Senator Kerry Nettle

Senator for New South Wales



Ranger mine should stay closed forever:  Minister should revoke operating licence

Senator Kerry Nettle, 31st August 2004

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle today called on the Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane to  revoke the operating and export licence for Energy Resources Australia's Ranger  Uranium Mine in Kakadu, in the Northern Territory.

Senator Nettle's comments follow the release of the government's Supervising  Scientist's report into the contamination of water and vehicles at the Ranger uranium  mine tabled in the Senate last night.

"The government's supervising scientist clearly indicates the incompetence that ERA  has displayed in their operations at Ranger. The Minister should now take steps to  have the operator's licences revoked.

"The Minister is responsible for the Acts under which uranium mining occurs, the  Atomic Energy Act and the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations.

"This is just the latest in a list of over 120 publicly documented leaks, contaminations  and operating breaches at Ranger. Enough is enough the mine should be closed down.

"The Greens believe the Minister should close this mine for good. The environmental  threats and the health threats its continuing operations pose are too great to ignore.

"The report on the contamination incident is littered with examples of incompetent  safety procedures which beggar belief.

"The report tells us that the workers who were affected by the contamination need  ongo ing health checks as a result of their exposure, this fact alone should move the  Minister to take the strongest possible action against ERA.

"The Greens cite this incident as the latest example of the inherently damaging nature  of uranium mining which Australia should not support.

The Greens policy calls for an end to uranium mining and closure of Australia's only  nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney.



Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146

