Toro Energy’s uranium mine gets Australian environmental regulator’s nod

Adelaide-based Toro Energy is poised to develop Western Australia's (WA) first uranium mine after the environment regulator gave the green signal to the $280 million development.

In what is being hailed as a milestone development, WA's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) today recommended according government approval for the development of Toro's Wiluna uranium project, located 30 km south of Adelaide.

Though the development may not seem significant, it is the first time in the history of the EPA, that a recommendation had been made for a uranium mine, and comes nearly four years following the ban on uranium mining being overturned in the state.

Earlier this year, WA Labour leader Mark McGowan had said his party would ban any new uranium mines if it gained power, though it made an exception for projects that had already been given final approval by the state government.

According to EPA chairman Paul Vogel, Toro's proposal, first came up for consideration in 2009 and had been rigorously evaluated in consultation with all regulatory agencies, and the authority concluded the project could meet the its environmental objectives.

Toro's proposal envisaged the mining of the Centipede and Lake Way uranium deposits and then transporting the uranium oxide concentrate through the outskirts of Kalgoorlie and then to the WA and South Australia.