Why there are only a few claims to Australian government from nuclear veterans
– “John” comments on Adelaide Now, 23 Sept 11 Mr Snowdon said “the Department of Veterans Affairs had received claims from a small number of personnel not currently eligible for compensation and health care from their participation in the British nuclear test program” Small number, because like my Grandfather who was there, they have passed away due to some form of cancer..If you stall long enough neither the British or the Australian governments will need to pay a dollar in compensation 57 plus years is a long time to admit you were at fault.
Nearly 60 years later, a few of Australia’s nuclear veterans will get some government help
British nuclear test compensation victory for RAAF personnel, Adelaide Now, September 22, 2011 A SMALL number of veterans of British nuclear tests conducted in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s will now be entitled to health care and compensation. Veterans Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon said the former RAAF personnel had previously been excluded as their involvement fell outside the currently legislated nuclear test areas or time periods. Mr Snowdon said others could also be eligible.
“The quality of the records from the test period, and the secrecy surrounding the operation, means that it is impossible to rule out the likelihood that new information may come to light which warrants further extension of coverage to additional groups of participants,” he told Federal Parliament.
Mr Snowdon said the Department of Veterans Affairs had received claims from a small number of personnel not currently eligible for compensation and health care from their participation in the British nuclear test program.
He said they were involved in the maintenance, transporting or decontamination of aircraft used in the nuclear test program outside the currently legislated nuclear test areas or time periods.
The maintenance and decontamination of the aircraft – mostly Canberra bombers – took place at Woomera and the Edinburgh air base, near Salisbury. Britain exploded seven atomic bombs in the South Australian outback in 1956-57 but continued the nuclear test program through to May 1963 with a large number of minor trials of items such as nuclear initiators. Nuclear test veterans have long sought a better deal, arguing that their health was affected by radiation exposure.
Debate on the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Participants in British Nuclear Tests) Bill 2011 was adjourned….http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/british-nuclear-test-compensation-victory-for-raaf-personnel/story-e6frea83-1226143449967
South Australia’s Liberal Party says nuclear power uneconomic, goes for gas and trigeneration
South Australian Liberals to look at trigeneration power, VERITY EDWARDS, The Australian, September 23, 2011 SOUTH Australian Opposition leader Isobel Redmond has committed a future Liberal government to investigating trigeneration power, despite concerns about its cost and reliability.
Delivering a headland speech to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce in Adelaide, Ms Redmond yesterday criticised the introduction of a carbon tax and price as “economically insane”, described nuclear power as uneconomical and said gas would be the state’s logical source of future energy.
“If elected, a Redmond Liberal government will conduct a feasibility study into a trigeneration network in Adelaide,” Ms Redmond told the lunch. Gas-fired trigeneration plants produce electricity and harness the heating and cooling by-products for use within buildings.
The City of Sydney last year announced it wanted to establish a network of trigeneration plants capable of generating 330MW of electricity by 2030, or up to 70 per cent of Sydney’s needs….http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/south-australian-liberals-to-look-at-trigeneration-power/story-e6frgczx-1226144067671
Australia’s Lynas company’s problems – share price, governance, Malaysia protests
It is interesting to keep an eye on Australia’ s Lynas corporation. For one thing, that devious old propaganda
merchant, Ziggy Switkowski is on Lynas’ board of directors. Wherever Ziggy is, spin will abound.
For another thing, Lynas is dedicated to make a mint out of rare earths processing in Malaysia. (nothing wrong with the idea – after, making a mint is the correct mission for a corporation – its only responsibility, unfortunately).
Still – the rare earths processing is fraught with danger. Both USA and China had to stop rare earths operations, due to very bad environmental pollution, though both are now starting again. China got away with it for ages, by putting the rare earths processing in a rural area, with an unsophisticated indigenous population. But Malaysia – that is a different situation, with a much more educated and urban population, who don’t want the pollution risk.
And now – Lynas has a couple of other problems – its plummeting share price, and some questions about corporate governance
Corporate governance guidelines outlined by the Australian Securities Exchange recommend that ”the role of chair and chief should not be exercised by the same individual”.
Lynas is expected to report a full-year loss before tax of $57 million today as it ramps up towards production. Shares in Lynas closed 17.5¢, or 14 per cent, lower at $1.105 – more than 60 per cent off its April high of $2.70.
Lynas shareholders demand that chairman steps down, The Age, Philip Wen, September 23, 2011 A VOCAL group of retail shareholders in rare-earths miner Lynas is seeking to remove mining entrepreneur Nick Curtis as chairman, citing concerns over ”risks to corporate governance”. Continue reading
Nuclear power would mean a nightmare for Nigeria
OIL POLITICS: Nigeria’s Nuclear Nightmare , NEXT, By Nnimmo Bassey, September 22, 2011, The Nigerian government appears to be scheming to get deeper into the nuclear mire at a time when the world is inching, albeit slowly, from dirty and dangerous energy sources. The fact that Nigeria has one of the worst electricity supplies in the world, with only about 40% of the population having access to public power supply does not justify toeing the nuclear path. It calls for investing in safe forms of renewable energy production. It also calls for the wastage in the gas and oil fields. Following the Fukushima incident earlier this year the dangers associated with nuclear power generation have again been brought to the front burners. With heightened concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants, it is shocking to see the Nigerian President pushing Nigeria unto the nuclear path. This may appear like a dream come true for the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, but this has all the potential of turning into a nightmare for the country. Continue reading
Uranium mining company Rio Tinto on a losing streak
Rio Tinto: The Losing Streak Continues (RIO) Financial News Network, 09/22/2011, By Robert Cotte, Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) traded at a new 52-week low today of $45.56. So far today approximately 10 million shares have been exchanged, as compared to an average 30-day volume of 3.2 million shares.
Rio Tinto PLC is an international mining company. The Company has interests in mining for aluminum, borax, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, silver, tin, uranium, zinc, titanium dioxide feedstock, diamonds, talc and zircon. Rio Tinto’s various mining operations are located in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, South America, Europe, and Indonesia…… http://www.fnno.com/story/52-week-high-lows/331-rio-tinto-losing-streak-continues-rio-52-week-high-lows
Rio Tinto not really optimistic about uranium mining
Rio Tinto hopes for a short nuclear slowdown, The Australian, Dow Jones Newswires , September 23, 2011 JAPAN’S Fukushima nuclear accident in March has damaged the credibility of the uranium mining industry and will slow nuclear power growth for up to two years, predicts a Rio Tinto executive…..
The medium-term outlook for uranium, the key fuel for nuclear reactors, remains clouded in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.The crisis began in March when explosions crippled the Fukushima reactor complex following the country’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. Rio Tinto is a major uranium producer via its majority ownership of Energy Resources of Australia and the huge Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia….
Mr Lloyd said that, in addition to uncertainty about demand, the “high capital cost” of new nuclear reactors might be an issue for the sector as it sought to attract funding in coming years. ……http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/rio-tinto-hopes-for-a-short-nuclear-slowdown/story-e6frg9df-1226144025698
Collision between Russian nuclear submarine and fishing boat
Nuclear submarine collides with fishing boat, ABC News, 23 Sept 11, A Russian nuclear submarine collided with a fishing boat off the country’s Pacific coast, damaging the outer shell of the naval vessel but causing no radiation leak, Russian news agencies reported overnight.
The nuclear reactor on the St George the Conqueror submarine was unaffected and radiation levels after Wednesday’s incident in Avachin Bay off Kamchatka Peninsula were normal, Interfax reported, citing a Russian navy source….
The defence ministry could not be reached for comment.
The submarine was moored at the nearby harbour of Vilyuchinsk for repairs to the hull, Interfax reported. Russia has the second largest submarine fleet in the world after the United States. It is building a new fleet of nuclear submarines due to carry the next generation of Bulava missiles, which may be operational as early as next year.
In 2000, the nuclear submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea after explosions on board, killing all 118 seamen on board.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-23/nuke-sub-crashes-into-fishing-boat/2912466
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 