12 December 2013

Update on leach tank incident at Ranger mine

Energy Resources of Australia will host regulators and key stakeholders at Ranger mine this morning for a scheduled inspection of the site.

The visit will include an inspection of clean-up operations following the failure of a leach tank on Saturday 7 December 2013.

Chief Executive Andrea Sutton said ERA is committed to working closely with stakeholders and facilitating access to Ranger operations.

"We will continue to work closely with key stakeholders, including the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (GAC), which represents the Mirarr Traditional Owners," Ms Sutton said.

"Clean-up operations at Ranger are well-advanced and monitoring confirms the site is safe for visiting stakeholders and employees."

Routine periodic inspections of Ranger mine are held monthly and involve representatives from the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy, the Office of the Supervising Scientist, the Northern Land Council and the GAC.

The inspections form just one part of a comprehensive regulatory regime which examines the impact of uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region.

ERA reports to three separate committees which between them oversee the technical aspects of environmental matters relating to Ranger, any potential effects of uranium mining on the environment and the nature and extent of research being undertaken to protect and restore the environment in the Alligator Rivers Region.

General Manager Operations Tim Eckersley said ERA is working closely with the Government taskforce set up to oversee the regulatory response to the leach tank incident.

The taskforce consists of the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy, Northern Territory WorkSafe, the Supervising Scientist and the Department of Industry.

ERA is providing information and fact sheets to employees and the community, including Indigenous communities. These can be found on ERA's website, http://www.energyres.com.au/media/38_media_releases.asp.



Update on leach tank incident at Ranger mine [PDF: 304 KB]

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