There are currently three active proposals for In Situ Leach type uranium mines in Australia - Beverley, Honeymoon in South Australia and Manyingee in Western Australia. Since the ISL mining method is considered low cost, it is seen as increasingly attractive for the mining of suitable uranium ores as well as other amenable metals.

As part of the scientific debate regarding the proposals for the above sites, I have been undertaking scientific research on the environmental performance of In Situ Leach mines all over the world since late 1997. I make this research available freely and openly. All feedback is welcome, indeed encouraged.

This page was created for fellow members of the Australian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) to access my research, after a recent "debate" in the national newsletter between myself and the company behind Beverley.

September 1998 - Letter to the Editor by Gavin Mudd.

December 1998 - (Aggressive) Reponse to the Editor by Chuck Foldenauer (Heathgate Resources).

March 1999 :
- Reply to Chuck by Gavin Mudd (Unpublished by the Newsletter).
- List of ISL Technical References by Gavin Mudd
- List of ISL Technical References by Chuck Foldenauer

• Papers presented - significant updates on earlier research. Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, January 2000. By Gavin M. Mudd (PDF) :
  • Acid In Situ Leach Uranium Mining - 1. USA & Australia
  • Acid In Situ Leach Uranium Mining - 2. Soviet Block & Asia.

My 154 page research report on ISL worldwide (to be updated mid-1999) :

Groundwater in the Environment - a general look at the importance of groundwater, especially across Australia (10 pages)
The Technique of In Situ Leach Mining - an overview of how the ISL mining process works, in theory that is! (14 pages)
Potential Problems of In Situ Leach Mining - a detailed technical critique of things that aren't supposed to happen (12 pages)
American Experience with ISL - the detailed history of ISL in America, and the intractable contaminated sites now being cleaned up (33 pages)
International Experience with ISL - an extensive review of ISL in the Former Soviet Union, Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and new ISL projects being proposed across the Asian continent (20 pages)
Australia's Trial Experimentation with ISL - a complete history and critique of Australia's questionable experimentation with ISL mining (32 pages)