NT: Worker considers legal action against uranium mine

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2004
NT: Worker considers legal action against uranium mine

By Karen Michelmore

DARWIN, April 5 AAP - A worker at Australia's biggest uranium mine is considering legal
action after falling ill from drinking water mistakenly contaminated with uranium.

Twelve workers at Energy Resources of Australia's Ranger mine in Kakadu National Park
have reported suffering nausea, headaches and stomach cramps after drinking the contaminated
water.

The Ranger mine was shut down for eight days after the contamination was discovered
on March 24, although the mine's uranium ore processing plant, where the contamination
originated from, remains closed.

The water supply became polluted with uranium and other chemicals after processed water
was mistakenly connected to the drinking water supply.

Federal Environment Minister David Kemp today said the incident was unacceptable, and
he had asked for a full report.

"This event should not have happened - it's very hard to see standing from outside
the mine how it did happen," Dr Kemp told ABC radio.

"There's obviously management issues that need to be addressed within the mine ...

(and) we will make sure those steps are taken."

Worker Paul McDonald said he was sacked by his contractor after returning home from
the Northern Territory to Perth to seek further medical treatment.

Mr McDonald, a casual fitter employed by a contractor to work at the mine, said he
had only been at Ranger a couple of days when the contamination occurred.

He said he was now considering legal action, after falling ill after drinking two to
three waters of the water.

Mr McDonald said he only found out about the extent of the contamination by reading
about it "on a newspaper billboard".

"We actually read it in the newspaper ... (that) it was contaminated with uranium 400
times above the accepted level and obviously we all went into a panic then," Mr McDonald
told ABC radio.

"I was just very annoyed that nobody had been and told me exactly how serious it was
- I just thought the contamination had been just probably a little too much sulphur or
chloride or whatever.

"I was mortified when I was found out it was uranium and another cocktail of acids."

ERA had paid all of his medical bills, he said.

"You feel okay and then all of a sudden you go into this sick feeling for three or
four hours, and then you come out and you feel okay again.

"The doctors ... really have not got a lot of idea how to deal with this, because not
many people go around drinking uranium."

A spokeswoman for ERA said the company was working with the NT government and the Office
of the Supervising Scientist to fully investigate the incident.

"It's hoped that preliminary investigations may soon be completed," the spokeswoman said.

"Some affected persons on site were employees of contractors based in Perth and we
understand that some people have have sought legal advice.

"ERA has implemented a program of providing information, support and counselling, including
specialist medical advice for those who might have been affected by the incident."

AAP km/jv/br

KEYWORD: ERA

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