Wednesday 10 November 2004
The Age

A Commonwealth-appointed scientist has urged the Federal Government to legislate to ensure Energy Resources Australia fixes problems at its controversial Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park.

The scientist, Arthur Johnston, says in his annual report, released yesterday, that ERA has become "complacent" about radiation dangers at the mine and has not provided enough protection for workers. He criticises ERA for playing down radiation exposure before properly assessing leaks at the mine.

While ERA has made commitments to tackle problems, Dr Johnston believes "measures to address these issues should be made requirements of the company under legislation".

Dr Johnston, whose Darwin office is responsible for monitoring the operation of the mine for Canberra, said ERA had breached two environmental requirements of its operating licence in the past year.

One breach was the company's "failure to ensure that radiation doses to company employees and contractors must be kept as low as reasonably achievable". Another was its failure to ensure radiation clearance procedures were adequate to protect people living near the mine.

Dr Johnston called on ERA to immediately change Ranger's radiation protection culture.

"It appears that complacency has characterised the ERA approach to radiation protection in recent years. There is also evidence that insufficient resources have been allocated by ERA to radiation protection over the past two years."

Dr Johnston said although ERA had admitted that poor maintenance of the mine's water system posed "significant risk", a pipe replacement project had not been completed.

He recommends the Government consider taking unprecedented Commonwealth action against ERA, which could include closing the mine. ERA is majority owned by the British giant Rio Tinto.

The recommendation comes only weeks after the federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, warned that the Government would shut the mine unless it improved its operation.

The Northern Territory Government, which regulates the mine, has already charged ERA over a pipe mix-up in March when 149 workers were exposed to 400 times the legal limit of uranium. The charges will be heard in Darwin Magistrates Court later this month.

If found guilty, the company, which earns more than $20 million profit a year at Ranger, can only be fined up to $160,000.

Ranger has had more than 120 spills, mishaps or breaches of its licence since it opened in 1981. Conservationists have repeatedly called on ERA to cease mining, clean up the site and leave Kakadu, Australia's largest national park.

In his report, Dr Johnston is scathing about ERA's management of the mine.

"A general inspection of the mill noted that leaking pipes were common, valves were broken and corroded, temporary hose connections were present and the colour coding of pipes was in many instances obscured by dust and grime," he says.

"On this basis, it was obvious that a major refurbishment of the process water system was required to bring it up to a satisfactory standard." A spokeswoman for Mr Macfarlane said last night the minister would study the report and had no comment to make until he had done so.