Antinuclear

Premier Weatherill in Finland; predicts nuclear waste as an election issue for South Australia in 2018

Weatherill hints at following suit on nuclear waste, MICHAEL OWEN, THE AUSTRALIAN September 20, 2016

Talks with countries looking to export their nuclear waste to Australia for permanent storage will begin next year if the South Australian Labor government decides to proceed with a bold plan to build a dump in the state to house high-level spent nuclear fuel.

Premier Jay Weatherill yesterday toured the site of the world’s first permanent disposal facility for nuclear waste in the Eurajoki region of southern Finland and gave every indication South Australia’s government would give the green light to follow suit…….

Under Finnish law, all nuclear waste the country generates must be handled and permanently stored in Finland.

However, its parliament has ruled out taking waste from other countries.

Mr Weatherill acknowledged Finland’s facility was a direct ­response to the problem of its own high-level waste, a problem his state did not have. However, he said, there was an economic ­opportunity for South Australia, which could safely store the world’s most toxic nuclear waste deep underground……..

“One thing that is really clear is that this is a long journey and that there will be a series of steps that the community will have to take before any final decision is taken,” Mr Weatherill said, noting it could be at least 10 to 20 years before construction started on a facility.

Mr Weatherill said Posiva was prepared to license its expertise to countries such as Australia…

The state government is conducting a final round of community consultation before cabinet decides in November if to move forward with plans for a facility.

Mr Weatherill indicated a facility for high-level international ­nuclear waste would be an election issue in March 2018.

“It needs bipartisan support and a state government that is prepared to advance it,” he said. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/weatherill-hints-at-following-suit-on-nuclear-waste/news-story/05a36a8bb24610eec0e4ec0c2138b222?from=public_rss

September 28, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia