Nabarlek Uranium Mine

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The Nabarlek Uranium Mine is located approximately 250 km east of Darwin and 62 km north east of Jabiru in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia. The mining area is located in the water catchment area of ​​Buffalo and Coopers Ceek, which open into the East Alligator River. The uranium deposit was discovered in 1970 by the Queensland Mines Pty Ltd ( QML ), the reduction in 1989 and the mine in 1994/ 1995 ended decommissioned.

Policy

Uranium mining in the anti - nuclear movement in Australia and the population is controversial. 1978 allowed the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser by the conservative Liberal Party of uranium mining in Nabarlek. The Australian policy of uranium mining and exports has been altered in Australia. As of 1983, the so-called three - mines policy was ( Tree - mine policy ) after a change of government to the Australian Labor Party with the three uranium mines Nabarlek, Ranger Uranium Mine and Olympic Dam pursued. A new policy change took place after the national election in March 1996, then the possibility of foreign corporations to acquire ownership of uranium mines in Australia were relieved.

Aboriginal

The uranium mine is located in an area of Kunwinjku Aborigines on which Gabo Djang, the Green Ant Dreaming is ( the Dreamtime of the green ant ). The Aborigines believe that mining destroys the eggs of the green ant, and these releases, which then devour the earth.

During an ongoing application process for the acquisition of land rights by Aborigines, a Native Title, the QML took in June 1970 before drilling without proper permits. In response, the Aborigines complained to the competent authorities in 1972. The QML offered the Aboriginal purchasing land for AUD $ 5,000 in 1970 and in February 1974 AUD $ 3 million to. After this offering, QML developed a large media campaign. In August 1976, the Oenpelli Tribal Council, said: "If Oenpelli had the power to make the final decision, it would oppose mining. " ( German: "If Oenpelli had the power to a final decision, they would stop the mining. " )

Degradation and pollution of the biosphere

Despite the long-lasting and decisive resistance of the Aboriginal QML In 1978 the mining permit by the government. The mine took after 149 days of preparatory work in 1979 on the reduction. The Nabarlek - uranium deposits is relatively small, 10,858 to uranium oxides were obtained in 10 years degradation.

The ore of this deposit is highly radioactive and the workers wear protective clothing and had could not reside at some mining sites than an hour. In August 1980, the Waterside Workers Federation of Australia and to transport the Seaman Union of Australia, the Nabarlek yellowcake in March 1981 refused. In the same month, there was an incident involving radioactive water leakage, the contaminated terrain and the water drain. This incident came only a few months later to the public.

In the years 1994/1995 the mine was decommissioned and the site restored. In a statement the government was expressed: "It is quiet Believed to be a unique occurrence of uranium mining in the world. " ( German: "It is trotzallem believed that there is a unique secure uranium mine in the world. " ) In early in 2008 bought the Uranium Equities Limited ( UEL ) to the QML and developed plans for further exploitation entailed further rehabilitation work through to the surface and received the submission of a new mine plan another mining permit on May 28, 2008.