058 - URANIUM MINE IN KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA (12°41' S, 132°54' E).
Kakadu National Park is a rich source of uranium, making up 10 percent of the world’s resources. It is divided into three plots in Aboriginal territory, Ranger, Jabiluka, and Koongarra, which are enclosed in the protected park (a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981) but are statutorily excluded. The plan to open a mine on Jabiluka, reputed to be one of the richest uranium deposits in the world, was halted after a long campaign lead by the Mirrar Aboriginal people, the traditional owners of these sacred lands. Ranger is the only one of the three deposits authorized for mining. In this waste zone, large sprinklers water the marsh banks to increase evaporation and reduce the risk of dust build-up, leaving sulphate deposits. Australia also has two other large deposits of uranium, and in 2004 the country produced more than 24 percent of the uranium extracted in the world (40,263 metric tonnes). Uranium provides fuel for the world’s nuclear sites, divided primarily between the United States, France, and Japan.

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