Three Mine Policy

The Australian Three Mine Policy ( German: three uranium mines policy) was followed to limit uranium mining in Australia on three mines of the Australian Labor Party (ALP ) from 1984 to March 1996. After that there were different political points of view of the central ALP governments of Australia and in the Australian states.

Australia is the world's third largest exporter of uranium and on the Australian continent contains 31 % of known uranium deposits in the world.

History

Prehistory

1977 favored the ALP at its national conference infinitives a moratorium on uranium mining and export. In response, the anti-nuclear movement in Australia decided to support the ALP at the next statewide election. Another ALP conference decided to use a One Mine Policy ( German: A - uranium mining policy). At this time there was the uranium mines Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory and Nabarlek.

1980s

When the ALP national election under the leadership of Bob Hawke won in 1983, voted another ALP conference in 1984 for the Three Mile Policy. This decision allowed a uranium mining in the mine Olympic Dam. This also meant the continuation of existing mining contracts, but an opening of new uranium mines were excluded. After the exhaustion of uranium bearing of Nabarlek Uranium mining the Beverley Uranium mining took as a third uranium mine one instead.

1990s

The Three Mile Policy was terminated in 1996 because John Howard won the election and a Conservative government coalition of the Liberal Party and National Party came to power.

In a study commissioned by the Conservative government a uranium mining is approved in principle, provided geological and other conditions permit, reduce uranium by using the solution mining. Reference is made to successful tests of this method in the Australian uranium deposits of Beverley and Honeymoon in South Australia. Presented is also that this procedure is successfully practiced in the United States, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan since 1996 and that, in contrast to conventional mining methods have a much greater effect on the environment. The statement demanded that the solution mining not spoil the water and ground water for human consumption or may be radioactively contaminated. It should also be recorded no leakage of greenhouse gases according to the Kyoto Protocol on the use of uranium to produce energy.

The problem of solution mining is that even with currently successful mining all of the acid and the dissolved uranium can not be removed from the geological body. Why can with geological changes that destroy the Tonlagerschichten, radioactive and acid contaminated water leak or penetrate into the groundwater. In particular, this is problematic if the uranium mining takes place in the region of the Great Artesian Basin, the largest freshwater and drinking water resources of the earth.

The other one in the opposition ALP changed in the 1990s, its policy in the No New Mines Policy ( German: No - new - uranium mines ), which meant the preservation of uranium mining of the three -operated uranium mining works.

2000s

As of 2001, the fourth uranium mine, Beverley uranium mine was opened and the attack was approved in the Honeymoon uranium mine, it came shortly to a "Five Mine Policy" ( German: Five - uranium mines policy) until the Naralbek the degradation ceased.

2006: Beginning of the ALP under Kim Beazley a discussion on the departure from the Three Mine Policy. 2007 finished the new ALP government under Kevin Rudd this policy, which also earned him fierce international criticism.

2008, the Government of Western Australia lifted ban on uranium mining after the Liberal Party had won the election. 2009 allowed the Australian government, the opening of another Australian uranium mine in July 2009, the Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia. However, giving the local Aboriginal land rights to the reduction in non- free and a uranium mining was prevented.

2010s

In South Australia, the ruling ALP approved uranium mining in the Northern Territory Australian central government is the current (2011 ) is responsible for uranium mining in Western Australia and the conservative governing coalition. In Queensland, the ban on uranium mining is still maintained, although the trade unions called for a uranium mining on the grounds of job creation. In Tasmania, the government is against uranium mining.

2012, in Western Australia in the Lake Maitland uranium deposit, are in the Kintyre uranium deposit in 2014 and dismantled in the Centipede -Lake Way uranium deposit in the solution mining of uranium by state approval in 2013.