Antinuclear

Australian government does USA’s bidding on uranium sales to India

Selling uranium is concerning Border Mail, MRS CHRIS SOBEY, Albury, May 6, 2013 THE recent news Australia will sell uranium to India is of enormous concern.

An extract from journalist Paul Cleary’s book Minefield: The Dark Side of Australia’s Resources Rush explains the “extensive lists of conditions make for impressive press releases .. yet mining companies don’t complain … because they know governments do not have the capacity to enforce them”. The Great Artesian Basin, Australia’s inland sea, is of enormous importance to us, yet BHP uses at least 30 million litres of water from this source every day, and at no cost.

But worse than that pillaging, I believe, is the state and federal governments’ recent approval of the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine, which is destined to become the world’s biggest man-made crater. The waste, in its 44-square kilometre storage facility, will remain active for 10,000 years, while the entire operation will leach up to 8 million litres of contaminated waste water into groundwater each day.

And on top of this long-term damage to our country, India isn’t even a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — we’re obliging because the US is putting pressure on us. For how long do we have to be beholden to the US for past help, that our country Australia has to do its every bidding?

May 6, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News