Nuclear waste dump becoming an Australian election issue
Mr McCarthy predicts an electoral backlash against his federal colleagues over their plan to put the waste dump in Central Australia. He says it could become an election issue.
MP predicts electoral backlash over waste dump, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Alison Middleton Mar 19, 2010
The Senate committee in charge of the inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed nuclear waste dump legislation has decided not to hold hearings in Tennant Creek.
Public hearings will be held in Darwin and Canberra, but not in Central Australia, where the Government is planning to put the dump. Continue reading
Growing concern over safety of nuclear reactors
Nuclear “SpinCo”, t r u t h o u t , 18 March 2010 by: World Business Academy, Rinaldo Brutoco and Madeleine Austin “…..About a quarter of all US nuclear power plants are leaking radioactive tritium, but the pro-industry Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) refuses to require Entergy and other nuclear plant owners to monitor their groundwater. Continue reading
Australia says will not sell uranium to India (but can we believe this government?)
Australia remains firm against sale of uranium to India, The Hindu, AP March 19, 2010
Any Australian uranium sales to Russia would meet non-proliferation requirements, but the government remains firmly against sales to India, Trade Minister Simon Crean said on Friday. Continue reading
US Calls on Russia to stop supplying Iran’s nuclear program
Clinton, Lavrov Clash Over Iran Nuclear Plant – Antiwar.com, 20 March 2010, Visiting Russia today with an eye toward negotiating a nuclear arms reduction treaty, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton instead harangued Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Iran’s civilian nuclear program.Secretary Clinton called on Russia’s government to stall the completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran until further notice. Russia is constructing the plant, and expects it to be completed this summer.
Clinton, Lavrov Clash Over Iran Nuclear Plant — News from Antiwar.com
Australian doctors condemn uranium sales to Russia
For example, the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has confirmed that Russia’s military sites are off limits for inspection”
20 March 2010, The Medical Association for Prevention of War today condemned the government proposal to sell uranium to Russia, in contravention of recommendations from its own parliamentary inquiry.
MAPW President DR Bill Williams responded: “As MAPW told the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, the current safeguards cannot guarantee that Australian uranium would not end up in Russian nuclear weapons. Continue reading
Nuclear company creates a “spinoff” to avoid paying its debts
The New York Public Commission staff has concluded that Entergy’s proposed spinoff is not in the public interest, and that the new company will be too debt-burdened and financially unstable.
Nuclear “SpinCo”, t r u t h o u t , 18 March 2010 by: World Business Academy, Rinaldo Brutoco and Madeleine Austin The nuclear industry, like Wall Street, knows how to make money with other people’s money: move liabilities off balance sheet, use lots of borrowed money and leverage, don’t worry about loading too much debt onto the company as long as insiders can walk away with plenty of money and look to the fool taxpayer to cover the losses. Continue reading
Rudd’s Russia Nuclear Meltdown
“The clear wishes of the Australian public are poorly served by an Australian government opening the door to uranium sales to nuclear weapons states.”
19 March 2010: The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN) is dismayed at moves by the Rudd government to open the door to uranium sales to Russia. Continue reading
UK Conservatives nuclear power policy – impossible?
“Huge amounts of private sector investment will be needed to deliver this energy infrastructure.”
(UK) Tory energy policy given lukewarm response by energy analysts, Energy analysts have criticised Tory plans to effect the biggest shake-up of Britain’s energy policy in a generation as “verging on the impossible”. Telegraph, By Louise Armitstead , 19 Mar 2010 “……….. Continue reading
Strange deals – Aboriginals and Olympic Dam Uranium Mine Expansion
The Kokatha-Mula appear to have become the “Land Council” for the traditional Kokatha people of the Western Desert, since the traditional Kokatha people walked out on Native Title and BHP Billiton several years ago!
Kokatha ”Mula”, sounds catchy and similar but on researching the internet found no historic reference to this name.
MARK ALDRIDGE: WHO’S BEHIND THE INDEPENDENT ABORIGINAL CANDIDATES? , Coober Pedy Regional Times, 19 March 2010, ANTaR SA is helping Lynette Crocker and Dylan Mastrosavas to stand as ‘Independent SA Change’ to bring forward your Aboriginal Voices. Continue reading
Colorado endangered by uranium mining’s radioactive wastes
(USA) Colorado lawmakers trying to tighten uranium cleanup rules, KDVR, By Associated Press, March 18, 2010, DENVER (AP) — State lawmakers are worried a new national focus on nuclear energy will allow uranium mines in Colorado to postpone cleanup of radioactive wastes. Continue reading
Sydney’s radioactive residential area will still be “hot” indefinitely
because of the extremely high radioactivity levels in the waste, it may be difficult to dump it
Clean-up deadline missed, Sydney Morning Herald BRIAN ROBINS, March 19, 2010, THE planned clean-up of the radioactive site at Hunters Hill is facing an indefinite delay. The government has missed its own deadline to begin the clean-up, and is yet to even start on the necessary paperwork….. Continue reading
150 German towns unite against nuclear power
150 German towns want nuclear power ended, de.indymedia.org, Diet Simon, 17 March 2010Themen: Atom Weltweit ÖkologieLocal power utilities in Germany have formed an anti-nuclear power alliance saying that planned longer running times for nukes are endangering their plans to invest billions in climate-friendly green energies… Continue reading
Hypocrisy of Rudd government on selling uranium to Russia
Never mind that they got elected on promises to repeal Howard’s plans to dump nuclear waste on Northern Territory aboriginal land.
Never mind that the Rudd government’s own Senate inquiry recommended that selling uranium to Russia was unsafe, could increase nuclear weapons proliferation.
But – the sheer hypocrisy of Kevin Rudd, posing as the world’s great disarmament leader (with another old pro-nuker, Gareth Evans), and then deciding to send nuclear fuel to Russia!
Right at the time when the world tries to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and while Russia is now supplying Iran’s nuclear power plant!
Arms race danger as Iran develops nuclear power
Rudd prepares to open the uranium floodgates to Russia
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 