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Proposal to Extract, Process and Export Uranium from Jabiluka Orebody No

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Proposal to Extract, Process and Export Uranium from Jabiluka Orebody No fN fi muni H AU9917755 Environment Australia Environment Protection Group Environment Assessment Report PROPOSAL TO EXTRACT, PROCESS AND EXPORT URANIUM FROM JABILUKA OREBODY NO. 2: THE JABILUKA PROPOSAL Environment Assessment Branch August 1997 30-04 ABBREVIATIONS AEA Atomic Energy Act AE CGE model Access Economics computable general equilibrium model ALARA As Low As Reasonably Achievable APC Aboriginal Project Committee ARL Australian Radiation Laboratories ARR Alligator Rivers Region ATSIC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Board Kakadu Board of Management CAMBA China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement CRZ Catchment Runoff Zone CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Director Director of National Parks and Wildlife draft EIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement EIS Environmental Impact Statement EMP Environmental Management Plan EPIP Act Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 ER Environment Requirement ERA Energy Resources of Australia Ltd ERISS Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist final EIS draft EIS plus the Supplement FML Flexible Membrane Liner HDPE High Density Polyethylene Headlease Town lease between the Director and the JTDA ICRP International Commission on Radiological Protection JAMBA Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement JTDA Jabiru Town Development Authority KNP Kakadu National Park KRSIS Kakadu Region Social Impact Study NLC Northern Land Council NPWC Act National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 NT Northern Territory NTDLPE NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment NTDME NT Department of Mines and Energy OSS Office of the Supervising Scientist PMP Probable Maximum Precipitation RUEI Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry RWMS Ranger Water Management System SAG Study Advisory Group SCZ Sediment Control Zone TCZ Total Containment Zone U3O8 uranium oxide UMEC Act Uranium Mining (Environment Control) Act USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency WMS Water Management System The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessment Branch, August 1997 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 7 1.1 General , 7 1.2 Environmental Assessment 7 1.3 Jabiluka Assessment Process 8 1.4 Major Issues Raised from the Public Comment Period 10 2. BACKGROUND 11 2.1 History 11 2.2 Jabiru 12 2.3 The Role of the Supervising Scientist 14 2.4 The Kakadu Region Social Impact Study 15 3. NEED FOR THE PROJECT AND KEY ALTERNATIVES 1 6 3.1 Need for the Project 16 3.2 Key Alternatives 18 3.2.1 Project Alternatives 18 3.2.2 Transport Alternatives 22 3.2.3 Gold Extraction 23 4. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL 2 4 4.1 Overview 24 4.2 Construction 2 4 4.2.1 Construction Access 26 4.2.2 Ja Ja Camp 27 4.2.3 Jabiluka Site Construction 29 4.2.4 Construction Facilities 30 4.2.5 Construction Material 30 4.3 Jabiluka Surface Facilities 30 4.3.1 Stockpiles 30 4.3.2 Backfill Plant 31 4.3.3 Ventilation 32 4.3.4 Administration/Workshop 32 4.3.5 Water Supply , 32 4.3.6 Sewage Treatment 33 4.3.7 Fuel Storage and Demand 33 4.3.8 Explosive Storage and Handling 34 4.3.9 Power Supply 34 4.3.10 Fencing 34 The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessment Branch, August 1997 4.4 Mine Operation 34 4.4.1 Underground Mining Method 34 4.5 Jabiluka Water Management 36 4.5.1 Total Containment Zone 40 4.6 Ore Haulage to Ranger 4 1 4.7 Ranger Operations 4 2 4.7.1 Processing of Jabiluka Ore at Ranger 42 4.7.2 Tailings Disposal 43 4.7.3 Ranger Water Management 46 4.8 Transport 46 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 4 8 5.1 Introduction 4 8 5.2 Regional Setting 4 8 5.3 Climate 48 5.4 Geology 50 5.5 Soils 5 0 5.6 Hydrology/Hydrogeology 51 5.7 Water Quality 5 2 5.8 Fauna/Flora/Ecology 5 3 5.9 Natural and Cultural Values 5 5 5.10 Park Management 5 7 5.11 Demography * 5 8 5.12 Social Background 5 8 5.12.1 Site Cultural Values 58 5.13 Traditional Owners and the Aboriginal Community 60 5.14 Jabiru Township - Broader Community 61 5.15 Baseline Studies 62 5.15.1 Introduction 62 5.15.2 Water quality and hydrology for the Swift Creek catchment and part of the Magela creek catchment 63 5.15.3 Air Quality 66 5.15.4 Flora and Fauna 66 5.15.5 Soils 66 5.15.6 Hydrogeology 67 5.15.7 Archaeology and European Heritage 67 5.15.8 Cultural Heritage 68 5.15.9 Social Baseline - Aboriginal Community 68 The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment assessment Branch, August 1997 5.15.10 Baseline - Summary 68 6. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND SAFEGUARDS TO MINIMISE IMPACTS 70 6.1 Water Quality 7 0 6.1.1 Introduction 70 6.1.2 Sedimentation/Turbidity 72 6.1.3 Untreated Sewage Effluent 73 6.1.4 Toxic Water Storage and Discharge 75 6.1.5 Retention pond toxicity 77 6.1.6 Water Quality Monitoring 78 6.2 Water Quantity 7 9 6.2.1 Water Table Impacts 79 6.2.2 Water Supply 81 6.2.3 Failure of Total Containment Zone 81 6.3 Transport Issues 82 6.3.1 Construction Access Road 82 6.3.2 Haul Road Construction and Use 83 6.3.3 Product Transport and Acid Transport. 87 6.4 Radiation Impacts 88 6.4.1 General . 88 6.4.2 Occupational Radiation Exposure of Mine Workers 90 6.4.3 Environmental and Public Radiation Exposure 93 6.5 Impacts Upon the Ranger Mine Site 96 6.5.1 Extended Use of Ranger Site 96 6.5.2 Tailings Deposition Impacts - Ranger 97 6.6 Flora and Fauna 102 6.6.1 Flora 102 6.6.2 Fauna 104 6.6.3 Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance 106 6.6.4 Insect Disease Vectors 107 6.7 Social and Cultural Impacts 108 6.7.1 Impacts on Town of Jabiru 110 6.7.2 Impacts upon Cultural Heritage 111 6.7.3 Social Impacts 113 6.8 Ja Ja Camp 119 6.9 Dust/Noise/Vibration 120 6.10 Visual * 122 6.11 Rehabilitation 122 6.12 Heritage Impacts 124 6.13 Wilderness Values 125 7. CONCLUSION 128 The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessment Branch, August 1997 References Appendix A Mechanisms of the Supervising Scientist to ensure adequate protection at the Ranger mine Appendix B Proposed baseline environmental studies Appendix C World Heritage Criteria Appendix D Water quality monitoring in the Alligator Rivers Region TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 Regional setting of the Jabiluka Project Figure 2 Surface facilities Figure 3 Site location showing Ja Ja Camp in relation to the mine Figure 4 Subsurface Geology Figure 5 Jabiluka underground mine—Longitudinal section looking south Figure 6 Jabiluka water management plan layout Figure 7 Tailings storage at Ranger (with and without Jabiluka tailings) Figure 8 The Alligator Rivers Region Figure 9 Jabiluka wilderness quality TABLES Table 1 Alternatives to the Jabiluka development The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessment Branch, August 1997 i. Introduction 1.1 General This report assesses the environmental impact of a proposal by Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) to establish an underground uranium mine with associated infrastructure at the Jabiluka Prospect, approximately 20 km north of Jabiru in the Northern Territory (NT)(Figure 1). In accordance with the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 (EPEP Act) the Minister for Resources and Energy designated ERA as proponent in relation to prospective decisions to grant approvals for uranium exports from the Jabiluka mine under Regulation 11 of the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations. The report reviews the draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft EIS), public comments on the draft EIS, and the proponent's responses to these comments in the Supplement to the draft EIS (the draft EIS plus the Supplement constitutes the final EIS). It also relies on information, comments and advice provided by areas within Environment Australia, other relevant Commonwealth agencies, Northern Territory Department of Lands, Planning and Environment (NTDLPE) (through the joint assessment process) and previous studies undertaken in the region. 1.2 Environmental Assessment Environmental impact assessment is predicated on defining adequately those elements of the environment that may be affected by a proposed development, and on identifying the significance, risks and consequences of the potential impacts of the proposal at a local, regional and national level. The final EIS provides a description of the existing environment in the area and the proposed operations and evaluates the environmental impacts and proposed mitigating measures to minimise the expected impacts. This report will assess the adequacy of the final EIS in achieving the above objectives, and will evaluate the undertakings and environmental safeguards proposed by the proponent to mitigate the potential impacts. Further safeguards may be recommended as appropriate. The contents of this report form the basis of advice to the Minister for the Environment on the environmental issues associated with the project. The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessment Branch, August 1997 8 V ARAFURA SEA Figure 1 1 TBNNANT CREEK REGIONAL SETTING j**^ ° 30 100 to* Figure 1: Regional setting of the Jabiluka project. 1.3 Jabiluka Assessment Process Environmental assessment was conducted under a formal joint assessment agreement between the NTDLPE and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories. The Jabiluka Proposal—Environment Assessment Report Environment Assessir.eiv i: ranch, August 1997 The Jabiluka proposal requires a decision under the Commonwealth Government's export licensing legislation. On this basis, and in view of the project's environmental significance, the proposal comes within the provisions of the Commonwealth's EPIP Act. The proposal is also subject to NT impact assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act 1982.
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