Is Minister Canavan lying about nuclear wastes, or is he just uninformed?

Susan Craig, Fight To Stop Nuclear Waste Dump In Flinders Ranges SA, 1 Aug 18, Mr. Canavan stated on ABC radio this morning that the radioactive waste dump proposed for South Australia was safe for both low level waste above ground storage and intermediate level waste above ground temporary storage.

However, the extract below from ARPANSA and ANSTO safety report clearly suggests otherwise and are at odds with the Federal Government’s proposal and needs urgent investigation by our State Government. The Federal Government is being dishonest in their pitch for this dump.

The ANSTO & ARPANSA report states that the low level waste be stored below the surface, however, the Federal Governments proposal is for above ground.

The report also states that the intermediate level waste stored at a national facility will be for the long term above ground – 100 years.

Mr. Canavan stated it would only be temporary. 100 years is not temporary. Intermediate waste has a half-life of tens of thousands of years and should be safely stored between 300 – 500 mtrs below

surface.

However, the intermediate level waste for South Australia will be stored in ZWILAG TN81 container, above ground which only lasts 40 years.

EXTRACT FROM INTERIM WASTE STORE OPERATING LICENCE SUMMARY SAFETY CASE FOR THE INTERIM WASTE STORE AT LHSTC
ARPANSA AND ANSTO DOCUMENT

“The Government is currently assessing the siting and construction of the NRWMF, a co-located near surface disposal repository for Low Level Waste (LLW) and an above-ground store for Intermediate Level Waste (ILW).

The NRWMF will cater for the long term above-ground storage (approximately 100 years) of Intermediate Level Waste including the waste reprocessed in France and the United Kingdom.

Joy Engelman Unfortunately, nuclear waste is not safe which is exactly why the government is not keeping it at Lucas Heights but wanting to put it as far from major urban areas as possible. It will never be safe. There are so many nuclear waste facilities around the world now with huge problems, leaking canisters, isotopes becoming active in the biosphere etc etc.

It is also not possible to store canisters containijng the waste above ground in the temperatures experienced in the outback nor with the possibility of flooding. Not only that, the waste does contain high level waste from Australia’s propensity to try to develop weapons grade waste over the late 20th Century.

Canavan needs to be properly educated about the nuclear industry before he opens his mouth and not just be another puppet. https://www.facebook.com/groups/344452605899556/

Joy Engelman Unfortunately Susan, nuclear waste is not safe which is exactly why the government is not keeping it at Lucas Heights but wanting to put it as far from major urban areas as possible. It will never be safe. There are so many nuclear waste facilities around the world now with huge problems, leaking canisters, isotopes becoming active in the biosphere etc etc. It is also not possible to store canisters containg the waste above ground in the temperatures experienced in the outback nor with the possibility of flooding. Not only that, the waste does contain high level waste from Australia’s propensity to try to develop weapons grade waste over the late 20th Century. Canavan needs to be properly educated about the nuclear industry before he opens his mouth and not just be another puppet.

August 1, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump

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