Beverley sets ugly precedent
Australias first acid-uranium mine breaches US standards

Senator Lyn Allison
Senator for Victoria
Australian Democrats spokesperson for Nuclear Issues

30/4/99





Todays decision by Federal Resources Minister, Nick Minchin, to give the green light to the Beverley uranium mine sets an ugly precedent, according to the Australian Democrats.

Democrats spokesperson on Nuclear Issues, Senator Lyn Allison, said Beverley would be Australias first acid-leach uranium mine and would signal the introduction of a highly controversial mining technique.

"The Minister has paved the way for a mining technique that has wreaked havoc elsewhere, especially in Eastern Europe. This is not something Australia should be encouraging," Senator Allison said.

Senator Allison said that in the Czech Republic the acid-leach mine at Straz Pod Ralsken has contaminated over 28 square kilometres and 200 billion litres of ground water. Similar problems have occurred in the former USSR, Bulgaria and Germany.

Senator Allison also noted that the Governments "cavalier" attitude toward environmental concerns at Beverley has resulted in weaker standards than those imposed on miners in the U.S.

"In the US no mining company would be allowed to conduct a trial mining without first providing adequate information on the project. Yet, in Australia, Heathgate Resources were allowed to conduct a year of trials at Beverley without first defining the perimeters of the local water table," she said.

"The U.S. has never allowed the use of acid-leaching in uranium mines on a commercial scale. Also, the same company operating in the US would not be allowed to reinject their radioactive acid liquid waste into local ground water, yet Heathgate are permitted to do this."

Senator Allison singled out the re-injection of radioactive waste into the Beverley aquifer as one of the most troubling aspects of the mine.

"Whilst the Government has pinned its approval on the independent report by American Geoscience, this very report said there was insufficient information to determine whether contamination of the Beverley aquifer would affect other ground water in the area.

"Only two weeks ago the Chair of the Great Artesian Basin Consultative Council admitted that there was no guarantee that Beverley would not contaminate the Great Artesian Basin."

Senator Allison put on the record that the proponent of Beverley, Heathgate Resources, is an Australian subsidiary of General Atomics one the U.S. Defence Departments biggest contractors and an international giant in the fields of nuclear energy and military technology. General Atomics developed the unmanned bombing aircraft used in the Gulf War.

"Ministers Minchin and Hill are prepared to fudge the science and allow the pollution of their own country so that a nuclear and military technology multinational giant can profit from Australian uranium.

"Their priorities are seriously askew," Senator Allison concluded.

1999 Australian Democrats