Rum Jungle, Northern Territory

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The uranium deposit Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory, Australia was discovered in 1949. It is located 65 kilometers south of Darwin on the East Finniss River.

Original Uranium Mine

In 1952, the Australian Government funded the construction of a mine and associated processing plant for uranium oxide concentrate for the Combined Development Agency, a joint agency of the United States and Great Britain, to be made available. The contract for the supply of uranium existed from 1953 to 1962. IN this time was Rum Jungle, the largest industrial plant in the Northern Territory. The Australian government was, by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission ( AAEC ), responsible for the mine. The operations of the mine, however, was the Territory Enterprises Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group transferred. A city for the staff at about 8 kms south built in Batchelor.

Pollution and cleanup

When the mine closed in 1971, the AAEC decided - now named Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation ( ANSTO ), that the mine site should not be rehabilitated. The mining company Conzinc, part of the Rio Tinto Group and operates the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park, has repeatedly rejected any responsibility for the rehabilitation of itself. This meant that the disused mining one of the worst water polluters in Australia was. Due to the oxidation of sulfides caused by bacteria and the subsequent release of acids and heavy metals in the East River Finniss. The considerable rainfall of 1,500 mm per year, together with pyritic mineralization created ideal conditions for this process.

A first attempt to cleanup in Rum Jungle have been made in 1977. First, a working group was established to investigate the possibilities of sustainable redevelopment. A AU $ 16.2 million program was launched in 1983 to remove the heavy metals and to make tailings harmless.

One of the main problems in the rehabilitation of opencast mining of Rum Jungle Creek South ( RJCS ) was that, quickly filled the hole in the ground after the uranium mining was completed with water. This lake, the only waters in the area, which was not infested with crocodiles, was therefore quickly became a recreational area for both locals as well as for the residents of Darwin. Already after the mine was closed, they had increased gamma radiation, radioactive dust and significantly elevated radon levels detected in the air. But it was only in the late 1980s wrestled you look to change by something. The limits for radioactive radiation had been repeatedly adapted over time, so that the degree of pollution was the first time been officially classified as unsafe and a health hazard at this time. As a result, in 1990 a $ 1.8 million program was launched to rehabilitate the mine dumps at Rum Jungle Creek South.

One of the biggest environmental problems in uranium mining are the huge amounts of radioactive waste ( tailing ), which remain on the site of the mine. The largest proportion of radioactive elements represents uranium -238, an isotope with a half-life of 4.46 billion years dar. In 2003, the restructuring measures in 1990 was investigated by the government, it covers should prevent the tailings that the hazardous material is washed out by rain and enters the environment. However, it turned out that these measures actually meant for 100 years, fails after less than 20 years had. The Northern Territory and the Australian Government to argue about it since then who has to pay for the financing of the restructuring measures of the polluted East Finniss River. The pollution of groundwater has not yet been discussed.

Brown's Oxide Project

In December 2001, presented Compass Resources the request - after the EPBC Act by Environment Australia ( now the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities ) - on a large-scale mining project, the Browns Polymetallic Project, which over a period of 15 years lead, cobalt, copper, nickel and silver, should encourage Jungle mine near the old rum. In the 2001 proposal, Compass also made the suggestion that the Browns Polymetallic Project is a nuclear projects under the EPBC Act, on the basis that in this project, the renovation of the establishment of a former uranium mining could be included.

Compass Resources but ceased efforts to the application for the project in 2002 when the low commodity prices prompted a backer of Compass to retreat.

In 2005, Compass Resources presented a new request, this time on a much smaller reduction project, which was limited to the promotion of cobalt, nickel and copper. Due to the much lower financial framework of the Browns Oxide Project, the project could, without a partner, be carried out by Compass itself.

The Government of the Northern Territory has decided and determined that the Browns Oxide Project can be carried out without unacceptable consequence for the environment on the application.

Subject to the approval of the Australian Federal Government, the project will be launched in early 2007.