Antinuclear

Ranger uranium mine: key recommendation ignored by NT and federal governments

“This report has taken too long and delivered too little. It fails to address the cause of the failure or actively reduce repetition – and its key recommendation has already been ignored,”

ERA to lift safety standards at Ranger Uranium Mine 24 October, 2014 Ben Hagemann Australian Mining, The Ranger Uranium mine has been directed to engage in improvements to process safety procedures on site, as a result of inadequate safety at the time of the failure of a leach tank in December last year.

The Department of Industry released a summary joint statement for the investigation which said that at the time of the failure of Leach Tank 1, the management of process safety and its corporate governance did not meet the expected standards.

It was also found that mine operator Energy Resources Australia’s proposed approach to monitoring the integrity of leach tanks was ‘technically sound, but may not be sustainable’, and will require board review no later than July 2014. Regulators have been tasked with undertaking several actions as a result of the report, which were accepted by the the Commonwealth Minister for Industry Ian MacFarlane and the Northern Territory Minister for Mines and Energy Willem Westra van Holthe, and will be enforced through the Mining Management Act (NT).

The actions include engaging a suitably qualified expert to assist in monitoring the implementation of ERA’s ‘Process Safety Improvement Action Plan’ on a quarterly basis for the next two years to ensure it is effectively implemented, including review of Return to Service documentation on a sampling basis; relevant process safety capabilities to be be improved in NT Department of Mines and Energy and the Department of Industry; and the Department of Industry, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a review of the regulatory arrangements as they apply to the Ranger uranium mine.

However, a fourth recommendation which called for a comprehensive review of the regulations governing Ranger to ensure these are comprehensive and clear, was merely ‘noted’ and both the NT and Federal government ministers have so far refused to take further action.

Dave Sweeney of the Australian Conservation Fund called for Federal and NT governments to accept the key recommendation calling for a comprehensive review of the adequacy of regulations at Ranger, including a detailed and publicly reported assessment of the integrity and status of mill and processing infrastructure at Ranger, and a halt to applications for the new Ranger 3 Deeps underground expansion until all actions are completed.

“This report has taken too long and delivered too little. It fails to address the cause of the failure or actively reduce repetition – and its key recommendation has already been ignored,” he said………..http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/era-to-lift-safety-standards-at-ranger-uranium-min

October 25, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Northern Territory, safety, uranium