Thursday, 22 March, 2007

by Justin Tutty
Coober Pedy Regional Times

With another wet season, we see another example of the serious challenges faced at Ranger uranium mine during the monsoon.

Last year, cyclone Monica demonstrated how powerless the miner is to contain their large volumes of radioactive wastes in the face of a direct hit. This year, heavy rain saw contaminated water from a retention pond overflow into the pit.

At first glance, the seasonal failure of management regimes at Ranger is puzzling.

Surely after over 25 years, ERA should have learned to plan for the wet season?

Although, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that it's not that they can't learn to better manage their waste, as that each year there's just so much more of it.

Every year, more radioactive tailings waste is dumped on site, and more contaminated water is stored in ponds to be sprayed on the surrounding bush – if a cyclone doesn't come first to carry the pollution further into the surrounding Kakadu National Park.

Without question, this miner should not be allowed to expand their operations until they can demonstrate some degree of control over their existing radioactive wastes.