Beverley uranium mine breaches standards

Beverley uranium mine breaches standards

By David Noonan

Reports commissioned by the federal government on the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia reveal that the government does not have enough information to justify approval of the mine. The reports were prepared last year by April Lafferty of American Geosciences Inc.

Environment minister Robert Hill has been proved wrong in claiming that there is no environmental reason to prevent approval for the mine — the western world's first commercial sulphuric acid in-situ leach uranium mine. The environmental impact and associated risks cannot be properly assessed due to the paucity of information made available by General Atomics.

The Lafferty reports confirm that Australia's uranium mining standards are below those in the USA. Hill and SA resources minister Rob Kerin have breached US mining standards in allowing operation of the Beverley "trial" mine without first requiring adequate information from the proponent.

The report shows that the Beverley aquifer has not been adequately characterised by General Atomics. The available information does not substantiate General Atomics' claim that the aquifer is confined vertically and laterally. Lafferty states that near-surface aquifers could be contaminated.

Based on Lafferty's advice, Hill has had to order a halt to discharges of liquid wastes, including radioactive and heavy metal wastes, into the Beverley aquifer — a practice he permitted last year.

It is now more that 12 months since the Australian Conservation Foundation exposed the government's intention to allow ground water at Beverley to be polluted with mine waste. Hill has now had to order further studies and start to back-track on the government's flawed approvals.

From GLW issue 350