Sunday, 21 October, 2007

by Ben Langford
NT News

Environmentalists fear radiation threat to Darwin harbour

A uranium processing plant on Darwin harbour could expose the waterway to radioactive waste, environmentalists have warned.

Arafura Resources plans to mine rar earths at the Nolans Bore site in Central Australia, and wants to build a $300 million processing plant in the Darwin area.

As a byproduct of processing the rare earths, the plant would generate about 200 tonnes a year of uranium oxide, which could be processed at the same plant.

The Government favours Middle Arm as the location for future heavy industry and yesterday would not rule out uranium processing taking place there.

Environment Centre NT campaigner Emma King said a uranium processing plant would endanger the harbour.

"That would have very grave implications for the health of the harbour given the issues of what they would do with the waste and the tailings, which would include radioactive elements" she said. 

"Waste products from processing the ore are inevitably going to contain radioactive elements."

Mines Minister Chris Natt's spokesman Edwin Edlund would not rule out a uranium processing plant on Darwin Harbour.

"If Arafura Resources want to develop a mine they would go through the Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Mines and as part of that the environmental assessment would be conducted," he said.

"But if the processing plant was separate to the mine, then they would have to go through the Department of Planning and Infrastructure."

Arafura Resources managing director Alistair Stephens would not comment directly on the possibility of processing uranium at the plant.

"The final engineering design is far from complete, the appropriate location has yet to be determined, and the proposal has not been lodged for review or approval."

Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney said heavy industry should be located at Glyde Point.

"There is a range of  industries that are not appropriate in terms of spoiling the harbour," she said.