Antinuclear

Bob Hawke happy to have nuclear waste imported, dumped on Aboriginal land

Australia should be nuclear dumping ground, says Bob Hawke    Dump nuclear waste in Australia says former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke: “The one thing this country ought to do is have the disposal of nuclear waste in remote areas.” Australian Times, By Estelle Vosloo on 5 June, 2014  In an address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Bob Hawke said Australia’s remote areas should be used as a nuclear dumping ground for the rest of the world.

The former Labor prime minister elaborated on his statement while speaking to members of the Australian Press Club, at an event marking their 50th anniversary. Former Liberal prime minister John Howard also spoke at the event……..

Currently approximately 80% of the waste produced at Lucas Heights, Australia’s only nuclear reactor, comes from the production of nuclear medicine items like containers, gloves, plastic and equipment.

Friends of the Earth (Australia) stated that, “Any used fuel is currently stored in permanent storage facilities in France, the UK and the US but will be returned to Australia in 2015 as intermediate-level waste.

It is argued that Australia has a responsibility to accept waste arising from the processing of uranium exports. However the larger share of the responsibility lies with the countries that make use of Australian uranium,” their statement says.

“Moreover while uranium mining companies arguably ought to take some responsibility for the waste arising from their exports, it is not clear that that responsibility lies with Australia as a whole,” they say, adding that uranium is being mined on Aboriginal land without their consent and that the waste will again be dumped on Aboriginal land. http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news/news-from-australia/news-in-australia/australia-should-become-nuclear-dumping-ground-says-bob-hawke.htm

June 9, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, wastes