RE : GROUNDWATER ISSUES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA I wish to place a notice of concern about some important developments regarding groundwater in South Australia. Currently, there are trial mines operating at the Beverley and Honeymoon uranium deposits, approved under the guise of exploration according to South Australian mining legislation. Both sites are using the controversial “In Situ Leaching” (ISL) or Solution Mining technique using sulphuric acid solutions to extract the uranium, and are intending to proceed to full scale commercial mines pending all state and commonwealth approvals. In the USA, acid solutions are banned and only alkaline mines are operated. The use of sulphuric acid in ISL mines across Eastern Europe and former Soviet block countries has led to vast contamination of groundwater and surface soils. There is no requirement placed on either company behind the mines to restore and rehabilitate groundwater following both the current trials and proposed full scale mines. This is of fundamental concern - the use of sulphuric acid will seriously compromise the groundwater quality of the aquifer being mined through not only increased radionuclide levels but also significantly higher heavy metal content. There are many unresolved questions concerning the isolated nature of the aquifers being mined, and contamination of surrounding groundwater is a very real possibility. At the recent public meeting as part of the new Environmental Impact Statement for Beverley, a concerned member of the public asked about the lack of groundwater restoration and potential for contamination, and the answer (paraphrased) “You’re the general public, you don’t understand groundwater”. Such comments do not help the professional integrity of the study of hydrogeology, especially when the public are asking genuine questions of environmental concern. I would like to know the opinions of other members of IAH on the above issues - if the proposals at Beverley and Honeymoon do proceed, they will be setting dangerous precedents for similar such deposits across Australia. Yours Sincerely,
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