Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory has dual World Heritage listings for its ecological and cultural value. Its escarpment country, rainforests, wetlands, and mudflats are home to cascading waterfalls, indigenous communities, and a diverse range of species, including crocodiles lurking in billabongs and creeks.
Perhaps only in Australia – a country where the mining industry has poignantly been described as “disaster and triumph entwined” – would such a unique reserve surround one of the world’s biggest and longest-operating uranium mines.
Located 260km southeast of Darwin, Ranger Mine started producing uranium oxide in 1981. The mining lease, which is owned and operated by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA), a subsidiary of mining giant Rio Tinto, was approved at around the same time as Kakadu was formed.
After 40 years of operation, including several expansion projects, and more than 120,000 tonnes of uranium oxide produced, commercial...