Antinuclear

A little healthy nuclear paranoia in Australia

I am quite conservative at heart, and I dislike conspiratorial thinking.

BUT – it’s  a worry to me that in Australia  negotiations and decisions on matters nuclear are so secret.  It is appropriate to have  a little healthy paranoia about this.

NUCLEAR WASTES:  This week, we learn that the USA administration is negotiating with several countries, for the leasing of uranium, with the radioactive wastes to be returned to the country that sold the uranium. This is under the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation, (IFNEC), of which Australia is a member  Today, we learn that President Obama is to visit Australia,  following  a November 12-13 APEC leaders’ meeting in Hawaii. In January, Obama’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the solution to nuclear waste   is to announce its decision.

BHP BILLTION’S PLANNED EXPANSION OF OLYMPIC DAM URANIUM MINE.  In the  The State of South Australia, uranium policy is run by loyal BHP Billiton vassals   – Mike Rann, Tom Koutsantonis, Kevin Foley .  They are about to push through changes to the Roxby Downs Indenture Act –  meaning that BHP will have even more open slather for the uranium mine than they already have.

One might hope that the Australian Government would have some say in this, under The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act or under Water legislation.  But now, we learn today that the Australian government is moving to allow some projects to require approval only from the State government.  Is this going to make it still easier for those narrow-visioned South Australian politicians to just effectively rubber-stamp the largest environmentally destructive project ever undertaken in Australia – the Olympic Dam open cut uranium mine? – Christina Macpherson

August 26, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews