Antinuclear

Environment safeguards left out in new uranium laws

New uranium royalties a savage blow to environment

Trading Room (AAP) By Tara Ravens, Darwin, September 10 2009

A new royalty regime for the Northern Territory’s expanding uranium sector is a “king hit to the environment,” says the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF).

Uniform royalty regimes will now apply to all new uranium projects in the region after federal parliament approved the move on Wednesday.

But the Act does not include mandatory environmental safeguards.

ACF’s Dave Sweeney on Thursday said the new laws put the interests of uranium mining companies ahead of the environment, indigenous landowners and Australian taxpayers.

“The Act is biased towards facilitating new uranium mines and fails to address the problems of this controversial and contaminating sector,” he said.

The Greens had proposed a number of amendments to the legislation, including providing for the establishment of a Uranium Mine Remediation Fund which would be used to manage and monitor mining sites.

But the environmental safeguards were defeated.

“(They) would ensure that the cost of clean-ups and remediation from such projects are worn by the companies instead of taxpayers,” Greens senator Scott Ludlam said following the vote.

Mr Sweeney said the Australian uranium industry had a long history of sub-standard mine rehabilitation and cost shifting from mining companies to the public purse…………

” The Rudd Government has instead given a blank cheque to an under-performing industry through an unrepresentative process.”

News: Australian Stock, Share & Commodity Markets News – Tradingroom.com.au

September 13, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, environment, uranium | antinuclear, Australia, nuclear, radioactive, uranium