Disposal of All Forms of Radioactive Waste and Residues (PDF)

Germany and the development of Saxon state and the Science Award, Class 1st, of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg for his research on the storage of radioactive waste and closure systems.

Peter Waggitt, (FAusIMM,IEng, CEnv), is a soil scientist and environmental engineer who has worked on mine remediation issues in many parts of the world over the past 45 years or more. After early research on remediation of coal mines in the United Kingdom he was employed on a variety of environmental projects globally including natural resource inventory and rural development, often including elements of environmental impact assessment and landscape remediation, especially post mining.

In 1988 Peter moved to settle in Australia working for the Office of the Supervising Scientist, a specialist unit within the Commonwealth (Federal) Government with responsibility to oversee the environmental aspects of uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region of northern Australia. The main sites were the mines at Ranger and Nabarlek as well as extensive exploration operations throughout Arnhem Land. The work also included working with others to prepare the remediation of the 13 small uranium mines in the abandoned South Alligator Valley uranium field and other sites in the Pine Creek geosyncline, including Rum Jungle.

From 2004 to 2011 Peter worked with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), initially as a Waste Safety Specialist concentrating on remediation of former uranium mining and processing sites throughout the world, including major projects in the Central Asian states of the former Soviet Union, work which continues to this day. Later he was working with the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section at IAEA, assisting member states to manage former uranium mining sites as well as helping them to develop local capacities in uranium mining regulation.

In 2011 Peter returned to Australia as Director of Mining Compliance for the Northern Territory (NT) Government, responsible for managing the day-to-day regulation of all environmental aspects for the mining industry in the NT. In 2017 Peter became Director Uranium Mine Closure to concentrate on the remediation of the Ranger Uranium Mine (RUM). RUM is obliged to cease mining and processing operations in January 2021 and to complete remediation by January 2026. As the site is surrounded by the double World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park this work will need to be of the highest quality and is attracting close oversight from all stakeholders, both national and international.



Peter retired in May 2019 and is now working as a consultant. He has over 50 publications, journal papers, conference presentations and reports, to his name. He is currently a member of the Chartered Professional Programme Committee for the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).