

MEDIA RELEASE

Senator Lyn Allison

Australian Democrats

Spokesperson on Nuclear Issues

April 30, 1999

99/232

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Beverley sets ugly precedent

Australia’s first acid-uranium mine breaches 
US standards

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Today’s decision by Federal Resources Minister, Nick Minc hin, 
to give the green light to the Beverley uranium mine sets an ugly precedent, 
according to the Australian Democrats.

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

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“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.

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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.

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Senator Allison also noted that the Government’s 
“cavalier” attitude toward environmental concerns at Beverley has 
resulted in weaker standards than those imposed on miners in the U.S.

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“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.

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“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.”

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

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“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.

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“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.”

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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 Department’s 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.

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“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.

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“Their priorities are seriously askew,” Senator 
Allison concluded.

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Contacts: Justin O’Brien on 0411 473 697, Senator 
Lyn Allison 015 691 512

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