Critics turn up heat on uranium miner

Environmental groups are warning Territorians to pay attention to a arrangement by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) to enlarge its uranium mine in Kakadu National Park. They say they suppose the ultimate goal of the company is still to mine Jabiluka.Jabiluka, also placed within Kakadu, is the world's largest known untrained uranium deposit. In the late 1990s, ERA won the right to mine the area. But the traditional owners, the Mirrar people, conflicting it and the mine shaft were filled in.

Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) spokesmen Dave Sweeney say ERA has its eyes on a larger prize than just increasing its existing Ranger Uranium Mine operations."It wants to stay energetic and in the region and have on people down, and wait for times to change," he said. The Mirrar citizens are foregoing billions of dollars in royalties by differing mining in Jabiluka, his says. The ACF says ERA should abandon expansion procedure at its Ranger Uranium Mine.

A original report prepared for the Federal Government shows climate change might damage mine infrastructure and pose challenge to its processing systems more than the next 60 years. Mr Sweeney says Ranger Uranium Mine's location within the borders of Kakadu National Park makes it too risky to expand."Environmentally, there will be enlarged water, increased storm events, increased surge activity," he said."It will be more not easy to manage water and waste in Kakadu."We have previously already seen it this wet season."We have seen it for years, real troubles with water and waste organization at the Ranger Uranium Mine."ERA says it incorporates climate modeling into its onward planning for the mine. If climate forecasts modify, it says it will adjust its plans accordingly.