Four Mile uranium mine
Encyclopedia
Four Mile is a proposed uranium
mine in Australia. The proposed mine is sited in the far north of the state of South Australia
, around 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide
and 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the existing Beverley uranium mine
.
When operational, Four Mile will be Australia's first new uranium mine in nearly ten years and it is claimed it will be the tenth-largest uranium mine in the world.
and the ore was graded at ten times that of Olympic Dam
mine and double that of the Ranger mine in the Northern Territory. The mine life is expected to be at least 15 years.
The proposed mine is a joint venture between Quasar Resources Pty Ltd, who own 75 per cent of the project and Alliance Resources Ltd, who own the remaining 25 per cent. Quasar Resources is affiliated with Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd, owner and operator of the nearby Beverley mine.
Mining is proposed to be an in-situ leach
operation, pumping a weak acid solution into the formation that dissolves the uranium-bearing ore. The ore-bearing solution is then pumped to the surface for extraction and treatment. This method will allow the mine to commence operations relatively quickly.
The developers of the mine claim that the mine will be operational in the first quarter of 2010 and that it will produce 1400 tonnes (1,543.2 ST) of uranium oxide per year.
. Peter Garrett
, on 14 July 2009; the first such mine approved by an Australian Labor Party
(ALP) government since the abolition of its "three-mine policy" on uranium mines at the party national conference in 2007. Announcing the decision, Minister Garrett stated he was "certain this operation poses no credible risk to the environment". The approval was supported by South Australian Premier Mike Rann
.
The decision to approve the mine was supported by the Australian Uranium Association
(AUA). The executive director of the AUA claimed to be "heartened" by the decision, saying that the decision "tells [the industry] that if we continue to meet those high environmental standards, which the (Environment) Minister himself applies, then we will be able to continue to expand". The Australian Workers Union also supported the decision with national secretary Paul Howes
saying it "represents a significant win for Australia's resource industry" and that it will "[provide] revenue for that state's coffers and opportunities to create good, well-paid Australian jobs."
Opposition to the proposal was voiced by the Australian Conservation Foundation
(ACF) who are concerned that the decision represents a relaxation of environmental standards. The ACF have specifically raised their concerns about possible contamination of groundwater
from mine operations. A traditional owner from the Adnyamathana people has also expressed unhappiness with the approval, comparing it to the "stolen generation
" practises of past Australian governments.
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
mine in Australia. The proposed mine is sited in the far north of the state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, around 600 kilometres (372.8 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the existing Beverley uranium mine
Beverley Uranium Mine
The Beverley Mine is Australia's third uranium mine and Australia's first operating in-situ recovery mine. It is located 35 km from Lake Frome at the northern end of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia and opened in 2001...
.
When operational, Four Mile will be Australia's first new uranium mine in nearly ten years and it is claimed it will be the tenth-largest uranium mine in the world.
Mine
Four Mile will be the fifth uranium mine in Australia and is the largest uranium deposit discovered in Australia in the past 25 years. In June 2009, Alliance Resources announced that the deposit contained 28000 tonnes (30,864.7 ST) of uranium oxideUranium oxide
Uranium oxide is an oxide of the element uranium.The metal uranium forms several oxides:* Uranium dioxide or uranium oxide * Uranium trioxide or uranium oxide...
and the ore was graded at ten times that of Olympic Dam
Olympic Dam, South Australia
Olympic Dam is a mining centre in South Australia located some 550 km NNW of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is the site of an extremely large iron oxide copper gold deposit producing copper, uranium, gold and silver. The site hosts an underground mine as well as an...
mine and double that of the Ranger mine in the Northern Territory. The mine life is expected to be at least 15 years.
The proposed mine is a joint venture between Quasar Resources Pty Ltd, who own 75 per cent of the project and Alliance Resources Ltd, who own the remaining 25 per cent. Quasar Resources is affiliated with Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd, owner and operator of the nearby Beverley mine.
Mining is proposed to be an in-situ leach
In-situ leach
In-situ leaching , also called in-situ recovery or solution mining, is a mining process used to recover minerals such as copper and uranium through boreholes drilled into a deposit, in situ....
operation, pumping a weak acid solution into the formation that dissolves the uranium-bearing ore. The ore-bearing solution is then pumped to the surface for extraction and treatment. This method will allow the mine to commence operations relatively quickly.
The developers of the mine claim that the mine will be operational in the first quarter of 2010 and that it will produce 1400 tonnes (1,543.2 ST) of uranium oxide per year.
Approval
Approval for the mine was granted by the Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the ArtsMinister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is Tony Burke, who took over from Peter Garrett . The Minister and department change took effect in the Second Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010...
. Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
, on 14 July 2009; the first such mine approved by an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP) government since the abolition of its "three-mine policy" on uranium mines at the party national conference in 2007. Announcing the decision, Minister Garrett stated he was "certain this operation poses no credible risk to the environment". The approval was supported by South Australian Premier Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
.
The decision to approve the mine was supported by the Australian Uranium Association
Australian Uranium Association
The Australian Uranium Association is an Australian industry trade group representing companies involved in uranium exploration, mining and export....
(AUA). The executive director of the AUA claimed to be "heartened" by the decision, saying that the decision "tells [the industry] that if we continue to meet those high environmental standards, which the (Environment) Minister himself applies, then we will be able to continue to expand". The Australian Workers Union also supported the decision with national secretary Paul Howes
Paul Howes
Paul Howes is the National Secretary of The Australian Workers' Union, a position he has held since the age of 26. He is also Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and serves on a number of Government boards....
saying it "represents a significant win for Australia's resource industry" and that it will "[provide] revenue for that state's coffers and opportunities to create good, well-paid Australian jobs."
Opposition to the proposal was voiced by the Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...
(ACF) who are concerned that the decision represents a relaxation of environmental standards. The ACF have specifically raised their concerns about possible contamination of groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
from mine operations. A traditional owner from the Adnyamathana people has also expressed unhappiness with the approval, comparing it to the "stolen generation
Stolen Generation
The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments...
" practises of past Australian governments.
See also
- Uranium mining in AustraliaUranium mining in AustraliaRadioactive ores were first extracted at Radium Hill in 1906, and Mount Painter in South Australia in the 1930s, to recover radium for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of uranium were also produced....
- List of uranium mines
- Sandstone uranium deposits