Antinuclear

“Moral” argument for nuclear waste import is rejected, economic one is dodgy, too

at a dinner hosted by the Eurajoki municipal council at its restored 16th-century Vuojoki Mansion, the South Australian delegation was told to put aside any so-called moral obligations.

Mr Jalonen joined others who have urged caution and questioned whether the economic benefits are overblown.

Unlike the potential riches being speculated about in South Australia — more than $100 billion over 120 years — Mr Jalonen said there was only a “little bit” of money on offer for his region.

 Premier Weatherill’s nuclear ‘moral’ case rejected  The Australian ,October 3, 2016 MICHAEL OWEN SA Bureau Chief Adelaide  @mjowen

The head of a governing body in Finland where the world’s first permanent disposal facility for nuclear waste is being built has rejected Premier Jay Weatherill’s “moral” case that South Australia should consider following suit because of its uranium exports.

Mr Weatherill, who last month toured the site at Eurajoki, due to open in the early 2020s, has said South Australia is primarily considering permanent nuclear fuel disposal because of its potential long-term economic prosperity.

But during the visit, accompanied by The Australian, he also said that given South Australia accounted for 25 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves mined and exported for use in nuclear facilities internationally and creating waste, it was “sensible for us to ask ourselves ‘can we play a role in this nuclear fuel cycle?’ and ‘are we the appropriate place to store the material?’ given that this waste does exist in the world.

“Simply, does South Australia consider itself a global citizen?”, he said. Some of the 400 or so nuclear power plants around the world, including those in Finland, use Australian uranium.

However, at a dinner hosted by the Eurajoki municipal council at its restored 16th-century Vuojoki Mansion, the South Australian delegation was told to put aside any so-called moral obligations.

Vesa Jalonen, the council’s chairman, said the Eurajoki community had lived with nuclear power plants for decades. He said hundreds of used fuel rods were currently stacked in pools next to nuclear reactors and most believed it was safer to bury them 420m underground. The municipal council voted 20 to seven in favour of the facility.

The Onkalo disposal site — about 10 times smaller than that conceived by South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission — will not take any waste from other areas and certainly not from overseas. It is located about 280km east of the capital Helsinki, in a lush green area of forests and streams below a nature park where wolves, deer and moose roam.

Mr Jalonen said the local economy had benefited from the nuclear industry after moving away from agriculture, but it was “impossible” to recommend South Australia do the same.

“It is impossible to say what is right, but I think you don’t have to think in that (moral) way about taking responsibility for uranium,” he said.

“Of course there are big questions of the (economic) benefits you can get.”

Mr Weatherill has stated that, unlike Finland, South Australia would be doing this not because of a pressing requirement, but because of the long-term economic prosperity that may arise from it.

“We are already the only place in the world to approach the question of permanent nuclear fuel disposal as an opportunity, rather than a problem,” he said.

But on this, Mr Jalonen joined others who have urged caution and questioned whether the economic benefits are overblown.

Unlike the potential riches being speculated about in South Australia — more than $100 billion over 120 years — Mr Jalonen said there was only a “little bit” of money on offer for his region.

However, when pushed on this, it is clear Eurajoki has done quite well from embracing nuclear. The small municipality is one of the richest in Finland and able to spend about $66m a year on a range of community services.

Mr Jalonen said it was very hard to say whether he would agree to take others’ high-level nuclear waste, if he was in Mr Weatherill’s shoes………http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/sa-premier-weatherills-nuclear-moral-case-rejected/news-story/c4849e0b93715dbdecbef1057285c946

October 3, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Australia, wastes