Latest nuclear news in Australia
Some good news. That rare event – all parties in the Australian Parliament support the Bill to include the beautiful World Heritage area of Koongarra into Kakadu National Park. JeffreyLees, traditional owner of Koongarra resolutely knocked back AREVA’s millions to mine uranium there. Lees donated his land to the National Park – “Money comes and goes, but the land is always here”.
Anti nuclear movement gaining strength as Australian Nuclear free Alliance kicks off with its National Nuclear Free Strategy conference, representing at least 20 national and state organisations across the country. I was lucky to be able to attend, and learn of the inspirational work of black and white Australians in these groups – that work on dedication and shoe-string budgets.
Queensland‘s Uranium Implementation Committee warns that uranium mining will not be happening any time soon – the major reason being the poor market prospects.
Climate Change. Al Gore warns that the Coalition’s climate action policy won’t work, and he praises Julia’s Gillard’s climate policy as an inspiration to the world.
Renewable energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that renewable energy will take over in Australia, with wind power now cheaper than coal and gas, even without subsidy.
Wind power. Australia’s Environment Protection Authority’s study reported that infrasound from wind turbines was insignifican compared to infrasound from many other sources in the Australian environment
Paladin, Rio Tinto in Malawi and Namibia. Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr has done it again! He really does excel in hypocrisy. Carr praised these uranium mining companies for strong corporate social responsibility. What a load of twaddle! With Paladin’s 10 years of no taxes in Malawi, as part of a deal all too favourable to Paladin, in this poverty-stricken country – with Rio Tinto’s environmental pollution in Namibia – with Australian overseas aid money going to Paladin for its public relations projects in Malawi – with many allegations against Paladin – these uranium companies look like the Ugliest Australians in Africa.
Worse – Australian Defence Force chief General David Hurley’s alarming indication that there might be a role for the ADF in protecting “Australian interests” in Africa?
Olympic Dam. The grandiose plans seem to have stuffed up badly, as BHP now cuts operations and slashes jobs.
Koongarra permanently protected from uranium mining
GUNDJEIHMI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION 7 Feb 13 Mirarr Traditional Aboriginal Owners today welcomed Environment Minister Tony Burke’s introduction of a bill which clears the way for the incorporation of the Koongarra area into Kakadu National Park. This move recognises the long held Aboriginal aspiration to protect this unique area from the threat of uranium mining.
The introduction of the Completion of Kakadu National Park (Koongarra Project Area Repeal) Bill was also welcomed by the Djok Senior Traditional Owner of the Koongarra area, Jeffrey Lee AM. Mr Lee was in the Federal Parliament to witness the introduction of the bill, accompanied by a delegation representing the Mirarr. Jeffrey Lee was awarded the Order of Australia in 2012 in recognition of his work to protect his country and gift it to the nation. He has firmly opposed uranium mining on his country on the grounds of the deep cultural significance of Koongarra to its Traditional Owners and concerns about the dangers of uranium.
In his long struggle to protect his country Mr Lee has drawn inspiration from Yvonne Margarula, the Senior Traditional Owner of the neighbouring Mirarr people. Since the 1990s Yvonne Margarula has led the Mirarr opposition to the proposed Jabiluka mine, north of Koongarra and the existing Ranger uranium mine also on Mirarr land. Ms Margarula spearheaded the international campaign against mining at Jabiluka. Her resolve and leadership guided the campaign and prompted a special UNESCO mission, resolutions in the European Parliament and US Congress and several Australian parliamentary inquiries. In the late 1990s Ms Margarula won several prestigious international awards in recognition of her work to protect her country.
In 2001, the Rio Tinto majority owned mining company Energy Resources of Australia acknowledged the opposition of the Mirarr traditional owners and agreed to halt work at Jabiluka.
Ms Margarula said, “Traditional Owners must be allowed to make their own decisions about development on their country. Jeffrey has been speaking out to protect his country and we support him. He has always said no to mining at Koongarra and we support him when he says he wants to see that country put into the National Park. We want to see the same protection for Mirarr country.”
The Mirarr people have this month executed a renegotiated agreement for the existing Ranger mine, which was imposed on them in 1978. This agreement, along with provisions of the federal Atomic Energy Act, provides for the Ranger area to also be included into Kakadu National Park as the mine is rehabilitated.
The executive officer of Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, Justin O’Brien, said, “This action by the government is to be applauded, although the name of the bill incorrectly implies that this completes the national park. There is further work to be done and we still look forward to the day when all of Kakadu is included in the National Park and adequately protected from unwanted industrial development.”
A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM MR LEE IS ATTACHED TO THIS STATEMENT Continue reading
Economics – the real cause of the nuclear industry’s decline and fall
The Real Deterrent to Nuclear Power WSJ BY LIAM DENNING, 6 Feb 13 Long before they consume even a pound of uranium, nuclear-power plants burn through copious quantities of cash. That handicap was laid bare, once again, on both sides of the Atlantic this week.
On Tuesday, Duke Energy said it would decommission its Crystal River nuclear-power plant in Florida rather than pay a repair bill estimated last October at more than …(subscribers only) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324761004578285992381951734.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Delay for uranium mining in Queensland – it’s not economic
Mining uranium “a little time” away http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/02/mining-uranium-a-little-time-away.html 04 February 2013 by Emma Cillekens Mining uranium in Queensland is still “a little time” away, according to the chair of a committee appointed by the State Government to assess best practice approaches to the mining.
The Uranium Implementation Committee toured Mount Isa late last week to speak to local authorities, mining companies and traditional owner groups about mining uranium.
The group also visited the last operating uranium mine in the state, Mary Kathleen mine (pictured), which closed in the early 80s.
Committee chair Paul Bell says there are still a couple of things that need to be considered before uranium mining can happen.
“There’s a challenge at the moment, the price [of uranium] is very low,” he said.
“Any application for a mining application approval will in itself take two to three years.”
The committee will spend three weeks working on recommendations and will present a report to the State Government next month.
VIDEO Tiny Abbott’s climate action plan won’t work – Al Gore
VIDEO Coalition’s climate policy has never worked: Gore http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-05/coalition27s-climate-policy-has-never-worked3a-gore/4500680 ABC Lateline
Feb 5, 2013 Former US vice-president and climate change activist Al Gore has dismissed the Opposition’s climate change policy, but praised the Government as a world leader for its climate action.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott intends on dumping the Government’s carbon tax if the Coalition wins the September election.
Mr Abbott says the Opposition would implement a direct-action plan which involves planting trees and providing financial incentives for polluters to reduce their carbon output.
But Mr Gore told Lateline that the plan has never worked in countries that have implemented it.
When asked what he thought of Mr Abbott’s strategy, Mr Gore said: “It didn’t work [in the US] – it hasn’t worked anywhere.”
But Mr Gore applauded Prime Minister Julia Gillard for her “courage and vision” on climate change, saying the world must stand up to the challenge.
“Australia has inspired the world by taking some very responsible steps, even though Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter,” he said.
“I was cheered by the news this past week from Australia that electricity from wind power is now cheaper than electricity from a plant that is newly constructed to burn coal.”….
Jeffrey Lee – Aboriginal elder who put his country before $millions – saving Koongarra from uranium mining
Aboriginal elder spurns million dollar offer from uranium minershttp://www.mining.com/aboriginal-elder-spurns-millions-of-dollars-from-uranium-miners-58963/Marc Howe | February 6, 2013 An elder from the Djok aboriginal community has hailed a move by the federal government to prevent the mining of uranium on his ancestral lands.
On Wednesday the federal government introduced a bill to incorporate 1228 hectares of the Koongarra, the traditional land of the Djok people, into the Kakadu National Park, thus preventing efforts by uranium mines to develop the area’s resources.
Jeffrey Lee, an elder of the Djok people, welcomed the decision after fighting for over three decades to prevent uranium extraction in the area, as well as spurning million dollar offers from miners.
“I have said no to uranium mining at Koongarra because I believe that the land and my cultural beliefs are more important than mining and money,” said Mr. Lee.
A French company reportedly offered Mr. Lee $5 million to withdrawn his opposition to uranium development plans.
Although Koongarra lies within the Kakadu area, a ruling in 1979 prevented its inclusion in the park, in order to leave open the possibility of development of its uranium resources, estimated to stand at around 14,000 tonnes.
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke as well as Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke joined Mr. Lee to make the announcement as well as hail the government’s decision.
Even without govt subsidy renewable energy in Australia now cheaper than coal and gas
Renewables now cheaper than coal and gas in Australia http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/renewables-now-cheaper-than-coal-and-gas-in-australia-62268 By Giles Parkinson 7 February 2013 A new analysis from research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance has concluded that electricity from unsubsidised renewable energy is already cheaper than electricity from new-build coal and gas-fired power stations in Australia.
The modeling from the BNEF team in Sydney found that new wind farms could supply electricity at a cost of $80/MWh –compared with $143/MWh for new build coal, and $116/MWh for new build gas-fired generation.
These figures include the cost of carbon emissions, but BNEF said even without a carbon price, wind energy remained 14 per cent cheaper than new coal and 18 per cent cheaper than new gas.
“The perception that fossil fuels are cheap and renewables are expensive is now out of date”, said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
“The fact that wind power is now cheaper than coal and gas in a country with some of the world’s best fossil fuel resources shows that clean energy is a game changer which promises to turn the economics of power systems on its head,” he said.
But before people, such as the conservative parties, reach for the smelling salts and wonder why renewables need support mechanisms such as the renewable energy target, BNEF said this was because new build renewables had to compete with existing plant, and the large scale RET was essential to enable the construction of new wind and solar farms. Continue reading
AREVA – another ugly uranium company in Niger
In Niger, New Disputes Over French Uranium Extraction International Business Times, 6 Feb 13, “....no wonder Paris sent its own special security forces to Niger this week to protect a French-operated uranium mine there.
But mineral resources have long been a touchy subject in Niger, and the extra security has generated some controversy as to whether foreign investors have dealt a fair hand to the country’s 16 million people.
“Uranium is really a crucial point of contention,” said Leonardo A. Villalón, an associate professor at the University of Florida and expert on the Sahel, the band of semi-arid land just south of the Sahara Desert. “The notion of exactly who benefits from the resource is the central question of political economy in Niger.”….. President Mahamadou Issoufou suggested on Sunday that Nigeriens are getting the short end of the stick…..
The exact details regarding Areva’s current dealings with Niger are murky. …. Areva did not respond to requests for comment regarding its current agreement with the Nigerien administration….. http://www.ibtimes.com/niger-new-disputes-over-french-uranium-extraction-1064546
Global warming problem is no argument for nuclear power
The danger of relying on nuclear power plants http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-nuclear-power-20130206,0,4009253.story Gwen L. DuBois February 6, 2013 Norman Meadow’s commentary promoting nuclear power over wind energy as a solution to climate change leaves out serious unsolved problems that wind does not present (“Nuclear blows away wind,” Feb. 1).
Huge piles of highly radioactive waste are sitting all over the world in vulnerable spent fuel pools lacking containment structures or backup generators. The Japanese government was considering an evacuation of Tokyo in the event of an explosion at one.
As we expand our reliance on nuclear power, we also expand this Achilles heel of the nuclear industry. Fukushima led to hot spots of radioactivity as far as 158 miles away. While Mr. Meadow talks of exaggerated fears of small doses of radiation from accidents, would anyone choose to raise their children in an area contaminated by radioactive cesium with a half-life of 30 years?
Recently 28 of 442 exported food samples tested by the Food and Drug Administration were found to be contaminated. Chernobyl may have led to as many as 900,000 deaths worldwide.
Decades ago, a Sandia National Labs report for Congress estimated tens of thousands of deaths would occur from a worst-case nuclear accident, which would also be costly and chill the expansion of nuclear power plants. Three Mile Island, a formerNuclear Regulatory Commission member said, “taught Wall Street that a group of NRC-licensed reactor operators, as good as any other, could turn a $2 billion asset into a $1 billion cleanup job in about 90 minutes.”
Mr. Meadow’s goal of a carbon-free society is correct. In addition to wind, we need solar; we need smart grid and infrastructure and we need greater efficiency. We need lifestyle changes leading to less energy use.
We can get to zero this way, and nuclear can be a transitional source of energy while we are gearing up renewable energy sources. But what we don’t need are more nuclear wastes, more nuclear accidents, more dirty mining of uranium or more sources of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium waiting to be stolen and used against us.
BHP had made “some very bad decisions” regarding Olympic Dam uranium mining- slashes jobs –
VIDEO http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-06/bhp-billiton-slashes-jobs-at-sa27s-olympic-dam/4504834 
ABC News, 7 Feb 13, BHP Billiton slashes jobs at Olympic Dam mine BHP Billiton is cutting dozens of jobs at its Olympic Dam mine in the South Australian outback, but it is unclear exactly how many positions will go.
At least 60 employees and an unknown number of contractors will lose their jobs.
In a statement, BHP Billiton said a reduction in functional and operational roles at Olympic Dam was necessary and would affect employees and contractors…..
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