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Police investigate security breach at uranium mine
17-April-07 by AAP

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Security at BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine in South Australia is under investigation after stolen uranium samples were discovered in a camp kilometres away.

A box of uranium oxide samples was found last night at Olympic Dam Village, a construction camp serving the uranium mine in South Australia's far north, BHP Billiton said today.

The uranium samples had been taken out of the resource giant's special mining lease area.

Radiation measurements of the box confirmed levels near natural background and the uranium had not been enriched, a company spokeswoman said.

The material did not pose a public health risk.

The samples were being held in a secure location pending police forensic investigation.

Police will investigate the security breach and how the batch was transported to the village about five kilometres south of the mine.

Inspector Mark Syrus of Port Augusta police said he could not say who found the box or where it was located while inquiries were under way.

Police have visited the Roxby Downs township, about 500km north of Adelaide, where many of the mine's workers live, he said.

The security breach came to light after SA Premier Mike Rann yesterday started a national tour to convince the Labor Party to ditch its opposition to new uranium mines.

Mr Rann today told Adelaide radio that South Australia was the "Saudi Arabia of uranium".

SA Greens MP Mark Parnell said the security breach at Olympic Dam was frightening and highlighted the dangers of mining the controversial resource.

Mr Parnell said Mr Rann had eyes only for the profits an expansion of uranium mining could bring to the state and not security or health risks.

"It is frightening that a security breach like that could take place and it is ironic that it comes to light at the same time Mike Rann is out spruiking the benefits of uranium mining," Mr Parnell said.

"While Mike Rann is out being Lawrence of Arabia, our police are running around Roxby Downs looking for the culprit.

"If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable."

A spokesman for Mineral Resources Minister Paul Holloway said it was too early to comment on the security breach.

Olympic Dam has the largest known deposit of uranium in the world, exporting to countries including the United Kingdom, United States and Japan.