Garrett approves new SA uranium...

Garrett approves new SA uranium mine

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/14/2625626.htm

By environment reporter Shane McLeod and staff
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has given the go-ahead for the operation of a new uranium mine in South Australia.
Uranium will now be able to be extracted from the Four Mile mine, just a few kilometres from the mine at Beverley that Mr Garrett allowed to expand last year.
Mr Garrett says the decision to allow the mine to operate was a difficult one, and was only made after rigorous assessments.
He says two independent reviews were carried out and strict environmental monitoring will take place during extraction.
"As with all proposals examined under national environment law, this mine was subject to a comprehensive, scientifically robust and transparent assessment process," he said in a statement.
"Following this thorough assessment and careful consideration, I am certain this operation poses no credible risk to the environment."
Mr Garrett says waste from the mine will be processed at the existing Beverley mine, which is more than 500 kilometres north of Adelaide.
Identified just four years ago, the Four Mile uranium deposit in remote South Australia is the largest discovery in 25 years.
The deposit, containing a high ore grade, can now be mined using the controversial in situ leaching technique first applied at the Beverley mine.
In fact the new mine will effectively be a satellite of Beverley, sharing processing and waste facilities.

Surprising

The timing of the approval seems to have come as a surprise to the mine's owners, Alliance Resources and Quasar Resources, which is affiliated with Beverley's operator Heathgate.
They were not available for comment and are understood to be still seeking details of the conditions on the approval.
The Minerals Council's Mitch Hooke says the Minister's decision is a welcome boost for the industry.
"It's a decision based on sound science, full-blown environmental impact assessments and the Minister under the EPBC Act (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999), that's the federal legislation that's required to take uranium mining into account under the national significant issues," he said.
"And the decision is very welcome. It means that Australia is ramping up its production capacity to meet the burgeoning energy requirements for the rest of the world."
The South Australian Government has said the grade of uranium at Four Mile is expected to be 10 times higher than that found at the big Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in the state's north.
The mine has two mineralised areas, which vary from 140 to 220 metres in depth.
South Australia's Mineral Resources Development Minister, Paul Holloway, says the new mine will make a significant economic contribution to the state.
"The Beverley mine has nearly reached the end of its life. [Four Mile] will now continue the employment and also the payment of royalties to the Indigenous groups," he said.
A spokeswoman for Quasar says 130 jobs will be created during the mine's construction, with 180 full-time positions at Beverley to be transferred to the new site.
The mine is expected to be in full operation by 2010.
Garrett under fire
Meanwhile, the Federal Opposition's environment spokesman, Greg Hunt, says Mr Garrett is contradicting his own beliefs about uranium mining by approving the new mine.
When he approved Beverley's expansion nearly a year ago, Mr Garrett weathered criticism for that being at odds with his political past as an environmental campaigner and former Senate candidate for the Nuclear Disarmament Party.
Similar comparisons raised today drew a similar response from the minister.
"There will always be people who are jumping into these particular decisions and not taking account of the fact that some time ago I became a member of the Labor Party, then I stood for political office," Mr Garrett said.
"I'm now a Cabinet minister. The decisions that I'm taking are consistent with the policy that the Government took and continues to take to the people.
"I accept that some people won't think highly of decisions of this kind. They're opposed to that.
"My task and my role is to make sure as Environment Minister that I regulate any proposals of any kind, including of this kind, where there may be impacts on matters of national environment significance to the highest possible environmental standards.
"Now I've done that. I think I'm doing that job both properly and diligently, and I expect to be judged on that basis."