Protests in Sydney: ‘Australian uranium fuelled Fukushima,’ , ‘BHP, Dirty Deeds’.
Uranium, LNG protests mar BHP AGM, http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/uranium-lng-protests-mar-bhp-agm/story-e6frg9df-1226526641056 SARAH-JANE TASKER, November 29, 2012
BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting in Sydney today was the scene of vocal protests against the uranium assets of the world’s largest miner.
Four abseilers managed to scale Sydney’s Convention Centre and hang two banners, one with the message, ‘Australian uranium fuelled Fukushima,’ in reference to Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster. The other banner read, ‘BHP, Dirty Deeds’.
Police riot squad and rescue officers attended the scene in Darling Harbour, where about 40 people gathered to protest against the miner. Various groups were concerned by uranium, coal seam gas and James Price Point, the $40 billion LNG joint venture project which BHP has a minority interest in.
At the start of the meeting, attended by around 600 shareholders, a vocal protester shouted her protests against uranium from the back of the room, following an address by chief executive Marius Kloppers.
Police at the scene today told AAP they expected to charge the abseilers.
A Friends of the Earth spokeswoman said the first pair of activists had been brought down by a police rescue team and taken to Surry Hills police station. The last two had climbed back onto the roof voluntarily and had not yet been detained, she said.
One of the groups was distributing an alternative annual report, Dirty Deeds, which was distributed to shareholders. The report focuses on the uranium and copper mine at Olympic Dam, South Australia, and the James Price Point project in Western Australia.
Additional reporting: AAP
Australian Senate defeats motion regarding the safety of uranium transport
Today, 29 November, senator Ludlam moved this motion on the safety of uranium transport. It was defeated in the Senate
That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2013:
The role, adequacy and effectiveness of government regulation of uranium oxide transport, including:
a. the mitigation of public radiation exposure from uranium oxide transport;
b. the evaluation of the frequency and severity of transport and handling accidents including the 27 December 2011 train derailment resulting in toxic copper concentrate flowing into the Edith River;
c. the process of issuing and auditing compliance with transport radiation management plans;
d. the resourcing and conduct of transport related aspects of nuclear actions referred under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC);
e. the preparedness and resourcing of regional emergency contingency planning, education and training services;
f. the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency Codes, including the Code of Practice for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material;
g. the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office regulation of the transportation of nuclear material and issuance and auditing of compliance with transport permits;
h. other relevant related matters.
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