Antinuclear

Having failed to deliver on promises of national wealth from uranium mining – nuclear industry promoters are now talking up the prospect of ‘stupendous’ riches from Australia hosting the world’s high-level radioactive waste.

The South Australian Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission, headed by former Governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, has unleashed a frontier style enthusiasm that has seen SA’s Adelaide Advertiser newspaper trumpeting the “Scrooge McDuck levels of cash which the state would be swimming in”.

With the promised dollar signs shinier in the eyes of many politicians and commentators than the very real danger signs, it is time for some cool heads when it comes to plans to import hot wastes.

As home to around 35 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves, Australia has long been a significant player in the global nuclear trade and there are some useful lessons from this experience.

Since the 1980’s the ‘modern’ period of Australian uranium mining has been dominated by two major operations – Ranger in Kakadu and Olympic Dam in northern South Australia.

The sector has been constrained by political uncertainty, restrictions on the number of permissible mines, a consistent lack of social license and strong Aboriginal and community resistance.

Recent years have seen fewer political constraints but a dramatic decline in the price of uranium and popularity of nuclear power, following the Australian uranium fuelled Fukushima nuclear crisis – which is fast approaching its five year anniversary, and whose radioactive fallout continues to negatively impact lives in Japan and beyond.

Australia now accounts for approximately 11 per cent of global uranium production, down from over 18 per cent a decade earlier.

Australia’s uranium production of 5,000 tonnes in 2014 was the lowest for 16 years.

The industry generates less than 0.2 per cent of national export revenue and accounts for less than 0.02 per cent of jobs in Australia. Less than one thousand people are employed in Australia’s uranium industry.

In short, the sector is high risk and low return………. https://newmatilda.com/2016/03/03/failed-uranium-promises-highlights-need-for-caution-on-radioactive-waste-plans/