Uranium Mining in Australia
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In Situ Leach (ISL) Mining of Uranium
In Situ Leach (ISL) Mining of Uranium (June 2009) l Most uranium mining in the USA and Kazakhstan is now by in situ leach methods, also known as in situ recovery (ISR). l In USA ISL is seen as the most cost effective and environmentally acceptable method of mining, and Australian experience supports this. l Australia's first ISL uranium mine is Beverley, which started operation late in 2000. The proposal for Honeymoon has government approval and it is expected to be operating in 2008. Conventional mining involves removing mineralised rock (ore) from the ground, breaking it up and treating it to remove the minerals being sought. In situ leaching (ISL), also known as solution mining, or in situ recovery (ISR) in North America, involves leaving the ore where it is in the ground, and recovering the minerals from it by dissolving them and pumping the pregnant solution to the surface where the minerals can be recovered. Consequently there is little surface disturbance and no tailings or waste rock generated. However, the orebody needs to be permeable to the liquids used, and located so that they do not contaminate ground water away from the orebody. Uranium ISL uses the native groundwater in the orebody which is fortified with a complexing agent and in most cases an oxidant. It is then pumped through the underground orebody to recover the minerals in it by leaching. Once the pregnant solution is returned to the surface, the uranium is recovered in much the same way as in any other uranium plant (mill). In Australian ISL mines (Beverley and the soon to be opened Honeymoon Mine) the oxidant used is hydrogen peroxide and the complexing agent sulfuric acid. -
About Uranium Mining in South Australia Foreword
The Facts about uranium mining in South Australia Foreword South Australia has been a major producer of uranium since 1988. We are proud of our track record and our global reputation for excellence. The South Australian Government thoroughly To achieve that aim we need to challenge assess mining lease proposals, and through the perceptions of unacceptable hazards stringent conditions, rigorously upholds the associated with the uranium industry. Risks highest standards for monitoring and safety. associated with nuclear energy are judged harsher than competing energy sources. The enduring strength of this State’s leadership in uranium mining is an insistence Access to information and education is on world’s best practice for managing our the key to challenging these perceptions. resources. Uranium – The Facts is just that, the facts that should be the basis for any informed debate Our global reputation enables us to attract about uranium and South Australia’s current the world’s leading uranium miners and role in the global nuclear fuel cycle. lead the country in annual production. Uranium produced in South Australia is equivalent to delivering CO2-free power to 20 million people. Yet with more than 80% of Australia’s total Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP, uranium resource, there remains considerable Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy scope to expand. It’s not enough that we produce exports from the world’s largest uranium deposit at Olympic Dam, we want to unlock the full potential of all South Australia’s uranium assets. How we regulate The Foreign Investment Review The Australian regulatory framework Board examines foreign investment for the uranium industry is widely proposals to ensure the investment is recognised as world’s best practice. -
Arkaroola Protection Area: a Field Guide to Selected Geological Features
Arkaroola Protection Area: A field guide to selected geological features Graeme L. Worboys and Stephen B. Hore arkaroola.com.au environment.sa.gov.au Citation: Worboys, G. L. and Hore, S.B. (2013) Arkaroola Protection Area: A field guide to selected geological features. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Adelaide. Copyright: © This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised without the express permission of the authors. Acknowledgements: Many individuals and organisations contributed to the development of this Field Guide. The text has been sourced predominantly from the Arkaroola National Heritage Listing nomination jointly submitted to the Australian Government by the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and Margaret and Douglas Sprigg of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Appreciation is expressed for the use of this material. The Field Guide also sourced technical geological quotes from a 2004 field guide developed by John Drexel and Stephen Hore and appreciation is extended for the use of this material. Thanks are particularly extended to Margaret and Douglas Sprigg, Lorraine Edmunds and Dennis Walter of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary; Jason Irving of the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; Tim Baker of the Geological Survey of South Australia; the Geological Society of Australia (South Australia Division); Jim Gehling and Joël Brugger of the South Australian Museum; the University of Adelaide; Malcolm William Wallace of the University of Melbourne; Malcolm Walter of the University of New South Wales; Narelle Neumann of Geoscience Australia; and Paul O’Brien of Helivista Helicopters (South Australia) for their assistance in the development of this material. -
4 Pages on U Mining by End of October, See Pol D
URANIUM MINING IN AUSTRALIA Friends of the Earth, Australia foe.org.au/anti-nuclear January 2013 With Australia holding 30-40% of the world's uranium mining was overturned in 2012. In WA, known conventional uranium reserves, the the Liberal government supports uranium mining uranium mining industry hopes to significantly but the Labor opposition opposes any new increase production. However the Coalition uranium mines (but might permit mines that have government, in power from 1996-2007, succeeded received prior approvals). In NSW, the Liberal in establishing only one new mine. The Beverley government supports uranium exploration but has mine in South Australia began commercial not (yet) moved to permit uranium mining. production in 2001. The tiny Honeymoon mine in SA began production in 2011 but in May 2012 joint A 2003 report by a federal Senate References and venture partner Mitsui announced that it was Legislation Committee found "a pattern of under- withdrawing from the Honeymoon project as it performance and non-compliance" in the uranium "could not foresee sufficient economic return from mining industry. It identified many gaps in the project." knowledge and found an absence of reliable data on which to measure the extent of contamination As at January 2013, there is bipartisan support for from the uranium mining industry, and it uranium mining at the federal level and in SA and concluded that changes were necessary "in order the NT. In Queensland, a long-standing ban on to protect the environment and its inhabitants from serious or irreversible damage". The history of secret nuclear weapons research, and committee concluded "that short-term states stockpiling 'civil' plutonium. -
Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE ON STATE DEVELOPMENT Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 Report 46 March 2020 www.parliament.nsw.gov.au LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Standing Committee on State Development Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 Ordered to be printed 4 March 2020 according to Standing Order 231 Report 46 - March 2020 i LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 New South Wales Parliamentary Library cataloguing-in-publication data: New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. Standing Committee on State Development. Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 / Standing Committee on State Development. [Sydney, N.S.W.] : the Committee, 2020. – [xiv, 150] pages ; 30 cm. (Report no. 46 / Standing Committee on State Development) Chair: Hon. Taylor Martin, MLC. “March 2020” ISBN 9781920788599 1. New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council—Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2018. 2. Uranium mines and mining—Law and legislation—New South Wales. 3. Nuclear industry—Law and legislation—New South Wales. 4. Nuclear energy—Law and legislation—New South Wales. I. Martin, Taylor. II. Title. III. Series: New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. Standing Committee on State Development. Report ; no. 46 622.349 (DDC22) ii Report 46 - March 2020 STANDING COMMITTEE ON STATE DEVELOPMENT Table of contents Terms of reference vi Committee details vii Chair’s foreword -
Governing Uranium in Australia
A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Vestergaard, Cindy Research Report Governing uranium in Australia DIIS Report, No. 2015:11 Provided in Cooperation with: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Copenhagen Suggested Citation: Vestergaard, Cindy (2015) : Governing uranium in Australia, DIIS Report, No. 2015:11, ISBN 978-87-7605-762-6, Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Copenhagen This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/144725 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. -
Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining
Nuclear Development 2014 Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining Managing Environmental Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining NEA Nuclear Development Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining © OECD 2014 NEA No. 7062 NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 34 democracies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments and concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an ageing population. The Organisation provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Commission takes part in the work of the OECD. OECD Publishing disseminates widely the results of the Organisation’s statistics gathering and research on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the conventions, guidelines and standards agreed by its members. This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member countries. -
Seeking a Balance Conservation and Resource Use in the Northern Flinders Ranges
Seeking a Balance Conservation and resource use in the Northern Flinders Ranges Government of South Australia Protecting the values of the Northern Flinders Ranges The Flinders Ranges has some of the most recognisable and loved landscapes in South Australia, with outstanding environmental, cultural, and tourism values. The Northern Flinders Ranges is also one of the most geologically diverse and prospective areas in Australia, with a long history of exploration and mining and potential mineral and energy resources of national and international significance. The concentration of all of these values in one region is unique. Making decisions requires care to ensure that there is a balance between conservation and resource use. The State’s Development Plan for the Flinders Ranges (Land not within a Council Area (Flinders)), established under the Development Act 1993, was last consolidated in 2003. Much of the Northern Flinders Ranges lies within the Development Plan’s Environmental Class A Zone. The prime objectives of the Environmental Class A Zone seek to conserve the natural character and environment of the area and to protect the landscape from damage by mining operations and exploring for new resources. Reflecting these objectives, Government already places strict conditions and regulatory controls on mineral and energy exploration and on proposed mining activities in the region. Given the unique values of the region, the South Australian Government recognises the need to further refine the existing management and regulatory framework for ongoing resource activities. In doing this, the key environmental values of the region will be protected, and there will also be greater certainty for exploration and mining companies, landowners, traditional owners and the community. -
AUSTRALIA's Identified Mineral Resources 2009
AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES 2009 AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES 2009 Australian Government Geoscience Australia Resources, Energy and Tourism Portfolio Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism: The Hon. the Hon Martin Ferguson AM, MP Geoscience Australia Chief Executive Officer: Dr Neil Williams © Commonwealth of Australia, 2008 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealings for the purposes of study, research, criticism, or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Copyright is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer, Geoscience Australia. Requests and enquiries should be directed to the Chief Executive Officer, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra ACT 2601. ABN: 80 091 799 039. Geoscience Australia has tried to make the information in this product as accurate as possible. However, it does not guarantee that the information is totally accurate or complete. Therefore, you should not rely solely on this information when making a commercial decision. ISSN 1327-1466 Bibliographic reference: Geoscience Australia 2009. Australia’s Identified Mineral Resources 2009. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. FRONT COVER: Iron ore loading at Cape Lambert port facilities, Western Australia (Rio Tinto Iron Ore). DESI GN AND LAYOUT: Henry Pippan, Geoscience Australia AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES 2009 Foreword Geoscience Australia provides important information on Australia’s future mineral production capacity. Australia’s Identified Mineral Resources is an annual nation-wide assessment which takes a long term view of what is potentially economic. Data on mining company estimates of ore reserves, which are generally based on short to medium-term commercial considerations, are included for comparison. -
Review of Environmental Impacts of the Acid In-Situ Leach Uranium Mining Process
Review of Environmental Impacts of the Acid In-situ Leach Uranium Mining Process Graham Taylor1, Vic Farrington2, Peter Woods2, Robert Ring3 and Robert Molloy1 1CSIRO Land and Water, 2Parsons Brinckerhoff and 3ANSTO CSIRO Land and Water Client Report August 2004 Important Disclaimer: The sole purpose of this document and associated services performed by CSIRO is to provide scientific knowledge to the South Australian Government. Work has been carried out in accordance with the scope of services identified in the agreement dated 22 October 2003, between South Australian Government through the EPA (‘the Client’) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). This document provides a review of environmental impacts of the in-situ acid leach uranium mining process. The material presented in this document has been derived from information supplied to CSIRO by the Client and from consultation with stakeholders and research conducted by CSIRO and other agencies and consultants. The passage of time, manifestation of latent conditions or impact of future events may require further exploration and re-evaluation of the findings, observations, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this document. This document has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of the Client, and is subject to and issued in conjunction with the provisions of the agreement between CSIRO and the Client. CSIRO accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this document by any third party. Cover Photograph: Description: Well field at the Beverley ISL Uranium Mine operated by Heathgate Resources, South Australia, December 2003. -
Beverly Uranium Mine and Adelaide, South Australia
D19/33142 Uranium Mining and Nuclear Facilities (Prohibitions) Repeal Bill 2019 Site visit report Beverley Uranium Mine, and Adelaide, South Australia 14 and 15 August 2019 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Site visit to Beverley Uranium Mine On Wednesday 14 August 2019, the Standing Committee on State Development (the committee) visited Beverley Uranium Mine (hereafter 'Beverley') in South Australia, accompanied by the following government officials from the South Australian government agencies: • Mr Lachlan Pontifex, Director, Resource Policy and Engagement, Department for Energy and Mining • Mr Greg Marshall, Director Mining Regulation, Department for Energy and Mining, and • Mr Keith Baldry, Director Science and Radiation, Environment Protection Authority. The site visit included a briefing, a working lunch and a tour of Beverley. The following organisation representatives were also presented during the visit: • Dr Andrea Marsland-Smith, Head of Operations, Heathgate • Mr Stephen Halliday, Head of External Relations & Public Affairs, Heathgate • Ms Kathryn Levingstone, Regulatory & Compliance Superintendent , Heathgate • Ms Rebecca Knol, CEO, South Australia Chamber of Mines & Energy, and • Dr Ben Heard, Director, Bright New World. A briefing was conducted by Dr Marsland-Smith, Ms Levingstone and Dr Heard and covered information that ranged from Beverley's business profile and its mining operation and practices, to nuclear as a source of power supply. Dr Marsland-Smith and Ms Levingstone on Beverley's business profile and its mining operation and practices Beverley is owned by Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of a global company "General Atomics" that also invests in other high-tech systems such as aircrafts for defence and drones.1 Beverley uses in-situ recovery (ISR), an underground mining method, to recover uranium. -
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series in Situ Leach Uranium Mining: an Overview of Operations
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NF-T-1.4 Basic In Situ Leach Principles Uranium Mining: An Overview Objectives of Operations Guides Technical Reports INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA ISBN 978–92–0–102716–0 ISSN 1995–7807 @ IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES PUBLICATIONS STRUCTURE OF THE IAEA NUCLEAR ENERGY SERIES Under the terms of Articles III.A and VIII.C of its Statute, the IAEA is authorized to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. The publications in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series provide information in the areas of nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and decommissioning, and on general issues that are relevant to all of the above mentioned areas. The structure of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series comprises three levels: 1 — Basic Principles and Objectives; 2 — Guides; and 3 — Technical Reports. The Nuclear Energy Basic Principles publication describes the rationale and vision for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nuclear Energy Series Objectives publications explain the expectations to be met in various areas at different stages of implementation. Nuclear Energy Series Guides provide high level guidance on how to achieve the objectives related to the various topics and areas involving the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nuclear Energy Series Technical Reports provide additional, more detailed information on activities related to the various areas dealt with in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series. The IAEA Nuclear Energy Series publications are coded as follows: NG — general; NP — nuclear power; NF — nuclear fuel; NW — radioactive waste management and decommissioning. In addition, the publications are available in English on the IAEA Internet site: http://www.iaea.org/Publications/index.html For further information, please contact the IAEA at PO Box 100, Vienna International Centre, 1400 Vienna, Austria.