ludlam says there are a number of lessons to be learned from the incident, and has called for the Federal Government to reconsider giving more approval power over uranium mines to state and territory governments.

"I think some short-term lessons include the company disclosing how many other of these leach tanks there are, and whether they're in the same condition as the one that burst," he said.

"But in the longer term, this is a very strong sign for Environment Minister Greg Hunt that under no circumstances should he let regulation of the uranium sector go back to the states and territories."

Radiation not the concern, says expert

A uranium expert at the University of Adelaide says the slurry that spilled from the tank is likely to have a low level of radioactivity.

Professor Steven Lincoln says uranium ore is broken down when it is mixed with either sulphuric or nitric acid, as part of the uranium refining process.

He says it is the acid, rather than the uranium, that is the concern.

"So at this level the radioactivity is not a worry," he said.

"The chemicals they used are more worrisome than the radioactivity.

"And sulphuric acid is a very strong acid, so it's something you keep very carefully under control."

ERA says it can confirm all the uranium and acid which spilled from the split tank has been contained within the mine's controlled water management system.

It says its water systems, including retention ponds, captured surface water from the area where the spill occurred.

ERA says the water system has ensured uranium and acid did not impact the surrounding environment, including Kakadu National Park.

A spokesman for the Federal Environment Minister also said the leak has been contained and will have no impact on the surrounding area.

The company says no-one was injured.

Topics: uranium-mining, industry, business-economics-and-finance, accidents, disasters-and-accidents, jabiru-0886, nt, australia

First posted