Antinuclear

Australia ‘ideal’ for Fukushima soil, THE AUSTRALIAN, BY:RICK WALLACE , March 15, 2012 A HOWARD government minister has entered the nuclear-waste debate by arguing that Australia should accept radioactive debris from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Former sports minister Andrew Thomson said the move would help break a deadlock in Japan that is jeopardising recovery efforts from last year’s March 11 tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

His comments come after the Senate’s approval of the Muckaty Station site in Northern Territory as a nuclear waste dump — and new Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s remarks backing atomic energy in Australia — reignited debate on the issue.

Because of a last-minute Greens amendment, the Muckaty site cannot accept waste from abroad, but Mr Thomson said the vast deserts of Western Australia and South Australia were perfect spots for the Fukushima waste.

In Japan, no prefecture has agreed to house the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste from the world’s second-worst nuclear tragedy and it is piling up in temporary storage sites obstructing reconstruction efforts…….. South Australia is launching a major uranium export industry. It’s only fair and reasonable if we propose to sell more uranium to Japan in future that we should offer such help now when Japan really needs it.”…. The former minister said that, in return for storing the Fukushima waste, Australia should receive more funding from Japan to ensure the construction of the troubled Oakajee port and rail project in WA, thereby unlocking the mid-west iron region.

The former minister and chairman of junior miner Athena Resources acknowledged he had a vested interest as Athena may one day use the port, which has hit problems with cost overruns but may be rescued by Mitsubishi. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/australia-ideal-for-fukushima-soil/story-fn59niix-1226299750692