Uranium mining in the northern part of Australia has been taking place more or less continuously since 1949.The long-term fate of uranium mill tailings has been a major environmental management issue for almost as long.As public awareness and the level of environmental concern have increased over the past 50 years or so,mining companies have had to improve the standards of environmental management, especially for matters of long-term waste management.The paper describes the transition from tailings mismanagement of the early days with uncontrolled heaps that discharged to the environment through early rehabilitation efforts and subsequent clean-up operations to modern systems incorporating the latest ideas and conforming to some of the world’s highest environmental standards.The paper also looks to the future for some proposals for what could be the ultimate containment solution.The case histories discussed include the mining operations at Rum Jungle,South Alligator,Nabarlek and Ranger and show how the lessons of the past have led to the development of the systems in place today and potential improvements for the future.
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