W-0164-85
6 March 1985
PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTER FOR MINES AND ENERGY, MR MARSHALL PERRON
The Minister for Mines and Energy, Mr Marshall Perron, said today organisations like the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and other anti-uranium groups were conducting an orchestrated campaign to spread alarm about water management practices at the Ranger Uranium Mine. Allegations made over the past two days about “rush decisions”, “interim approvals to release water” and forecasting widespread environmental damage at Kakadu were emotional claptrap, Mr-Perron said.
He said he was particularly surprised and disappointed that an organisation like the Australian Conservation Foundation, which had taxpayer funded resources to ascertain the facts should make absolutely groundless statements regarding environmental controls at Ranger. “I can only assume that the ideological opposition to uranium inherent in such organisations prevents their objective assessment of environmental controls.”
Mr Perron said the Territory Government took its responsibilities regarding uranium mining control most seriously, as does the Office of the Supervising Scientist and the Sessional Committee on the Environment. “Concerned citizen groups bring their cause no credit when they issue press releases based solely on emotional suspicion,” Mr Perron said.
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