Appendix 2.10

Appendix 2.10

INFRINGEMENTS OF THE NABARLEK URANIUM MINE ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

May 1979 Site visits by Soil Conservation officers satisfactorily resolve the matter of a complaint concerning incorrect procedures for stockpiling topsoil. Discussions on procedures were held with the company.
June 1979 The Northern Land Council (NLC) withdrew a permit for roadwork from an employee of Henry and Walker because it was not suitably endorsed for this work. The NLC reissued the permit after it had been endorsed correctly.
13 July 1979 16 mine workers commenced work without their TLD badges. Consequently radiation dose records were incomplete for that day.
October 1980 Three road permits expired, action advised to renew. Two contractors were absent from site without permits, both were dismissed.
November 1980 One contractor was off site without a permit, he was subsequently dismissed.
7 March 1981 Water flowed from the Restricted Release Zone (RRZ).
1 April 1982 Two leaking joints were discovered on a pipeline between the Waste Rock Runoff Pond and Evaporation Pond No 2 and repaired immediately. The quantity of runoff water estimated to have leaked was 40-80m3. The quality of the water was good and no environmental damage is considered to have resulted.
22, 26 July 1982 The pipeline returning water from the stockpile runoff pond to the mill ruptured along a weld seal. Less than 30m3 of water escaped from the RRZ. Nitrogen, sulfate, radium and manganese contents were within the limits of some local natural waters, other water quality parameters were within National Health and Medical Research Council drinking water standards. Following investigation, the supervising authorities concluded that no damage to the environment had occurred or was likely to occur.
4 March 1983 A small leak from a tailings line in the plant area was detected during routine surveillance and reported by the company. Less than 1m3 of tailings sprayed over the top of the retaining bund to a distance approximately 3 metres outside the RRZ. The leak appears to have been caused by gradual internal abrasion of a pipe at a defect point. The spilled tailings and contaminated earth were cleaned up. No significant damage to the environment or public health resulted.
17 November 1983 A split in a pipe from a stockpile runoff pond to the mill resulted in less than 500 litres of liquid being sprayed over the bund. The pipe was replaced.
27 March 1984 A small quantity of tailings in suspension (about 300 litres of liquor, 25% solid tails) sprayed from a pipeline outside the Nabarlek RRZ. The spill area of about 10m2 was cleaned up immediately and with associated soil removed to the tailings pit. The pipeline was repaired.
17 August 1985 As a result of a small split in a pipeline, about 5 kilos of tailings slurry was sprayed onto and over a bund outside the RRZ.
29 June 1988 A leak occurred from a process water pipeline, from which radium had been largely removed, allowing a small amount of treated process water to escape the RRZ and spray an area about 15m3.
3 August 1989 A break occurred in a T joint from the main irrigation plot 8. An estimated 10m3 of Evaporation Pond 2 water escaped the RRZ.

    OTHER INCIDENTS

1987 Early in 1987 tree death started in the area called the Forest Irrigation Area. Eventually the whole ten hectares of the irrigation area lost their trees. Whilst not certain, it appears that the tree death was due to the excess amounts of nitrogen (ammonia) applied to a soil regime more used to being leached of all nutrients. Ten hectares of dead trees was a significant impact on the environment but it has been a temporary impact. Successive wet seasons have leached the soil, seeds have been planted and new trees are growing. They are currently 2-3 metres in height.
31 August 1992 A bushfire damaged a number of buildings and destroyed eleven demountable buildings and an ablution block at the Nabarlek camp. There was no risk to the mine and mill complex which was approximately 1.5 kilometres from the fire. No one was injured and there was no possibility of the occurrence of a radiation hazard. This event did not constitute an infringement of the Nabarlek Authorisation or a breach of the Environmental Requirements.

Sources:

Office of the Supervising Scientist, Submission No. 85.

Office of the Supervising Scientist, Annual Reports 1978-79 to 1995-96.