Northern Territory radioactive river spill causes wave of concern
Environment Centre NT calls for EPA investigation radioactive spill, 2 Jan 2012 The train derailment at Edith River spilling 1200 tonnes of copper concentrate into the flooded environment, which may have contained 0.01% of uranium, has urged the Environment Centre NT to call on the EPA for a full investigation.
“We have now learnt that the NT Government approved the transport of these toxic materials in substandard casing, covered only by a tarp. We want to know which department and which minister had signed off on this outrageous exemption” Said Cat Beaton, Nuclear Free NT Campaigner at the Environment Centre NT.
“This incident is a serious warning, that must trigger serious action. We will be writing to the EPA requesting a full investigation”.
“NT Government should not approve any increased transport of radioactive materials by rail until such an independent investigation has been undertaken,” continued Ms Beaton.
The Northern Territory is at the dawn of increased transport of toxic and radioactive materials. The expansion of BHP’s Olympic Dam mine in SA is set to see 1.6 million tonnes a year of uranium infused copper concentrate transported daily by 1.8km long trainloads for the next 80-plus years.
The Territory could also face the reality of radioactive waste transport for a proposed nuclear waste dump at Muckaty, 120ks north of Tennant Creek.
“Right now the Territory Government cannot be trusted to ensure the safe transport of dangerous goods and we all need to think about the risks to our rivers, environment and the outdoors lifestyle that Territorians enjoy,” concluded Ms Beaton.
Mr Fraser said. “The Cold War was still in progress. It was a different world. “We’ve gotten far too close to the Americans.”……
In 1985, the then PM Bob Hawke withdrew support for the missile tests after a meeting with US Secretary of State George Shultz.
US planned to fire missile at Australia, secret Cabinet papers from 1980s reveal By 
Samantha Maiden The Sunday Telegraph January 01, 2012
- Fraser agreed for US missiles to be fired at Australia
- Were to be fired into Tasman Sea off Cape Pillar
A SECRET US plan to test MX missiles by firing them from California to the coast of Australia was signed off on by then prime minister Malcolm Fraser. And it can be revealed that the federal Cabinet agreed to keep the intercontinental ballistic missile tests secret because it was “preferable for the matter not to become an election issue”. Continue reading
Japan’s nuclear regulator got kickbacks from nuclear industry
Nuclear safety panel given donations, 9 News 2 Jan 12, Almost one-third of commissioners and examiners at Japan’s nuclear safety commission received donations from the country’s nuclear power industry, the Asahi Shimbun reported on Sunday.
The daily said the governmental commission’s neutrality could be brought into question at a time when the safety of nuclear reactors in Japan was in doubt after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster…..
Two of the organisation’s five permanent commissioners and 22 of its 84 outside examiners received donations from companies and industrial organisations related to nuclear power, in five years to March 2011, Asahi said.
The donations totalled about Y85 million ($1.08 million), the daily said. Of them, 11 received donations from nuclear reactor manufacturers and, or, power utilities and nuclear fuel companies which are examined by the commission, Asahi said.
The commission is authorised to guide the state and power utilities from a neutral position.
Haruki Madarame, chairman of the commissioners, received four million yen from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries between 2006 and 2009 when he was a professor at the University of Tokyo before assuming the commission’s post last April, Asahi said….. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8397277/nuclear-safety-panel-given-donations
USA compensates nuclear test soldiers for 15 different types of cancer
DISEASES ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO BE CAUSED BY PARTICIPATION IN ATMOSPHERIC TESTING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, 2 Jan 2012
Leukaemia (other than chronic Iymphocytic leukaemia)
Cancer of the Thyroid
Cancer of the Breast
Cancer of the Pharynx
Cancer of the Oesophagus
Cancer of the Stomach
Cancer of the small intestine
Cancer of the Pancreas
Multiple Myeloma
Lymphomas (except Hodgkinís disease)
Cancer of the Bile Ducts
Cancer of the Gall Bladder
Cancer of the liver (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis indicated)
Cancer of the urinary tract, which also translates to the bladder and kidneys
Cancer of the salivary glands
Incorporated into public law 100-321, 20.5.88.
“This law gives US atomic exservicemen due recognition for the unusual service they rendered, and is an expression of gratitude of the American people toward their atomic veterans The law enables Veteran Affairs benefits to flow to US atomic veterans who are afflicted. The US government m relation to nuclear veterans considers the nature of service plus the development of any of the above diseases sufficient cause to quality for Veteran Benefits regardless of recorded dose rates received. All US nuclear test service personnel are officially Veterans.” http://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/diseases-acknowledged-by-the-united-states-government-to-be-caused-by-participation-in-atmospheric-testing-of-nuclear-weapons/
Toxic spill might raise insurance costs for uranium transport from planned BHP new mine
it was unclear whether the incident would raise premiums for miners
By far the biggest user of the railway will be BHP Billiton, which, if it approves its expected expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in South Australia, will run a train a day from the mine to Darwin. …..
OZ Minerals’ insurance claim for derailment loss may face complication over pollution BY: MATT CHAMBERS The Australian January 02, 2012 OZ Minerals may recoup through insurance some of the losses from the up to 1200 tonnes of copper concentrate that disappeared into the Northern Territory’s Edith River last week after a train derailed. In an announcement to the stock exchange on Thursday, OZ said the value of the lost concentrates was between $US7 million ($6.85m) and $US8m, or about 4 per cent of its 2010-11 underlying net profit of $189m. Continue reading
Oz Minerals may be prosecuted for its latest toxic spillage in Northern Territory
Toxic spill may lead to legal action BY: VERITY EDWARDS : The Australian January 02, 2012 THE Northern Territory government will consider legal action against the companies responsible for a train derailment that saw up to 1500 tonnes of copper concentrate containing uranium spill into the Edith River on Tuesday.
The copper concentrate, which is worth up to $8 million, contained up to 100kg of uranium comprising .008 per cent of its load….. SafeWork SA and the Northern Territory’s Worksafe granted OZ Minerals an exemption to carry the copper concentrate in containers known as kibbles and covered by tarpaulins after national regulations on transporting environmentally hazardous materials were introduced on April 1.
The exemption expired on December 31, four days after the train derailed in floodwaters while crossing the Edith River, 40km north of Katherine…..The Environment Centre NT co-ordinator, Stuart Blanch, said the spillage was the second time OZ Minerals’ copper concentrate had entered a Territory waterway and the company needed to be held to
account.
Spillages were reported during loading at the Port of Darwin between November 2009 and April 2010, but Oz Minerals was not prosecuted.
“On the one hand to try and prosecute them and (then) for Worksafe to give them an exemption to use tarps makes us look like Nigeria or a third world country,” Dr Blanch said.
He questioned whether the decision to grant the exemption was based on economics rather than environmental protection.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/toxic-spill-may-lead-to-legal-action/story-e6frg6nf-1226234417819
Australian renewable energy companies urged to invest in China
China shifts focus to green industry BY: ROWAN CALLICK, ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR The Australian January 02, 2012 CHINA is opening new areas of its economy to foreign investors and putting more emphasis on emerging sectors such as green energy, while downgrading support for traditional industries such as the automotive industry……
These key central government agencies say China wishes to encourage investment in strategic emerging industries. They include energy saving and environmentally friendly technologies, new-generation information technology, biotechnology,
high-end equipment manufacturing, alternative energy, advanced materials, recycling and alternative-fuel cars…..
Frank Tudor, national president of the Australia China Business Council, told The Australian the easing of controls on foreign investment was welcome news. “Australian companies operating in the areas of renewable energy and sustainable development should be assessing opportunities in this space,” he said….
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/world/china-shifts-focus-to-green-industry/story-e6frg90o-1226234392377
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 