The Australian company that produces 10 per cent of the world's uranium is under increasing pressure by Aboriginal traditional owners to shut up shop.

The Mirarr people own the section of the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park that includes the Ranger uranium mine operated by Energy Resources of Australia.

Just days before ERA's annual general meeting, a scientist who used to work for the company says a threat of contaminated water leaking from Ranger into nearby waterways could keep the mine closed for the rest of this year.

Ranger has operated on a lease inside Kakadu for 30 years, but ERA suspended operations in January because a big wet season had swollen the mine's tailings dam to near capacity.

At a public forum in Darwin last night, the senior traditional owner of the mine site, Mirarr woman Yvonne Margarula, expressed her concerns about poor water management and potential downstream environmental damage if ERA continues mining at Ranger.

"We still say no - no more mining," she said.

Geoff Kyle, an industrial chemist who worked for ERA before being employed by the Mirarr people, told the forum there is no way the company will be able to safely treat the contaminated water stored at Ranger by the time the mining lease expires in 10 years.

"They have facilities to remediate water through chemical water processing, ends up with micro-filtration and osmosis, and it is top-shelf stuff, but it can only do a couple of megalitres a day - and they have got 10 gigalitres," he said.

"We are terrified that this is going to ruin our country."

ERA is due to make an announcement next week about whether the mining suspension will continue.

Mr Kyle believes the mine will remain closed well beyond three months.

"The facts are that the pit has already got a big mob of water in it and I can't see Ranger getting started again this year."

The traditional owners are repeating calls for Ranger to be shut down permanently in the lead up to ERA's annual general meeting next week.

They also oppose the company's plan to use an acid-leaching process to increase production and the construction of a new exploratory mine shaft.

Chief executive Rob Atkinson was not available for comment about the latest pressure or Ms Margarula's declaration that she wants the nearby Jabiluka uranium lease incorporated into Kakadu National Park.

But in an interview earlier this week he emphasised moves to improve the management of contaminated water at Ranger.

"I mean you go through a wet season like we have done - it does cause you to think, to assess, to work out how you can do things better, safer," he said.

Mr Atkinson is due to make an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange on Tuesday about whether the suspension of operations at Ranger will continue.