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Contamination probe at outback uranium site

Posted 1 hour 20 minutes ago
Updated 19 minutes ago
Yellow footed rock wallby at Mt Gee

Alleged environmental contamination at a uranium deposit in outback SA is under investigation. The site is close to the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges. (Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary)

* Related Story: Another uranium mine plan advances

Alleged environmental contamination at the Mount Gee uranium deposit in the far north of South Australia is being investigated by the SA Government and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

Police have reported alleged contamination at drilling holes on the site.

Marathon Resources estimates there are about 43 million tonnes of uranium ore at Mount Gee and is making plans for underground mining to extract the ore.

If the Government and EPA find contamination at the site they can issue a clean-up order.

Marathon Resources is alleged to have wrongly disposed of resource samples at the site.

The company says it has launched an internal investigation.

It is alleged that plastic bags containing core samples were buried just below the surface. An excavator was used at the site today.

SA's acting Minister for Mineral Resources Development Michael Atkinson says the substances are not dangerous but the possible environmental breach warrants investigation.

"The agreed process is that it be given to an authorised waste disposal facility here in Adelaide, approved by the EPA," he said.

"But it's not just soil samples that we're talking about, we're talking about general corporate untidiness, that's the allegation."

Tags: emergency-incidents, environmental-health, sa, adelaide-5000