Publications

Annual Report of the Supervising Scientist 1999-2000

Contents

• Letter of transmittal
• Glossary
• Contact
• Foreword
• Supervising Scientist's overview
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Environmental assessments of uranium mines in the Alligator Rivers Region
• 3. Environmental Research
• 4. Community relations - interacting with the Aboriginal community
• 5. General research and nuclear issues
• 6. Administrative arrangements
• Appendix A
  Recommendations of the Supervising Scientist Report 153, Investigation of tailings water leak at Ranger uranium mine
• Appendix B
  Additional recommendations arising from the report of the Supervising Scientist to the World Heritage Committee and the review of the Independent Scientific Panel of ICSU

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Letter of transmittal

Senator the Hon Robert Hill
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

18 August, 2000

Dear Minister

In accordance with subsection 36(1) of the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 (the Act), I submit to you the twenty second Annual Report of the Supervising Scientist on the operation of the Act during the period of 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000.

Yours sincerely

Dr A Johnston
Supervising Scientist

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Glossary

ARRAC - Alligator Rivers Region Advisory Committee

ARRTC - Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee

ANZECC - Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council

ARMCANZ - Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand

ARR - Alligator Rivers Region

DISR - Department of Industry Science and Resources

EIS - Environmental Impact Statement

EPR - Environmental Performance Review

ERA - Energy Resources of Australia

eriss - Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

ICRP - International Commission on Radiological Protection

ISP - Independent Scientific Panel

IUCN - International Union for Nature Conservation

MTC - Minesite Technical Committee

NCTWR - National Centre for Tropical Wetland Research

NLC - Northern Land Council

NTDME - Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy

oss - Office of the Supervising Scientist

PER - Public Environment Report

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Contact

The contact officer for queries relating to this report is:
Meryl Triggs
Office of the Supervising Scientist
Environment Australia
GPO Box 461 Darwin NT 0801
Telephone 08 8981 4230
Facsimile 08 8981 4316

Email merylt@eriss.erin.gov.au

• Supervising Scientist Home

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Foreword

Subsection 36(1) of the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 (EP[ARR] Act) requires the Supervising Scientist to provide an annual report to Parliament on the operation of the Act and on certain related matters. As a result of an amendment to the EP(ARR) Act in December 1993, the Supervising Scientist and his support organisation have been incorporated into the Department of the Environment. Since 1997-1998 the reporting to Parliament as required under the EP(ARR)Act has been provided as part of the Annual Report of the Department of the Environment and Heritage. The EP(ARR) Act requires the following information to be reported:

• any directions given to the Supervising Scientist by the Minister;
• accounts of the collection and assessment of scientific data relating to the environmental effects of mining in the Alligator Rivers Region;
• standards, practices and procedures in relation to mining operations adopted or changed during the year, and the environmental effects of those changes;
• measures taken to protect the environment, or restore it from the effects of mining in the region;
• requirements forming prescribed instruments which were enacted, made, adopted or issued and which relate to the environment;
• implementation of the prescribed instruments related to the environment;
• a statement of the cost of operations of the Supervising Scientist.