Jabiluka - July 1999

Aerial view of the Jabiluka area BEFORE mining began (from 2^ND Fox Report).

¹ - Aerial view of the Jabiluka "Development" site as of July 1999. Note the visual impacts from the (currently) small site and how much this would worsen under a commercial mine.

² - Note the putrid colour of the polluted Retention Pond water, the extent of land cleared to date and the Magela and Boyweg site behind the hill ("Mine Valley").

³ - The "Box Cut Decline" of the portal to the underground tunnel at Jabiluka. Now 1 km long, plus a further 1 km of workings.

⁴ - View of the Jabiluka "Junk Yard" from near the top of the Box Cut. The large pile of rock is toxic uranium ore (>0.02% U₃O₈) or potentially acid-generating (>0.5% sulphides). Note the lack of capacity. It was only extended in June but by this visit in July, it was overflowing again.

⁵ - View of the Jabiluka "Junk Yard" from the eastern side near the Retention Pond. Note the lack of cover and the dust and erosion potential.

⁶ - Another view of the "Junk Yard" - the uncontrolled Waste Rock Dump is in the background. This area was simply bulldozed with very limited engineering to control runoff and leaching of contaminants.

⁷ - The Diesel fuel tanks on site for the Jabiluka "Junk Yard". They are double-walled, but notice the lack of bunds if there was a spill during refilling (think of the recent oil spill in Sydney Harbour).

⁸ - View across the Jabiluka Retention Pond towards the Jabiluka Outlier (escarpment) reflected nicely on the water. The ugly and toxic uranium ore dump is to the right.

⁹ - View of the "mineralized" or "potentially acid-generating" toxic rock dump. This material is supposed to be contained with no release off-site. Does it work ? See the next photo.

¹⁰ - This Toxic Waste Rock dump was extended in June due to ERA underestimating the amount of ore and waste rock from building the access tunnel. By July, it was again full and still facing problems with too much nasty'z to manage. Note the bulge almost over the bund in the centre.

¹¹ - View of the Swift Creek North Tributary. The Retention Pond completely cutoff this natural creek line and replaced it with what you see here - an engineered ugly mess adjacent to the bulging toxic rock dump (high grade ore and potentially acid forming rock). Come the 1998/99 Wet Season, it was a massive source of sediments leaving the "No Release Zone" straight into Swift Creek and thence to the Magela Floodplains..

¹² - The southern area of the "Junk Yard" adjacent to the Retention Pond. As this area is now no longer needed, ERA are trying to "rehabilitate" these miniscule areas. They just don't get it do they.....

¹³ - ERA made a big fuss out of their ability to control and minimise sediment erosion from works at Jabiluka. Given the massive sediment loadings in Swift Creek Tributaries, and a close look at this supposed sediment "trap", guess they failed - miserably.

¹⁴ - The First ventilation shaft from the underground decline at Jabiluka. The vent is a notable source of radiotoxic Radon gas as well as noise to the surrounding area.

¹⁵ - The area around the ventilation shaft is heavily trodden, and attempts by ERA to rehabilitate the area are still largely ineffectual.

¹⁶ - View from the access road to Jabiluka at the top of the Hill towards the Magela Floodplain.

Notes : All photos taken July 19, 1999. Credit to SEA-US Inc.

Page last updated September 25, 1999.

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Copyright © SEA-US 1999-2001

	Aerial view of the Jabiluka area BEFORE mining began (from 2^ND Fox Report).
	¹ - Aerial view of the Jabiluka "Development" site as of July 1999. Note the visual impacts from the (currently) small site and how much this would worsen under a commercial mine.
	² - Note the putrid colour of the polluted Retention Pond water, the extent of land cleared to date and the Magela and Boyweg site behind the hill ("Mine Valley").
	³ - The "Box Cut Decline" of the portal to the underground tunnel at Jabiluka. Now 1 km long, plus a further 1 km of workings.
	⁴ - View of the Jabiluka "Junk Yard" from near the top of the Box Cut. The large pile of rock is toxic uranium ore (>0.02% U₃O₈) or potentially acid-generating (>0.5% sulphides). Note the lack of capacity. It was only extended in June but by this visit in July, it was overflowing again.
	⁵ - View of the Jabiluka "Junk Yard" from the eastern side near the Retention Pond. Note the lack of cover and the dust and erosion potential.
	⁶ - Another view of the "Junk Yard" - the uncontrolled Waste Rock Dump is in the background. This area was simply bulldozed with very limited engineering to control runoff and leaching of contaminants.
	⁷ - The Diesel fuel tanks on site for the Jabiluka "Junk Yard". They are double-walled, but notice the lack of bunds if there was a spill during refilling (think of the recent oil spill in Sydney Harbour).
	⁸ - View across the Jabiluka Retention Pond towards the Jabiluka Outlier (escarpment) reflected nicely on the water. The ugly and toxic uranium ore dump is to the right.
	⁹ - View of the "mineralized" or "potentially acid-generating" toxic rock dump. This material is supposed to be contained with no release off-site. Does it work ? See the next photo.
	¹⁰ - This Toxic Waste Rock dump was extended in June due to ERA underestimating the amount of ore and waste rock from building the access tunnel. By July, it was again full and still facing problems with too much nasty'z to manage. Note the bulge almost over the bund in the centre.
	¹¹ - View of the Swift Creek North Tributary. The Retention Pond completely cutoff this natural creek line and replaced it with what you see here - an engineered ugly mess adjacent to the bulging toxic rock dump (high grade ore and potentially acid forming rock). Come the 1998/99 Wet Season, it was a massive source of sediments leaving the "No Release Zone" straight into Swift Creek and thence to the Magela Floodplains..
	¹² - The southern area of the "Junk Yard" adjacent to the Retention Pond. As this area is now no longer needed, ERA are trying to "rehabilitate" these miniscule areas. They just don't get it do they.....
	¹³ - ERA made a big fuss out of their ability to control and minimise sediment erosion from works at Jabiluka. Given the massive sediment loadings in Swift Creek Tributaries, and a close look at this supposed sediment "trap", guess they failed - miserably.
	¹⁴ - The First ventilation shaft from the underground decline at Jabiluka. The vent is a notable source of radiotoxic Radon gas as well as noise to the surrounding area.
	¹⁵ - The area around the ventilation shaft is heavily trodden, and attempts by ERA to rehabilitate the area are still largely ineffectual.
	¹⁶ - View from the access road to Jabiluka at the top of the Hill towards the Magela Floodplain.

Back to the Jabiluka Archives	or	Back to the SEA-US Front Page
Copyright © SEA-US 1999-2001