Water Quality Water Management and the Ranger Ura

Authors: Briony Ferguson Gavin M Mudd

Publish Date: 2010/08/25

Volume: 217, Issue: 1-4, Pages: 347-363

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Abstract

This paper explores the regulation of water quality protection downstream from the Ranger Uranium Project in the Alligator Rivers Region an area of high conservation value which is both World Heritage and Ramsarlisted Available historical monitoring data for surface water quality in Magela Creek downstream of Ranger have been compiled and analysed with respect to hydrologic data and the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council–Agricultural and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand ANZECC–ARMCANZ regulatory guidelines introduced in late 2000 The paper focuses on the underlying scientific basis for the current approach and examines the complex interrelationships of minesite water management hydrology climate monitoring design implementation and interpretation which are used to differentiate between natural variability and potential minederived solutes The research found that the application of the ANZECC–ARMCANZ guidelines has clearly improved the regulation of water quality protection downstream from the Ranger Uranium Project The scientific basis is more coherent than the previous regulatory regime however for U a key parameter of indigenous MirarrGundjeihmi and public concern higher downstream concentrations are permitted than those observed through natural variability leaving open the potential for an influence of minederived U loads while still being within regulatory limits Another improvement that could be made to the current regulatory regime to provide enhanced protection of the water quality in Magela Creek downstream of Ranger would be to explicitly link the water quality monitoring regime with hydrologic flow conditions The paper makes a valuable case study for the application of water quality guidelines especially for controversial projects such as uranium mining surrounded by a World Heritage and Ramsarlisted region on indigenous land—a context of clear relevance for many places around the worldThis work has been undertaken independently and represents the views of the authors only The water quality data were provided by Energy Resources of Australia Ltd and Magela Creek flow data and water quality data by the Office of the Supervising Scientist Minor additional support was provided by Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation inkind only Reviews of the paper by individuals from within these organisations other colleagues and the peer reviewers have helped to strengthen the work considerably It is all very much appreciated

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