RANGER DANGER

Kakadu under threat 2009

In March 2009, Mines Minister Kon Vatskalis went so far as expressing concern at alarming revelations that 100,000 litres of contaminated water are leaking daily from the tailings dam at Ranger Uranium Mine in Kakadu National Park. The company, ERA, refused to take any specific action to halt the toxic plume, retrieve the contaminated water or make public their monitoring data.

But just a few weeks later ERA presented two applications for expansion at Ranger, including a new tunnel reaching under the Magela Creek and a second tailings dam.

These applications also propose ‘heap leaching’, a new and unproven method for processing the large stockpiles of low grade uranium ore. This plan has already been determined by the Federal Environment Department to have likely impacts on Kakadu’s World Heritage values, wetlands of international significance and threatened species.

Opponents of the mine have urged the Federal Environment Minister to not even consider these applications until the miner takes effective action to address their existing pollution problems.

Join us for 3 days of action

against uranium mining

Tues 9 June - 8:30am Protest at Ranger Mine in Kakadu National Park

to meet a busload of uranium mining representatives on a tour of the mine

Wed 10 June - 8am Protest - uranium conference at the Convention Centre

where Martin Fergusson, the Minister for Nuclear Dumps, is speaking

Thurs 11 June - 6pm Public Information Evening (venue TBA)

organised by the miners, who want to tell us how safe and clean it is

to get involved, contact justin@nonuk.es : 8985-4931 : 0424-028-741

In this photograph (NT News, 5th August 1998) Yvonne Margarula shares with Mr Peter Garrett the cultural significance of Mirrar land. He said “seeing this land shows the depth of the culture that goes straight to the heart of what Kakadu is all about.”

Yvonne Margarula,senior Mirrar Traditional Owner of the land on which the mine operates, responded furiously after ERA Chairman David Klinger told shareholders at the 2009 AGM he’d be ‘delighted’ to extend the company’s lease over the land.

“They said they were going to finish by 2026 and they were lying to us,” she said.

Peter Garrett came to the Top End in 1998, to help stop the Jabiluka uranium mine. This year, in his role as Federal Environment Minister, Mr Garrett has been asked to approve expansion of uranium mining in Kakadu.