Cameco promise: no safe water, no U mine
Penelope Bergen
ABC NT Country Hour
The project manager for the exploration at the Angela Pamela uranium deposit, 25 kilometres south of Alice Springs, says mining will only go ahead if the company can prove that mining won't impact on the town's water supply.
Stephan Stander says exploration will continue this year to find out more about historical sites mined in the 1970s.
Mr Stander says it won't be until the end of this year that the company will know whether or not it will apply for a mining licence.
"This year's program will be smaller than last year's but it will be very, very focused on that zone. I believe that by at the end of this year we should be in a good position to say whether it can support a mine."
He says exploration is making a minimal impact at this point due to the open grasslands and a bit of rain.
"The area was extensively grazed and overgrazed so there's big areas that have been impacted over the years already.
"We try to have as little impact as possible and we don't destroy the roots of anything that's there so that once we move off, a bit of rains, then the grass grows again and that's already happened from last year's drilling."
Cameco, which is leading the joint venture, has published a booklet about ground water in the Alice Springs area.
Mr Stander says the booklet's aim is "to provide the average guy on the street in Alice Springs, who might not have a lot of technical background, on ground water... and also how it relates to the Angela uranium project."
"We would like to believe it's objective information. We also consulted with some experts in the town that's not related to the project to give input into that document... it is out there for scrutiny. It's hard facts, not theory that we've put in there."
He says they're hoping to make people aware that Cameco is very responsible when it comes to environmental aspects of exploration and mining uranium.
"The company as well as the joint venture partners are committed to the fact that we won't develop the project or even consider it if we can't technically, for ourselves, prove that we won't impact on the town's water supply."
Stephan Stander says exploration will continue this year to find out more about historical sites mined in the 1970s.
Mr Stander says it won't be until the end of this year that the company will know whether or not it will apply for a mining licence.
"This year's program will be smaller than last year's but it will be very, very focused on that zone. I believe that by at the end of this year we should be in a good position to say whether it can support a mine."
He says exploration is making a minimal impact at this point due to the open grasslands and a bit of rain.
"The area was extensively grazed and overgrazed so there's big areas that have been impacted over the years already.
"We try to have as little impact as possible and we don't destroy the roots of anything that's there so that once we move off, a bit of rains, then the grass grows again and that's already happened from last year's drilling."
Cameco, which is leading the joint venture, has published a booklet about ground water in the Alice Springs area.
Mr Stander says the booklet's aim is "to provide the average guy on the street in Alice Springs, who might not have a lot of technical background, on ground water... and also how it relates to the Angela uranium project."
"We would like to believe it's objective information. We also consulted with some experts in the town that's not related to the project to give input into that document... it is out there for scrutiny. It's hard facts, not theory that we've put in there."
He says they're hoping to make people aware that Cameco is very responsible when it comes to environmental aspects of exploration and mining uranium.
"The company as well as the joint venture partners are committed to the fact that we won't develop the project or even consider it if we can't technically, for ourselves, prove that we won't impact on the town's water supply."