Potential uranium port sparks fears for Barrier Reef
By environment reporter Sarah Clarke, ABCUpdated April 22, 2013, 9:41 pm
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The United Nations’ world heritage advisory body has expressed serious concerns with the Queensland Government’s potential plans to export uranium across the Great Barrier Reef.
Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps says once the uranium industry becomes commercially viable, a case would have to be made to have a licensed port off the east coast, and he has not ruled out Townsville.
“In the event that we are making commercially viable volumes of uranium that are being produced that result in the demand for more uranium to be exported, a case would have to be made for the costs of licensing a new port in Queensland,” he said.
Adelaide and Darwin are the only licensed uranium ports now.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke says he would consider an application for an east coast port.
“It wouldn’t just be considered – there would have to be full assessments of it,” he said.
“It’s one where there’s no way I could imagine a delegate dealing with it – it would be one that would be dealt with personally by any minister.”
Tim Badman from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which advises the UN’s world heritage committee, has told the ABC this would be a “new threat to the Great Barrier Reef” and a “surprising activity to find in any natural world heritage site”.
Russell Reichelt from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority agrees it would be a concern.
“I think shipping of any toxic cargo would be of concern,” he said.
“But really we would have to see a proposal and we would have to consider that.
“It would be considered first under national environment law by the federal minister. So I would be waiting to see what is proposed.”
The Ben Lomond Uranium mine is located 50 kilometres west of Townsville.
It is currently dormant, but with the Queensland Government lifting its 30-year ban on uranium mining the company Mega Uranium, which owns the mine, is undertaking studies on how best to extract.
That has some residents, including David Sewell, concerned.
Mr Sewell lived near the mine when it last operated and he recalls a spill in 1981 when an overflow from the mine’s tailings dam leaked what was described as “unacceptable levels of radioactivity” into a tributary that feeds into the region’s largest river.
“Toxic waste that flowed into one of the creeks that feed into the Burdekin,” he said.
“Now that particular creek was only 40 kilometres upstream from where the town drew its water supply.”
UNESCO is currently considering if it will place the reef on the “in danger” list.
It will meet in June, and says the potential export of uranium through the reef must now be considered in that response.
By environment reporter Sarah Clarke, ABCUpdated April 22, 2013, 9:41 pm
tweet1
Email
Print
The United Nations’ world heritage advisory body has expressed serious concerns with the Queensland Government’s potential plans to export uranium across the Great Barrier Reef.
Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps says once the uranium industry becomes commercially viable, a case would have to be made to have a licensed port off the east coast, and he has not ruled out Townsville.
“In the event that we are making commercially viable volumes of uranium that are being produced that result in the demand for more uranium to be exported, a case would have to be made for the costs of licensing a new port in Queensland,” he said.
Adelaide and Darwin are the only licensed uranium ports now.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke says he would consider an application for an east coast port.
“It wouldn’t just be considered – there would have to be full assessments of it,” he said.
“It’s one where there’s no way I could imagine a delegate dealing with it – it would be one that would be dealt with personally by any minister.”
Tim Badman from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which advises the UN’s world heritage committee, has told the ABC this would be a “new threat to the Great Barrier Reef” and a “surprising activity to find in any natural world heritage site”.
Russell Reichelt from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority agrees it would be a concern.
“I think shipping of any toxic cargo would be of concern,” he said.
“But really we would have to see a proposal and we would have to consider that.
“It would be considered first under national environment law by the federal minister. So I would be waiting to see what is proposed.”
The Ben Lomond Uranium mine is located 50 kilometres west of Townsville.
It is currently dormant, but with the Queensland Government lifting its 30-year ban on uranium mining the company Mega Uranium, which owns the mine, is undertaking studies on how best to extract.
That has some residents, including David Sewell, concerned.
Mr Sewell lived near the mine when it last operated and he recalls a spill in 1981 when an overflow from the mine’s tailings dam leaked what was described as “unacceptable levels of radioactivity” into a tributary that feeds into the region’s largest river.
“Toxic waste that flowed into one of the creeks that feed into the Burdekin,” he said.
“Now that particular creek was only 40 kilometres upstream from where the town drew its water supply.”
UNESCO is currently considering if it will place the reef on the “in danger” list.
It will meet in June, and says the potential export of uranium through the reef must now be considered in that response.