Ranger resignation should trigger underground uranium mine plan review
1 August 13, Environmentalists have called on Kakadu uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia and parent company Rio Tinto to re-think plans for underground mining at the troubled Ranger site following the resignation yesterday of ERA’s CEO.
The resignation news was accompanied by confirmation that ERA had again booked a half year loss, this time of over $50 million.
“The window is closing on the Kakadu uranium mining sector and before making any final investment decision ERA/Rio should review and reject any planned expansion at Ranger,” said the Environment Centre NT’s Lauren Mellor.
The ageing Ranger mine has posted financial losses for the last few years and remains badly hit by the continuing market fallout from Fukushima. It continues to be contested and plagued by water and waste management issues.
Open cut mining finished at Ranger in late 2012 and the mine is now relying on processing stockpiled ore.
ERA have submitted plans to mine a 34,000 tonne underground deposit (Ranger 3 Deeps) – this mining technique has not been used in Kakadu and is currently the subject of a full federal EIS. “Later this year the public will have the opportunity to say enough is enough – that Kakadu is no place for uranium mining – but ERA could save us all the trouble and make this call now,” said Ms Mellor.
“The resignation of CEO Rob Atkinson, the historic low uranium commodity price, the finite mine and lease life at Ranger and the high level of community interest and concern mean the Ranger 3 Deeps project should be shelved, for good.”
USA and Russia dismantling thousands of nuclear warheads
Nuclear slashed Today the number of nuclear weapons has been dramatically reduced – down by nearly three quarters to 17,000, according to data from the Federation of American Scientists. Bombs away! How have nuclear stockpiles changed since 1983? http://www.channel4.com/news/nuclear-weapons-national-archive-queen-stockpiles-bombs “….Channel 4 News looks at the size of atomic arsenals now. 1 Aug 13
Some 4,000 of Russia’s 8,500 warheads and 3,000 of the United States’ 7,700 warheads are currently waiting to be dismantled.
Unknown elements
More difficult to quantify, however, are the nuclear arsenals of non-NPT members such as North Korea and Pakistan.
The Federation of American Scientists estimates that there are less than 320 nuclear warheads across four non-NPT states – Israel, Pakistan, India and North Korea.
North Korea, which in February conducted the third nuclear test in its history, is likely to have less than 10 nuclear weapons, figures say.
Israel is estimated to have 80, Pakistan between 100 and 120, and India between 90 and 100.
Fukushima radioactive water storage nightmare
‘Water Storage Nightmare’: Bolts in Fukushima tanks will corrode in just a few years, plant workers reveal — “Tepco says it doesn’t know how long tanks will hold” -Reuters http://enenews.com/nightmare-bolts-fukushima-tanks-will-corrode-years-plant-workers-reveal-full-extremely-radioactive-water-tepco-doesnt-long-tanks-will-hold-reuters
Title: Fukushima clean-up turns toxic for Japan’s Tepco
Source: Reuters
Authors: Antoni Slodkowski and Mari Saito
Date: July 31, 2013
[…] WATER STORAGE NIGHTMARE
Experts say Tepco is attempting the most ambitious nuclear clean-up in history, even greater than the Chernobyl disaster […]
[…] radioactive water that cools the reactors […] mixes with some 400 tonnes of fresh groundwater pouring into the plant daily.
Workers have built more than 1,000 tanks […]
With more than 85 percent of the 380,000 tonnes of storage capacity filled, Tepco has said it could run out of space.
The tanks are built from parts of disassembled old containers brought from defunct factories and put together with new parts, workers from the plant told Reuters. They say steel bolts in the tanks will corrode in a few years.
Tepco says it does not know how long the tanks will hold. […]
Australians saving money by going solar
Going Solar Now Cheaper Than A Daily Cup Of Coffee http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3865 31 July 13 Australian solar solutions provider Energy Matters is currently offering fully installed 3kW solar panel systems from under $3 a day; with no up-front payment required.
With Energy Matters’ Save As You Go Solar initiative and depending on installation location; repayments are as little as $20.55 week for a 3kW system that can return a financial benefit of up to $1,215 year – meaning the amount saved on electricity bills can be more than the repayments.
After the payment period, electricity produced by the system is essentially free. Continue reading
Genetic effects from sperm abnormalities caused by ionising radiation
Radiation is Threatening The Formation of Sperm, Cancer Health Centre, Nuclear radiation: nuclear radiation on the testis, the most powerful destructive effects can easily lead to male infertility. In the testis is the organ most sensitive organ to radiation is one of low doses of radiation are sufficient to significantly lower sperm quality, can cause temporary or even no sperm. 200 to 300 roentgen radiations can cause impaired spermatogenesis, 600 to 800 roentgen doses will enable the complete loss of spermatogenesis, loss of normal fertility.- X-ray: Studies show that high-dose X-ray can cause sperm abnormalities, reducing the number of low quality, affecting germ cell genes, so that future generations have a serious genetic effects, which cause fetal malformations, miscarriage , premature delivery, mental retardation and so on.http://cancerlive.net/men-health/radiation-is-threatening-the-formation-of-sperm/
Ionising radiation, even at low doses, damages sperm
Animal studies have shown serious consequences in the offspring when DNA-damaged sperm fertilizes the egg,
the genetic and epigenetic abnormalities observed in the sperm are serious concerns,” said Adiga.
Epigenetic abnormalities are abnormalities induced by the effect of environment on the expression (functioning) of genes, which in this study refers to the prolonged exposure to radiation.
Radiation exposure affects sperm quality: Study, Daijiworld Manipal, August 1 (IANS): Manipal, August 1 (IANS): Long-term exposure to radiation at the workplace may play havoc with your sperm quality, says new research by Indian medical scientists.
A team of fertility experts, led by Manipal University professor of clinical embryology Satish Adiga, analysed sperm quality of 83 men working for three to 18 years in diagnostic or radiation units at various hospitals.
The results were compared with 51 men, also working in hospitals with a similar lifestyle but not exposed to radiation, US journal Public Library of Science ONE reports.
The men’s semen quality was tested for sperm number, vitality, shape and its DNA quality. The amount of radiation absorbed by health workers was also correlated with sperm quality.
Manipal researchers found more abnormal characteristics in the sperm of men exposed to the radiation, such as decrease in sperm motility, altered shape and vitality. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 