From: Fisher, William Alford - FISWA001
[William.Fisher@postgrads.unisa.edu.au]
Sent: Thursday, 8 August 2002 1:00 AM
To: 'ecita.sen@aph.gov.au'
Cc: Fisher, William Alford - FISWA001
Subject: Submission: Enquiry into uranium mining regulation

Submission to the Senate Enquiry into the environmental regulation of uranium
mining:-

	The process whereby both federal & state governments enabled in situ
acid leaching at Beverley & Honeymoon in SA was fundamentally flawed.  It would
take far too long to detail all faults in the process, but the most glaring
ones were an EIS process which virtually excluded all stakeholders except the
governments & mining companies & the effective commencement of mining on a
"trial" basis before even this inadequate EIS process.  Little wonder then that
we now have these mines working by acid in situ leaching, a procedure so
environmentally dangerous it has never been permitted before outside the former
Soviet Union.  Little wonder that we have seen a succession of leaks, failure
to disclose these promptly & "investigations" so absurdly inadequate they
amount to a present-day "don't you worry about that".  The most recent such
"investigation" was 48 hours after the leak & seems to have been conducted by
people not properly qualified & with the wrong instruments for that
investigation.
	Government must ensure proper protection of groundwater.  I'm not
convinced by bland assurances that there is no danger to nearby aquifers.
Government must require rehabilitation of any groundwater contamination.
Clearly, reporting of leaks has been totally inadequate so far - the operation
of these mines needs close scrutiny.  Monitoring, reporting & regulation have
also been inadequate at Ranger mine in the NT.  Typically for the uranium
mining industry, "adverse incidents" have gone unreported sometimes for weeks
at Ranger.  Government attitudes to these matters suggest to me a reckless
disregard for the environment future generations will inherit.  The phasing out
of the Ranger mine & the incorporation of Jabiluka into Kakadu National Park
must be done with more scrutiny & environmental responsibililty than
governments & the mining industry have shown so far.

			-------------------------------------------------------
	

Submission from Bill Fisher
		11 Mackay Ave.
		North Plympton
		S.A.	5037
		Ph.:  (08) 83510157