Friday, 2 March, 2007

by Wendy Frew
Sydney Morning Herald

AUSTRALIA'S uranium mines and tailings dumps have a history of leakages and spills; many of the accidents have been minor but a few have been serious.

The most notable in recent years involved the contamination of workers' drinking water at the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory in 2004.

Energy Resources Australia admitted it accidentally contaminated the mine's water, with 28 workers suffering a range of complaints such as vomiting, gastric upsets, headaches and skin rashes after drinking or showering in the water. The water contained 400 times more uranium than the recommended safety level.

It happened when water used during the uranium extraction process was mistakenly connected to the drinking-water supply.

The Northern Territory Government viewed the breaches of regulations at the mine "very seriously". It recommended the first prosecution against Energy Resources Australia since it had begun operating the mine in the world-heritage Kakadu National Park in 1980.

Doctors were unable to advise the workers about the long-term effects on their health because no one in the world had ever drunk such large amounts of uranium-contaminated water.

The company was fined $150,000 for the contamination and was also convicted on a charge relating to contaminated vehicles leaving the mine site. The mining giant had pleaded guilty on both counts and was ordered to pay $25,000 in costs.