Regulation, Monitoring, Reporting,

Auditing of Uranium Mining

- an Australian Example

Ches Mason

16 August 2012

Slide 2

Olympic Dam South Australia

Slide 2 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

A polymetallic deposit containing

copper, uranium, gold and silver

Slide 3

Commonwealth and State Governments

Slide 3 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Australian (Commonwealth) Government legislation that affects the whole country (e.g.: national

defence, international treaties and obligations, taxation)

State and Territory governments self government within a State or Territory, including:

- police and emergency services

- education

- health

- occupational health and safety

- environmental protection (mostly)…

- …and any matter not controlled by the Australian Government

Local government mainly community services

Most of the day-to-day regulatory requirements applying to

uranium mining are implemented by State or Territory authorities (although there are also some requirements under Commonwealth legislation)

Victoria

Tasmania

New South

Wales

Queensland

Northern

Territory

South

Australia

Western

Australia

Slide 4

Australian Legislation and Regulation

Slide 4 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

National (Commonwealth) Government (selected legislation only)

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act

- establishes the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

(ARPANSA), which develops national standards for radiation protection,

but ARPANSA does not license uranium mining operations

Customs Act and Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act

- require permissions to own, possess or transport nuclear material

or to export it from Australia

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

- requires an environmental assessment and approval process to be

followed if a proposed undertaking is likely to have a significant effect

on a matter of national environmental significance (this includes

‘nuclear actions’, which include uranium mining)

Slide 5

State Legislation and Regulation

Slide 5 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

South Australian Government (selected legislation only)

Radiation Protection and Control Act

- establishes powers for the South Australian Environmental Protection

Authority to implement licensing of mining and milling of radioactive ores

Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act

- establishes a duty to ensure a safe workplace, but does not give Safe Work

South Australia powers to apply licensing or approvals requirements

Mining Act (in general – applies to mines other than Olympic Dam);

Roxby Downs Indenture Agreement (unique for Olympic Dam)

- regulations governing mining operations and environmental protection,

including inspections (and administration of Roxby Downs)

Environmental Protection Act

- requires authorizations of certain activities, including metallurgical and

mineral works; also applies requirements related to air and water quality

South Australian government agencies, including EPA (Environment Protection

Authority) and MITRE (Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy)

have developed a joint approach to regulation to simplify the regulatory process

Slide 6

Regulatory Standards for Radiation Protection

Slide 6 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

International National State Local (Olympic Dam Quality Documents)

ARPANSA SA EPA

BHPBilliton

Standard

Procedures

Slide 7

Environmental protection at Olympic Dam*

Slide 7 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Environmental Protection and Management Program (EPMP)

*For other mines, environmental protection generally requires multiple interactions with authorities

Slide 8

Monitoring of occupational exposure

Slide 8 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Monitoring for exposure control, e.g.: PAEC action levels underground

> 2 μJ/m3 : request ventilation reset

> 8 μJ/m3 : stop work and leave area until ventilation is restored

Monitoring for occupational dose assessment

Dose limit: 20 mSv/y

Olympic Dam ambition: keep everyone < 10 mSv/y

Gamma Radon decay products Inhaled dust

Personal TLD Air sampling for potential

alpha energy concentration

x time in location

x dose conversion factor

Air sampling for airborne

activity concentration

x time in location

x breathing rate

x dose conversion factor

Slide 9

Environmental monitoring

Slide 9 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Radiation monitoring includes:

gamma radiation;

radon in air;

radionuclides in dust;

radionuclides in flora, fauna and soils;

radionuclides in surface water and groundwater

at locations within and remote from the site.

Continuous monitoring of radon decay products and

high-volume dust sampling at Olympic Village

and at Roxby Downs.

Other environmental monitoring includes:

collection of meteorological data (rainfall, windrose)

measurements of groundwater levels and quality;

mapping of flora health;

particulate and sulphur dioxide emissions;

observation of fauna numbers.

Processing

plant

Slide 10

Reporting

Slide 10 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Quarterly and annual reports are prepared for regulatory authorities:

Radiation protection and occupational hygiene

Environment

Slide 11

Auditing by regulatory authority

Slide 11 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Quarterly meetings with regulators

meetings arranged in relation to quarterly reporting cycle

(also a six-monthly cycle that includes Australian Government regulatory bodies)

key regulatory agencies participate; exception reporting approach

videolink from Olympic Dam to Adelaide offices reduces travel and time costs

On-site audits as requested by regulators

frequent visits by SafeWork SA (occupational health and safety)

targeted audits by other regulatory agencies

Environmental sampling

Slide 12

Auditing by customers / Sustainability

Slide 12 Ches Mason, IAEA Training Meeting, Darwin, 13-17 August 2012

Annual sustainability report

Customer audits