Antinuclear

Nuclear Power and WATER – theme for February 2012

Australia is at the forefront of the world’s nuclear fuel cycle. The world’s media seems to cover nuclear issues at the back end – nuclear reactor accidents, used nuclear fuel wastes.

But – at the very front end is the destruction of precious natural resources.  Above all, there’s the guzzling of Australia’s fresh water.  There is also the degradation of rivers, creeks and groundwater, through radioactive leakage.

Water intake. No mines are more water intensive this the uranium mines.  Of these, BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam is the prime guzzler, with its massive daily draught from the Great Artesian Basin

Over recent months,  large areas of Australia have experienced extraordinarily large rainfall.  This might have lulled Australians in the Eastern States into thinking that we have plenty of fresh water. Australians are amongst the highest consumers of water in the world.

We don’t. Australia is the driest inhabited continent, with one of the lowest rainfalls in the world. Three quarters of Australia is arid or semi-arid.    We depend on the Murray River system for 50% of our water use.  While surface water systems provide most of Australia’s water intake, undergoud bores alos play a significant role.

The Great Artesian Basin provides the only reliable source of fresh water  through much of inland Australia.  Water extraction from the GAB is essentially a mining operation, with recharge much less than current extraction rates. Australia’s extraction of water from the Great Artesian Basin (GAB)  is estimated to be greater than the inflow to the GAB

Water radioactive pollution. There have been numerous spills and leaks, and seepage from Australian uranium mines, into creeks, river systems and groundwater. (from Nabarlek, Ranger, Olympic Dam. Beverly, Rum Jungle, Radium Hill, Mary Kathleen.  League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc.: Uranium Mining: Australia and Globally)

In South Australia, there have been over 20 spills at the Beverley In Situ Leach mine (http://uranium-news.com/category/processes/in-situ-leach/)

January 31, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina themes