The following environmental management record of ERA's Jabiluka 'Development Project' is from the recent Annual Environmental Report for Jabiluka. The following list of incidents are those that caused regulatory concern or direct infringements of ERA's Environmental Requirements (ERs). It is consistently asserted that there was "no environmental impact" or "no environmental detriment". Given the mine is completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park, please consider this list and decide for yourself........
Updated by SEA-US Inc. - July 1999
1999
- General - The quality of waters leaving the Jabiluka site contained extremely high levels of turbidity (sediments) and nitrate. The North and Central Tributaries of Swift Creek were the most heavily affected. The maximum turbidity and nitrate level of the North Tributary was 208 NTU's and 38 mg/litre, while the Central Tributary had maximum turbidity and nitrate levels of 1,030 NTU's and 3.5 mg/litre. Significant levels of nitrate were also noticed in some groundwater monitoring bores.
1998
- Dec. - Owing to problems with the lack of power to the solar panels on the blast monitors during monsoonal storms, a total of nine blasts were not recorded over a period of 8 days. This problem was not identified until analysis of the data in June 1999.
- May - Due to delays in obtaining NLC Area A, B and C permits, ERA failed to collect weekly samples from 4 sites, being Swift Creek Upstream, Swift Creek Downstream, Swift Creek Gauging Station and Swift Creek Billabong. Permits were not re-issued until June 22.
- General - Ground vibration and air-blast overpressure were not monitored for the first nine portal development blasts, due to delays in approvals for and access to permanent monitoring locations.
Page last updated September 20, 1999.
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