Govt secrecy over nuclear waste transported to Woomera
Fears of nuclear waste dump site at Woomera KIM WHEATLEY, The Advertiser 27 Jan 2010) “The public needs to know and the traditional owners have a right to be aware.”
CONCERN is mounting that a site near Woomera may become the de facto radioactive waste dump for Australia.
This follows criticism the Defence Department failed to notify the public it was moving radioactive waste 450km from Edinburgh RAAF to a new waste dump at Woomera over the Christmas break.
Environmentalists have questioned if the site may become a de facto dump for Australia’s waste as the Federal Government continues to stall on a decision for a permanent facility.
An estimated 80 (44-gallon) drums of waste were moved by a private contractor on January 17. While the Environment Protection Authority and police were notified, the public was not.
“There should be public awareness of the proposals for the management of radioactive waste, including transport,” Australian Conservation Foundation anti-nuclear campaigner David Noonan said. “The public needs to know and the traditional owners have a right to be aware.”
The bigger issue, the foundation says, is if the new Koolymilka Waste Storage Facility in the Woomera Prohibited Area becomes a de facto permanent facility. Defence has told The Advertiser it plans to shift 206 drums from a nearby Woomera site to the new facility. Some of the waste is from the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney.
“There does need to be a permanent facility as Australia has obligations to take back its own waste from overseas,” a spokeswoman for Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said.
“We are completing the work started under the Howard government and (an announcement) is under consideration.”
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Antinuclear 
I believe the nuclear waste should not be “stored” in Woomerra secretly and should be delt with in a better manner rather than keeping the people of Woomerra unaware of the risks.
It’s imoral and Australia should have no business with nuclear power regardless of the benfits.
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I’m guessing you are against a nuclear waste dump for Australia? There are lots of old radioactive materials in industry, universities, hospitals, all over the place. They are sitting in storerooms, all through our cities – amongst people. If Australia had a radioactive waste repository, all that old junk would be in one place, safely guarded and out of our society. If you knew what was out there, you’d be pushing for proper public safety measures, and a waste repository.
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Medical nuclear wastes are in small amounts and have isotopes with a generally short half life – of a few days at most . Certainly these, and university ones, should be stored safely. But it’s not necessary to transport them over distances. They should be safely stored at the point of origin.
The purpose of the proposed radioactive waste dump at Muckaty is simply to, take the Lucas Heights nuclear waste – returned from UK and France – but, at the same time it’s a foot in the door for a new industry of taking in international radioactive wastes.
The argument about “medical wastes” is a red herring indeed. The Lucas Heights nuclear reactor was not originally intended to produce medical nuclear isotopes. That has been added on – mainly to deceive the public into thinking that the reactor is a medical benefit to Australia.
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