Thursday, May 4, 2000

Ranger mine leak a secret for weeks By ANDREW CLENNELL in Canberra

The Federal Government has been embarrassed by the leak of a contaminant from the Ranger uranium mine into Kakadu wetlands which was kept secret for more than three weeks.

Energy Resources Australia waited until Tuesday night to report the leak of manganese, which was discovered on April 5, to the Australian Stock Exchange.

This delay meant the leak was not public knowledge when the Federal Government reported to the United Nations on April 15 on the sensitive subject of Ranger's successor, Jabiluka.

But the Government is refusing to prosecute the mine's owner. The Resources Minister, Senator Minchin, told ABC's PM program last night that it was a "good corporate citizen".

He said his department had been notified of the leak into wetlands from a pipe carrying tailings water to the mill at the Ranger Mine on April 28.

Senator Minchin condemned mine owners for the delay in reporting but when asked about prosecutions said he did not see "any need to go down that path".

ERA's parent company, North Ltd, released a statement on Tuesday, admitting that "the period during which the leakage occurred before formal reporting to appropriate authorities .... [was] unacceptable".

The Environment Minister, Senator Hill, handed in his progress report on Jabiluka to the United Nations's World Heritage Bureau on April 15, 10 days after the leak was discovered.

That report was commissioned last year when the World Heritage Committee decided not to list Kakadu National Park as "world heritage in danger".

A North spokesman, Mr Chris Oldfield, denied that "external factors" - such as publicity around April 5 about environmental concerns about a Jabiluka retention pond or the reporting date - was behind the delay.

"You're inferring we sat on the information intentionally because there were external things happening, and that's not true," he said..

"The reason this was not notified to the Government was a mistake on our behalf, and we have said that."

The "mistake", Mr Oldfield said, was because the company was not aware of the full detail of new environmental reporting requirements introduced in Federal legislation earlier this year.

Both Mr Oldfield and Senator Hill's office said the leak has caused no environmental damage.

"In terms of [the company] reporting it, the [Commonwealth's] supervising scientist has expressed his concern - we share his concern," a spokesman for Senator Hill said yesterday.

"In terms of that affecting our report, the report doesn't get discussed [by the UN] until July, so the company's got nothing to gain from not telling the Government prior to April 15."

The latest incident has highlighted a regulation system which relies on the mine owner to monitor and the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy to assess samples.

The Opposition environment spokesman, Mr Nick Bolkus, said yesterday the Government "must investigate and prosecute ERA for this breach of their environmental obligations".

The Australian Conservation Foundation said it was one of about 100 leaks or incidents in the mine's history.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/0005/04/national/national03.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 03, 2000

Answers

What is the UN doing in a "local" mess of soverign country?

"world heritage in danger"

Did you know that many of US's national parks are "world heritage" parks, including the Liberty Bell! Look for a small plaque on the wall, the next time you visit.

I want to know what this is all about! It is our (USofA) heritage not some collectible for the UN.

Take a little bit at a time and you'll never get caught.

-- Deeply Worried (pee@ewe.net), May 03, 2000.