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Uranium mine in Australian national park is closed after uranium is detected in water supply

The Mirrar protest outside the Jabiluka mine, 1997.

25 March 2004 - DARWIN, Australia — A uranium mine in the middle of a pristine heritage-listed national park in northern Australia was temporarily shut down Wednesday after tests revealed increased levels of uranium in its water supply, the mine's operator announced.

ERA closed the Ranger mine in Kakadu National Park after the higher-than-usual levels were found late Tuesday in water used by mine staff for drinking and showering.

In a statement the company said, "Staff coming off the night shift noticed poor water quality while showering, and the water was tested and found to contain elevated levels of uranium and higher acidity."

ERA did not say what the uranium levels were but said, "A preliminary assessment shows no need for concern for the small number of staff involved, although the company will continue to monitor the health issue carefully."

ERA said it closed the mine and sent about 170 nonessential staff home as a precaution and shut down the drinking and washing water system. The mine would likely remain closed until Friday morning, said the company, which is investigating the problem.

Aboriginal owners of the mine site said they were concerned by the incident in the midst of the park, which gained fame as a backdrop for parts of Paul Hogan's Crocodile Dundee movie.

"The contamination is of great concern because of its possible implications for human health," the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation said in a statement. "While at present it appears that there is minimal radiological risk to workers, the question of chemical toxicity is of concern."

Kakadu is a vast expanse of wetlands and sandstone outcrops about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the northern port of Darwin that is home to wildlife including crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and birds. It is recognized as a World Heritage site for environmental and cultural reasons.

Source: Associated Press

Uranium drinkers say mine cut them loose

By Lindsay Murdoch, in Darwin

April 5, 2004 - Australia's biggest uranium miner has gone into damage control 12 days after workers drank large quantities of water containing 400 times the legal limit of uranium following a leak at the Ranger mine in Kakadu National Park.

Three of the men say they have been suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy and were forced to pay their own way to leave the Northern Territory to seek medical treatment in their home state.

The Ranger mine, a subsidiary of the British giant Rio Tinto, has now flown a doctor from England to examine 12 workers who drank or showered in water used for processing uranium ore.

But one of the workers, Paul McDonald, told the Herald the doctor had told him he "basically cannot let me know I will be OK. He really doesn't know himself".

The workers say that the mine owner, Energy Resources of Australia Ltd, initially refused to pay for their air fares home and had said any medical expenses would have to be channelled through their direct employer, Power Station and Marine Services.

However, ERA has now compensated one worker for his fare and a spokeswoman said yesterday that information, support and counselling, including specialist medical information, is being provided for affected workers.

Ben Newton, 28, who received $400 for his fare, said: "You can call it a bribe or whatever. But I can't just sit at home stewing. I have to get on with my life. And I don't want to be put on a work black list."

The ERA spokeswoman confirmed that the leak happened when a pipe containing contaminated water was wrongly fitted to a drinking water pipe.

The workers drank the tainted water nine hours after the leak of 150,000 litres of contaminated water at the mine. The mine managers had failed to tell the workers about the leak before they each drank three to four litres.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the leak that closed operations at the long-troubled mine, three of the workers said Ranger's only action in the days immediately afterwards was to send them off the site.

They say ERA failed in the days after the leak to provide them with basic information about the level of contamination or advice on what they should do.

"What has happened to us is disgusting," Mr McDonald said. "We are sick but trying to carry on with our lives. But the implications for our future health scares the living daylights out of me."

Michael Whiteman, 28, who has suffered a sore throat, headaches, diarrhoea and lethargy, said the hardest part was the stress of not knowing what will happen to his health.

"You feel like a weirdo going to a doctor saying I have drunk uranium. You can imagine what it is like. And none of the doctors can give us answers because as far as I am aware nobody in the world has drunk this much of the stuff before."

The ERA spokeswoman declined to comment on the men's claims, saying "we understand some people have sought legal advice" and that three inquiries were still underway.

ERA has said publicly that the leak occurred about 10.30pm on March 23. Later, staff coming off night shift had noticed poor water quality while showering, it said on March 24.

But Mr McDonald said that he and his workmates drank what they now know to be contaminated water at a drinking fountain inside the powerhouse during a break between 7.15am and 7.45am on March 24.

Mr McDonald said that soon after they had drunk the water Ranger called a meeting of workers and told them the mine was closing because of the leak.

"There is no doubt they knew about the contamination when we drank the water," he said. "We know that because ice machines had been emptied because we had been told they had been contaminated. But nobody told us the water had been contaminated before we drank from a fountain inside the powerhouse."

Mr McDonald said the first he and his workmates had learnt that the water was contaminated was when they read a report in a newspaper on March 25. "I felt a bit sick when I drank the water, which was an unusual whitish colour. But I put that down to the change of climate and the heat."

The men are waiting for blood and other medical tests.

"I have put aside any thought of compensation," said Mr McDonald, who was visited by an ERA representative at the weekend. "My main concern is my health . . . one doctor told me that obviously my kidneys would be affected. We are not cowboys. We have a brain and we know that this is serious."

Mr Whiteman said yesterday he still feels "shabby".

"I am aching and all I want to do is sleep. I couldn't get off the couch yesterday. I just want to know whether I am going to be healthy. I have had an offer of another job but first I need a clean bill of health."

The workers' revelations about the response of ERA may threaten the company's efforts to resume ore processing at the mine, which produces 10 per cent of the Western world's uranium.

Meanwhile, mining in Ranger's open pit resumed on Thursday after the Federal Government's supervising scientist, Arthur Johnston, said the nearly 200-strong workforce could return subject to safety measures.

But Dr Johnston said in a statement on April 1 that there were still a number of issues on which he needed to be satisfied before he could recommend the resumption of processing.

A Senate report last year found that the Ranger mine had had more than 110 leaks, spills and incidents since it opened in 1981.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Rio’s uranium contamination scare grows as indigenous group calls for regulatory overhaul

James Rose

14 April 2004 - The uranium contamination scare at Rio Tinto subsidiary Energy Resources Australia has intensified following allegations of more contaminations at the company’s Ranger uranium oxide mine in northern Australia.

Local indigenous people, the Mirrar, through their commercial entity, Gundjehmi Corporation, have decried the apparent lack of safety measures in the wake of TV reports apparently showing that contaminated machinery left the mine site to be used at a community development project. Reports also said that water potentially containing uranium was drunk by local aboriginal people whilst working for the government scientific authority.

These claims come within weeks of 24 ERA workers falling ill due to allegedly drinking and showering in water containing dangerous levels of radioactive materials. Both the workers and the local government authorities are considering legal action over this issue.

A media release from Gundjehmi characterised the current regulatory system as ‘Keystone Cops’. It called for a task force to be set up which would include local indigenous groups, ERA and the government to reassess the current regime. The group also criticised ERA for being too focused on getting the mine running again, rather than with alleviating concerns and taking appropriate safety steps.

ERA Chief Executive Harry Kenyon-Slaney said in a statement "I believe we have a responsibility to everyone who works at our operation and we will ensure that any relevant health needs of people affected by the incident will be adequately dealt with for as long as it is necessary. This will be managed as part of a wider review of the company's occupational health monitoring program over the coming months."

Source:Ethical Corporation World News

Call to prosecute uranium miner

Karen Michelmore

20 May 2004 - Mining giant Energy Resources of Australia should be prosecuted after drinking water at its controversial Ranger mine became contaminated with uranium, a Northern Territory Government report has found.

Mines and Energy Minister Kon Vatskalis said a report found the Rio Tinto company had breached NT legislation, and recommended prosecution.

The matter had been referred to the NT Department of Justice for advice, with a decision expected within weeks, he said.

"The department . . . identified breaches of regulation and recommended prosecution," Mr Vatskalis said.

"But at the same time before we proceed to prosecution we want to make sure that whatever we do is going to stick."

The Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development report also uncovered other problems such as "lack of duty of care", Mr Vatskalis said.

Twenty-eight workers at the mine, in Kakadu National Park, reported nausea, headaches and stomach cramps after drinking the contaminated water in March.

Some workers are considering legal action against ERA.

The mine's operations were shut down for two weeks after the site's water supply became polluted with uranium and other chemicals after processed water was mistakenly connected to the drinking water supply.

"I'm really surprised that a hose connected potable water to processed water without taking care to install backflow prevention valves," Mr Vatskalis said.

"It's such a fundamental mistake, such a stupid error, but it happened."

ERA would not comment on the report, other than to say it was co-operating with authorities.

"ERA will co-operate fully with the NT Government and the Commonwealth Government in any inquiries into this incident, as has occurred since it took place on March 23," an spokeswoman said.

Mr Vatskalis said the Commonwealth Government controlled the licence of the mine, but he did not know what, if anything, the Government planned to do.

He said the NT Government had upgraded its supervision of all mines after the incident.

The report has not been made public.

ERA shares fell 6¢ to $3.19 yesterday.

Inquiry into leak at uranium mine finds more problems: minister

By Lindsay Murdoch in Darwin

20 May 2004 - An investigation into a leak of uranium-contaminated water at the controversial Ranger mine in the Kakadu National Park has uncovered more breaches of regulations by its owner Energy Resources Australia, the Northern Territory Minister for Mines and Energy, Kon Vatskalis, said yesterday.

The Northern Territory Government viewed breaches of regulations at the mine "very seriously" and had recommended the first prosecution against ERA in the 23 years it has operated the mine in the world heritage listed park, he said.

"This is a serious incident. We have identified serious breaches of the legislation," Mr Vatskalis said. "I have put ERA on notice. I have put other mining companies in the Northern Territory on notice."

ERA has admitted that at least 26 workers became unwell after either drinking or showering in water containing 400 times the legal limit of uranium at the mine on March 24.

Doctors were unable to advise the workers on the long-term effects on their health because nobody in the world had ever before drunk such large amounts of uranium-contaminated water.

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The company indicated at the time that an erroneous connection of pipes caused the contamination of drinking water and the overflowing of a tank of contaminated water into a creek.

Mr Vatskalis said his department had identified "two or three" breaches of regulations other than the March leak. He said they related to housekeeping, training, supervision and taking insufficient care. He declined to give details.

Mr Vatskalis said he had asked the Department of Justice to act on the report urgently.

A company spokeswoman said it would "co-operate fully with the Northern Territory Government and the Commonwealth on any inquiries into this incident."

Source:Sydney Morning Herald

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