PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Federal Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt has unveiled more details for the government’s plans for the Rum Jungle copper and uranium mine, in the Northern Territory, after funds were set aside in the federal Budget to rehabilitate the asset.

Pitt said the rehabilitation plan, currently going through final environmental assessment and approval, reflects world’s best practice and it should deliver 61 full-time jobs over the next 11 years. 

“The site’s rehabilitation plan follows 10 years of detailed design work and collaboration between the Australian and Northern Territory governments, the Kungarakan and Warai traditional owners, and local stakeholders.

“It is aimed to maximise long-term and sustainable environmental improvements to the old mine site.”

The rehabilitation plan proposes to treat and co-localise contamination sources to waste storage structures, remediate impacted groundwater and revegetate the site using local indigenous plant species.

“The rehabilitation plan addresses feedback from traditional owners, sacred site custodians and other stakeholders. Work will get underway once the plan receives an expected environmental approval later this year,” Pitt added.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Key Wyatt said the commitment to rehabilitate the site was great news for traditional owners, and would deliver jobs and improved management of areas of Indigenous heritage and culture.

“Rehabilitation works will create sustainable and long-term jobs in engineering, civil construction, land management and environmental monitoring, as well as indirect jobs from supply contactors,” Wyatt said.

“The rehabilitation project will include on-the-job training opportunities for local Indigenous communities, including in civil construction and security, and will provide ongoing careers in conservation land management.

“But significantly, the rehabilitation will clean up areas impacted by mining and improve water quality, ensuring traditional owners will be able to return to the site.

“The main objective of the rehabilitation is to return the site to a safe, stable, sustainable condition that supports a future land use that benefits all Kungarakan and Warai people.”

The Rum Jungle mine near Batchelor, Northern Territory, began producing uranium in the 1950s and copper from the 1960s. Production stopped in the 1970s and an initial, partially successful rehabilitation programme was conducted in the 1980s.

The mine produced 3 530 t of uranium oxide and 20 000 t of copper concentrate between 1954 and 1971, but resulted in significant environmental impacts owing to acid rock drainage, which resulted in the pollution of the East Branch of the Finniss river.