Another radiation contamination incident at Australia’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in another contamination scare amid calls for safety review, By John Stewart and Rebecca Trigger, ABC Investigations 24 Oct 18 There has been another contamination scare at Australia’s only nuclear reactor in southern Sydney, in the same week a report was released recommending immediate action to review safety procedures at the site.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) confirmed five workers reported receiving a dose of radiation, but it was not above allowable limits.
………The Australian Manufacturers and Workers Union (AMWU) told the ABC at 11:30am on Tuesday, five employees working in the industrial handling bay inside building 23 were contaminated by an airborne iodine isotope.
The AMWU said one employee had been sent for thyroid scans, and another had to shave part of his beard off as it was carrying contaminates.
The scare came in the same week as a report into the ageing facility found it failed modern nuclear safety standards, and needed to be replaced, after another worker was exposed to radioactive material last year.
The union said Tuesday’s contamination was a result of comprehensive and repeated failures to protect the safety of workers at the site.
……….‘Legacy’ buildings at nuclear site need action, report finds
A worker was exposed to hazardous material after dropping a vial in an area of the facility known as building 23 in August last year.
The event was deemed the most serious in the world in 2017, according to the International Nuclear Event Scale.
A review conducted by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPNSA) following this incident, found two buildings at the site — 23 and 54 — were relatively old “legacy” facilities designed to meet 1950s-era standards, “and therefore may not fully meet modern standards of nuclear design, safety and operational workflows”.
“However, it should be noted that both facilities have met the safety requirements of the applicable regulators,” the report said.
The report also noted concerns around “unacceptable” behaviours including allegations of bullying and harassment of ANSTO staff.
ARPNSA made 85 recommendations, and directed ANSTO to “take immediate steps to initiate an independent review of the approach to occupational radiation safety of processes and operational procedures in B23″……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-24/contamination-scare-at-australias-lucas-heights-nuclear-reactor/10422476
Nuclear weapons for Australia? – at what cost?
The reactor would have been able to generate plutonium which, under the auspices of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
But the project did not survive an abrupt change of leadership and Australia ended up riding out the remainder of the Cold War as a non-nuclear player.
Five decades later the nuclear anxieties which coloured Mr Gorton’s foreign policy outlook are creeping their way back into international relations.
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will pull the US from the Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia, as both countries expand their nuclear arsenals.
India is locked in a nuclear tit-for-tat with neighbouring Pakistan, while China has developed nuclear weapons capable of reaching anywhere in the US.
Historically Australia has sought shelter under the US ‘nuclear umbrella’, but is it time for that to change?
In a recent essay, Dr Stephan Fruhling, the Associate Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the ANU, contemplated the “unthinkable option”, and suggested that a nuclear-armed Australia is more likely than ever before.
Fortress Australia
According to Dr Fruhling, Australia’s continuous coastline makes it uniquely positioned to ‘spike the moat’ with tactical, short-range nuclear weapons that could be used against air and maritime forces.
“In air and naval battle on the high seas, nukes can now be employed without significant risk of collateral damage, much like conventional war heads,” he told Late Night Live.
“Australia could establish a maritime exclusion zone in wartime, to increase the military risk for any country planning a major attack against the continent.”
But what would be the cost?
The strategic benefits of any nuclear capability would have to be balanced against the possible implications of breaking out of the US nuclear umbrella.
Australia’s access to US intelligence, technology, and weapons systems may be compromised if it chose to take on a defence strategy that was less reliant on the US.
“Before investing in a nuclear program I think we would have to make a genuine attempt at trying to draw closer to the United States and its nuclear arsenal,” Dr Fruhling said.
If Australia chooses to remain under the US nuclear umbrella, Indonesia presents a unique case in which American and Australian interests may not intersect.
Indonesia is also a US ally, and if it decided to begin its own nuclear program, the implications for the US security guarantee for Australia are not clear.
“Should Indonesia acquire nuclear weapons, relying on US deterrence against a nuclear attack would require a leap of faith about the alignment of Australian and US interests,” Dr Fruhling said..
An Australian nuclear program could lead to Indonesia following suit.
“Indonesia has regional leadership ambitions, and a strong sense of independence and will, in coming years, tower over Australia economically as well as in population terms,” Dr Fruhling said.
“Australian acquisition of nuclear weapons would strengthen Indonesia’s reasons to reciprocate, for status as well as security.”
In the meantime, however, Australia’s non-nuclear status is important in discouraging Indonesia and other regional players from going down the nuclear path……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-24/should-australia-have-a-nuclear-weapons-program/10407610
Australia losing all credibility with Pacific neighbours, as Morrison pulls out of global climate fund
 Poor nations castigate Australia for abandoning global climate fund, Canberra Times, By Nicole Hasham, 24 October 2018 Developing nations say a Morrison government snub of the world’s biggest climate change fund hampers efforts to cut global carbon pollution and erodes Australia’s international reputation……
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australia will cease payments to the United Nations-backed Green Climate Fund, a mechanism under the Paris treaty to help poor nations cut emissions and respond to extreme weather and rising seas. Australia’s high per-capita emissions and coal dependence mean it was expected to be a generous benefactor. However, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has pressured the government to abandon the fund and it is unpopular with conservative Coalition MPs, including Tony Abbott. Australia contributed $200 million in the first funding round and took a leadership role in 2016 when it co-chaired the fund. But in a radio interview last month Mr Morrison, when asked if Australia would be bound to its climate targets under the Paris agreement, said: “No, we won’t … nor are we bound to go and tip money into that big climate fund. We’re not going to do that either. I’m not going to spend money on global climate conferences and all that nonsense.” Fund board member Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said Australia’s stance was “beyond frustrating”, particularly in the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that this month warned of devastating planetary damage without radical action. “This backtracking from [the] previous commitment by Australia is disappointing,” he told Fairfax Media. “Australia is the world’s biggest coal exporter … it has a major responsibility to provide financial support for developing countries to adapt to and mitigate climate change.” Mr Mpanu-Mpanu suggested abandoning the fund was in contravention of the Paris accord and said commitments by developing nations to lower emissions under the treaty relied on financial support from nations such as Australia. Parties to the Paris deal will meet in Poland in December to finalise the rules of the treaty and “this decision by Australia will cast a shadow on the process of reaching an agreement”, he said……. The condemnation from the developing world further cements Australia’s position as a global outlier on climate action after the government indicated it would not ramp up emissions reduction efforts under the Paris treaty and rejected the IPCC’s call for a coal phase-out by 2050. Developed countries originally pledged $US10 billion to the fund but it was left short after US President Donald Trump withheld $US2 billion of the $US3 billion his nation promised…… https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/poor-nations-castigate-australia-for-abandoning-global-climate-fund-20181023-p50beh.html |
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Has Channel 9’s “60 Minutes” sold its soul to the nuclear lobbby?
Last Sunday’s episode of “60 Minutes was just an infomercial for the nuclear lobby.
But 60 Minutes can do real journalism. Here’s Liz Hayes with her investigation of Fukushima, a few years ago:
60 Minutes Fukushima report
One critic sees reporter Tom Steinfort as being manipulated by nuclear propagandist Ben Heard
Just watched a “60 minutes extra video” where he has an extended interview with Geraldine Thomas. He talks about his Geiger counter on the plane (a Safecast unit that Ben Heard is seen holding in the actual 60 minutes report) and says –
“…the Geiger counter is hovering around 3.5 to 3.6 micro Sieverts – that is about “50 times” the normal exposure you would get in Melbourne or Sydney…”
3.5 is 35 times the average background value 0.1 micro Sieverts. The nuclear propagandists exaggerate the effects of airflight non-contaminating radiation because it suits their agenda. Such dishonesty, such desperation..
It really seems like the nuclear propagandists have thrown everything at this poor unwitting journalist to get this segment – I wonder who actually paid for the airflights (which from the video looked like first/business class)
Oh – and from the display on the Geiger Counter we can say the date of the flight was 23rd of September – and I know Heard was also in Fukushima back in April, so this makes 3+ trips to Fukushima power station.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1021186047913052/permalink/2164537616911217/?comment_id=2165288513502794&reply_comment_id=2165973880100924Safety concerns about Lucas Heights nuclear reactor: needs $210m tax-payer funded upgrade
Steve Dale According to the article below, this is referring to “Building 23” – which “operates a nuclear medicine production facility and is responsible for distributing “finished” products”. So it sounds like ANSTO have got their hands out again for more taxpayer money for their messy, high-volume waste producing nuclear medicine factory. ANSTO should be putting all their efforts into finding methods that minimise the waste eg. cyclotrons.
Unsurprisingly the article also mentions –
“A perception of widespread bullying also emerged, with about one in five ANSTO staff interviewed saying they had “experienced bullying” over a six-month period.” Seems like ANSTO is toxic in multiple ways https://www.abc.net.au/…/lucas-heights-nuclear…/10403532
Sydney nuclear facility needs $210m revamp: report, SMH, 22 October 2018 The federal government’s ageing nuclear medical facility in southern Sydney should be replaced or rebuilt due to safety concerns, an independent report says.
The expert report published on Monday found there was a “make do and mend” culture at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation site in Lucas Heights.
The report found the 1950s-era nuclear medical facility failed to meet modern nuclear safety standards.
A replacement facility has been in the pipeline for several years but plans have been hindered because of federal government budget restrictions, the report says.
The organisation’s boss on Monday argued if work started “today” on a new $210 million building, it could be up and running in five years.
While several modifications have been made to the facility, the report found upgrades cannot resolve all of its problems.
In August 2017, a technician at the facility was exposed to radioactive material that contaminated his hands through two pairs of gloves after he dropped a vial, exposing him to an elevated risk of cancer.
The incident was the most serious in the world last year – the only safety failure that was rated a “Level 3” event or above. It was followed by three other less-serious incidents – “near misses” – within the next 10 months.
“It should be noted that Level 3 events are regarded as serious events in the nuclear industry and any additional events at this level may result in loss of confidence in the organisation,” the report says.
……. The report made 85 recommendations, including that the Australian government commit to a replacement facility as soon as practicable and provide additional funding or find alternative funding for the new site. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-nuclear-facility-needs-210m-revamp-report-20181022-p50b9z.html
Defence Department breached radiation regulations
Defence breached radiation regulations, THE AUSTRALIAN, By RORY CALLINAN, OCTOBER 22, 2018
The Defence Department has blamed poor record keeping for its failure to properly transport and dispose of small amounts of radioactive material contained in lighting systems accompanying old artillery pieces.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency found Defence had breached licence conditions in relation to the material in lighting systems associated with the Hamel 105mm towed light howitzers that were phased out of operation in 2018
Defence failed to comply with regulations in regard to disposing of controlled material without prior approval and not following the transport code for radioactive sources, said ARPANSA’s recently released annual report.
……. The spokesman said after investigating the matter, Defence had acted to ensure that similar incidents would not occur.
He said ARPANSA had been satisfied with the action taken and it accepted no radiation safety impacts as a result of the incident. No fines or enforcement action was warranted, he said.https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/defence-breached-radiation-regulations/news-story/543e133be974ee5cd69e0343f54a2201
NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP DECISION DELAYED BY COURT ACTION
The selection of a preferred site in rural South Australia for a national radioactive waste dump will likely be delayed until next year. …. (subscribersonly)
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/decision-on-nuclear-waste-dump-location-delayed-until-next-year/news-story/380157b786abf27c905e517f1c98503a
Liberal moderates to demand $1 billion for climate change fund
Liberal moderates concerned at the Coalition’s lack of climate change policy are set to demand Scott Morrison revitalise the ailing direct action policy with a $1 billion injection into the Emissions Reduction Fund.
Warning that the climate change lesson from Saturday’s Wentworth …. (subscribers only) https://www.afr.com/news/liberal-moderates-to-demand-1-billion-for-climate-change-fund-20181021-h16xaq
Traditional Owners launch campaign challenging Origin Energy over NT fracking consents
to challenge Origin Energy over claims it has consent for controversial gas fracking plans
across some of the Northern Territory’s most pristine
landscapes, waterways and iconic tourism regions.
‘Traditional Owners, the Protect Country Alliance and supporters will address
a press conference prior to the AGM, coinciding with the launch of a national campaign
calling on Origin to drop plans to frack the Northern Territory. …
‘Stuart Nuggett [TraditionalOwner] has travelled from the remote township of Elliott
to attend the AGM on behalf of his community, a region at the heart of Origin’s fracking permit acreage:
‘“Our communities haven’t been given enough information about what Origin is planning for our region.
We are worried about the risks fracking brings.
I have concerns over what the impact could be on water. Water is life.
I want the company to listen to our concerns and act on them.”
‘May August is an Alawa grandmother and Traditional Owner
for land under the Origin exploration permits:
‘“We don’t want fracking to start in our area because we have seen
the damage Origin and other companies have done elsewhere in Australia. … ‘
US Lawmakers Ask Ecuador President to Turn Over ‘Global Security Threat’ Assange
Why, when the Australian government helps convicted murderers and drug dealers overseas – why is it doing nothing to help Julian Assange?
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https://sputniknews.com/world/201810221069114229-us-house-lawmakers-letter-to-lenin-on-assange/ Last week, Julian Assange’s attorney made preparations to file a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government in whose London Embassy he has sought refuge over the last six years.
US House of Representatives lawmakers Eliot Engel (Democrat, New York) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, Florida) of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have written a letter to Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno urging his government to turn over the co-founder of WikiLeaks. Talking about the “significant progress” made by Moreno’s administration and hinting at the prospects of the resumption of US development aid, the little reported on letter spoke of the need to “first resolve a significant challenge” created by the president’s predecessor, Rafael Correa. Expressing “concern” over Assange’s continued presence in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and his receipt of Ecuadorian citizenship last year, the letter charged Assange with repeatedly “compromis[ing] the national security of the United States.” Assange, the letter claims, harmed US security interests “by publicly releasing classified government documents, along with confidential materials from individuals connected to our country’s 2016 presidential election.” Furthermore, accusing him of using “his standing in the international media to meddle in the affairs of foreign governments,” the letter suggested that it was “clear that Mr. Assange remains a dangerous criminal and a threat to global security, and he should be brought to justice.” Saying they remained “hopeful” about improving US-Ecuador relations, the lawmakers said that it would be “very difficult for the United States to advance our bilateral relationship until Mr. Assange is handed over to the proper authorities.” The lawmakers joined a series of other US officials who have demanded that Assange’s asylum be revoked in recent years. Last week, the whistleblower’s lawyer said he would be filing a case against Ecuador’s government for violating Assange’s “fundamental rights and freedoms” by cutting off his communications to the outside world. During a press conference, Assange attorney Baltasar Garzon also said that there were presently no plans to take Assange to Russia amid rumors that the Ecuadorian Embassy may expel him. Julian Assange has been trapped in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, fearing arrest by UK authorities for a violation of bail and deportation to the US. The Embassy cut Assange’s internet access in early 2018, but partially restored it last week. In August, President Moreno raised the issue of terminating Assange’s asylum at the embassy, saying that Ecuador would be “happy” to let Assange go, but only if UK authorities would guarantee his safety. |
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Australia large scale solar output breaks through 1GW on Sunday
REneweconomy 22 October 2018 The rapidly emerging large scale solar sector achieved a significant milestone on Sunday, October 21, when their combined output in the National Electricity Market broke through the 1GW barrier for what is believed to be the first time.According to this graph below [on original] sent to us by Mike Hudson, using data he sourced from the Australian Energy Market Operator, the 1GW level was first breached in mid morning, and continued until almost 3pm in the afternoon.
Flinders Ranges – planned area for nuclear waste dump – the most seismic active area in Australia
I was at the meeting where the alleged reported claims from the Department of Industry, Innovation and science, geologist as saying that Hawker is seismically sound for the proposed radioactive dump, and all anyone heard him say to the public was “Hello.” (And yes I know hell is in hello).
However senior seismologist Johnathan Bathgate has reportedly claimed that the Flinders Ranges is the most seismic active area in Australia which maybe throwing doubt at the credibility of the DIIS’s geologist, and if he has any accreditation’s in seismology and why there are media release on the Modified Mercalli scale based at Hawker and yet we hear nothing on the scale of galileo’s, and though S&L-waves come with a guarantee of a seismic record, its known “P-waves” between the angles of 103 and 145 degrees can not be guaranteed on some seismograms. https://www.facebook.com/groups/344452605899556/
Australia’s Opal nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights – safety problems, needs lotsa money, (or better, shut it down)
Nuclear facility needs overhaul: report https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nuclear-facility-needs-overhaul-report–21 Oct 18
An independent report has recommended that the federal government’s nuclear medical facility at southern Sydney be replaced or rebuilt due to safety concerns. The federal government’s nuclear medical facility at Lucas Heights in Sydney should be replaced or rebuilt with contributions from the private sector, an independent report says.
The report, to be published on Monday, found there is a “make do and mend” culture at the facility and that it fails nuclear safety standards, The Australian reports.
In August 2017 a technician’s hands were contaminated through two pairs of gloves after he dropped a vial at the Lucas Heights medical facility, putting him at a higher risk of cancer.
The incident was the only safety failure in the world in 2017 that was rated by the International Atomic Energy Agency at a Level 3 or above. It was followed by three more incidents within the next 10 months.
“It should be noted that Level 3 events are regarded as serious events in the nuclear industry and any additional events at this level may result in loss of confidence in the organisation,” the report says.
Climate change now firing up raging fight in Australia’s Morrison govt, after Wentworth byelection fiasco
Wentworth byelection backlash reignites tensions inside the Morrison government over climate policy, Canberra Times, By David Crowe & David Wroe, 21 October 2018 A ferocious voter backlash has inflamed the Morrison government’s internal row on climate change as Liberal MPs call for stronger policies to assure voters that Australia can meet the Paris agreement to cut carbon emissions.
The government is reeling from a savage swing in the Wentworth byelection, sparking renewed argument over decisions including a sudden shift in foreign policy on Israel, and deepening fears of a wipeout at the federal election due by May.
As Parliament resumes on Monday, the Liberal Party was on track to lose Wentworth to independent candidate Kerryn Phelps, with an update on Sunday night giving her almost 51 per cent of the vote.
Dr Phelps had a lead of 1626 votes in the update posted by the Australian Electoral Commission at 6.45pm on Sunday. Even the best postal vote scenario for the Liberal Party over coming days would still see the independent win Wentworth.
The result represents an extraordinary 18 per cent swing against the federal government, one of the biggest in Australian history, but the Australian Electoral Commission is yet to count thousands of postal votes that could favour Liberal candidate Dave Sharma.
Government ministers and backbenchers told Fairfax Media they believed one lesson from the Wentworth result was to develop a stronger message on cutting emissions in order to win back voters concerned about climate change.
“I think we will, by the time of the next election, have to have a more credible answer on how we meet our targets,” one minister said.
“I don’t think it’s viable to remain silent on this between now and the next election.”
Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman said the Liberal Party’s own research showed climate change and the removal of Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister were the two biggest concerns for Wentworth voters……
The government believes the latest advice from the Energy Security Board is that generation from wind and solar will grow by 256 per cent over the next three years. ……..
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg brushed aside suggestions the Morrison government needed to overhaul its 
climate policies, saying they were “settled” and were enough to “meet and beat” Australia emissions reduction pledges.
“It’s clearly an important issue for the people of Wentworth, but our policies have been settled for some time,” he told the Sky News.
An exit poll of 985 Wentworth voters commissioned by the left-leaning Australia Institute on Saturday found that climate action and replacing coal with renewable energy was the top issue that decided how they voted.
Among people who had abandoned the Liberal Party since the last election in 2016, the top reason why was the toppling of Mr Turnbull at 40 percent of voters, but climate change came second at 31 percent. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/wentworth-byelection-backlash-reignites-tensions-inside-the-morrison-government-over-climate-policy-20181021-p50b2d.html
1 This month.
20 September –National Day of Action in Melbourne on the International Day of Peace
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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Australians deserve the truth
about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 