Big uranium promoter South Australian govt seeks environmental credibility
South Australian government announces Community Sustainability Grants. Premier, the Hon Mike Rann said, “The Government of South Australia is pleased to be partnering with Conservation SA to help communities become more resilient so that they can readily respond to climate change.
“Climate change is a real issue that affects everyone, and programs like this will give South Australians the opportunity to be part of the local solution.”
Community groups and non-government organisations are invited to apply for small (up to $3,000) or medium (up to $10,000) grants
Rudd govt’s nuclear waste dump bill more draconian than Howard’s
NT: Nuclear waste facility to be dumped on locals, Socialist Party (Australia) , 23 April 2010, Contradicting the ALP’s claims of consent, the April 2008 NT Labor Party conference unanimously passed a resolution calling on the federal government to exclude Muckaty because the nomination “was not made with the full and informed consent of all traditional owners and affected people and as such does not comply with the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.” Several federal ministers and members of government have also acknowledged the opposition and distress of locals.
This gives lie to Ferguson’s claim that he is restoring ‘fairness’ to the issue of radioactive waste management, Continue reading
Australian Nuclear Free Alliance call for health checks near uranium mine
Call for health monitoring near uranium mine, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Sally Bothroyd Apr 22, 2010 A member of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance says there should be a program to monitor the health of people who live near the Ranger uranium mine. Continue reading
Australia about to ratify uranium sales to Russi
Australia’s Smith Says Pact to Allow Uranium Exports to Russia , BusinessWeek, By Marion Rae April 23 (Bloomberg) — Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia and Russia will ratify a nuclear agreement that will allow Australian uranium to be exported to Russia for “civil, peaceful purposes.”Smith made the comments today in an e-mailed transcript of a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Russia. Australia’s Smith Says Pact to Allow Uranium Exports to Russia – BusinessWeek
Big welcome for aboriginal anti-nuclear protesors in Martin Ferguson’s electorate
at left, Dianne Stokes. by Christian Macpherson 22 April 2010. The Northcote Town Hall right in the heart of Martin Ferguson’s electorate, was packed last night, as local and Melbourne residents welcomed two courageous Aboriginals from the Tennant Creek area in the Northern Territory.
As Martin Ferguson hides in the safety of his Melbourne bunker, not having the guts to visit the local residents of the Muckaty Station area (planned nuclear waste dump) – well, Diane Stokes and Mark Chungaloo came to visit Ferguson’s area.
Melbourne heard of the strong opposition of four aboriginal clans, of local non-aboriginals, and of the Northern territory government – to the new National Radioactive Waste Management Bill – – which is intended to override all their rights, and impose a nuclear waste dump on their land.
Perhaps Martin Ferguson, Australia’s Minister For Promoting the Nuclear Industry, will have a few voters to worry about, come the federal election.
Of course, Australia’s mainstream media, ever subservient to their corporate mining links, ignored this as large and attentive crowd was informed about this issue, Dr Bill Williams spoke on the health dangers of ioinsing radiation,. Natalie Wasley and Dave Sweeney spoke on the draconian legislation planned. Alex Bhathal, Greens candidate for the electorate of Batman, received warm applause
Senator Bob Brown speaks out against Northern Territory nuclear waste plan
such a project would not be tolerated in other locations in Australia. “Who would want [or] allow in Sydney or Melbourne a uranium mine within the outer fringes of their suburbs,”
Brown questions nuclear dump rationale ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 21 April 2010The Greens Senator Bob Brown says a proposed nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station is not necessary. Continue reading
Lax controls in possibly corrupt BHP Billiton
BHP Reveals Possible Corruption Australasian Investment Review – (AIR) 22 April 2010, BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company, has joined its smaller rival, Rio Tinto, in being implicated in possible corrupt activities.The news was buried in the company’s first quarter exploration and development report, issued yesterday……
The ASX and or ASIC should ask BHP to provide more details as soon as possible……The disclosure laws here in Australia will have to be applied to see if BHP has provided timely and adequate disclosure to the local (and London) markets……There’s no word on whether the US Justice Department will become involved, but if it involves a breach of America’s bribery laws, it will.If the reports are confirmed then authorities in countries in Europe, especially the European Commission and China could also become involved…..the fact that the allegations have been raised by the SEC shows the lax controls inside BHP, Australasian Investment Review
ERA fails to come clean on Ranger uranium leak
ERA fails to come clean on Ranger uranium leak , Scott Ludlam, 21st April 2010, Ranger Uranium Mine. Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) has failed to come clean with shareholders and the people of the Northern Territory about the contaminated water leaking from the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park during today’s Annual General Meeting in Darwin. Continue reading
Can the Mirrar aboriginal people hold out against ERA’s plan to expand uranium mining in Kakadu National Park?
No traditional owners were at the meeting, but they have repeatedly said they do not want Jabiluka mined..
ERA still keen to mine Jabiluka for uranium, By Louisa Rebgetz ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Apr 21, 2010 Energy Resources of Australia has made it clear it wants to mine the Jabiluka uranium deposit within the Kakadu National Park.
ERA owns and operates the nearby Ranger uranium mine… Continue reading
Earthquake in Western Australian mining area
Biggest quake in 50 years hits Australia’s goldfields (open pit) Virginia Against Uranium Mining: Biggest quake Perth, Australia (AFP) April 20, 2010 The biggest earthquake in 50 years rattled Western Australia’s Goldfields region on Tuesday, damaging buildings but not causing any injuries, officials said.The 5.2-magnitude quake, at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometres (six miles), struck just outside the Kalgoorlie-Boulder mining towns at about 8:17 am (0017 GMT), geologists said……..A spokesman for the geoscientific agency said the remote mining centre, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) east of Perth, had not seen an earthquake bigger than 4.2 in the previous half-century.”This is quite a large earthquake for Australia and a shallow, potentially damaging, earthquake,” he said. “It’s the largest event in this area in the last 50 years.” Officials at nearby mines were not immediately available for comment.
Virginia Against Uranium Mining: Biggest quake – Flash Player Installation
An Olympic sized earthquake danger
the EIS Study Team is not competent to evaluate seismic risk. The EIS Study Team did not include any geophysicists – it is essential that the EIS be approved by seismologists,
EARTHQUAKE WARNINGS – SOUTH AUSTRALIANS WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE April 18, 2010 by Coober Pedy Regional Times“.……in 2004 Sandra Kanck, Leader of the South Australian Democrats and Member of the Legislative Council warned that the earthquake risk was too high for the proposed nuclear waste dump at Woomera in South Australia’s Far North……
OLYMPIC DAM: Mashers Fault Mashers Fault and the Seismicity Anticipated to be Stimulated by the Proposed Open Pit Mine at Olympic Dam, By: Edward Cranswick, Geophysicist,
Abstract: The proposed excavation at Olympic Dam of one of the largest open pit mines on Earth, 4.1 km long, 3.5 km wide, 1 km deep, at a bend in the steeply dipping, 35-km-long Mashers Fault, and the associated perturbation of the local groundwater pore pressures in a region of horizontal compressive stress would most likely stimulate local seismicity. Continue reading
Australia’s shame: ignoring its “Black Mist” atomic radiation victims
Radiation skin burns from contact with the radioactive Black Rain among Hiroshima victims is officially recognized by the United States.
With such a long and documented history, official Australian ignorance of Beta Radiation Burn to skin as a consequence of contact with nuclear fallout has no excuse………
The Black Mist and its Aftermath, The Black Mist Incident « Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, 21 April 2010, -Oral Histories by Lallie Lennon A Submission to the Government of South Australia, the Commonwealth Government of Australia and the International Atomic Energy Agency Oral Historian Michele Madigan, 2006 and 2009Transcription and Commentary by Paul Langley…… Continue reading
ANSTO’s SILEX nuclear laser invention is a weapons proliferation risk
“If this [SILEX new laser technology] proliferates, a country could develop material for a nuclear weapon without anyone being able to detect their activity.”
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Says SILEX Needs a Careful Look Newswise 4/13/2010— As global leaders discuss ridding the world of nuclear weapons, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory (NRC) Commission has acknowledged that a new laser technology— which could lead to even more global proliferation – deserves a closer examination.Commonly known as SILEX (Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation), the laser technology carries significant proliferation risks because of its small size and low energy use. Continue reading
Australia is complicit in Japan stockpiling plutonium
a problem succinctly explained back in 1982 by current South Australian Premier Mike Rann: “Again and again it has been demonstrated here and overseas that when problems over safeguards prove difficult, commercial considerations will come first.”.…The Rudd Government needs to break this habit and establish an independent inquiry to identify measures to tighten the safeguards system.
The Myth Of The Peaceful Atom, newmatilda.com, By Jim Green, 20 April 2010, “…………Last December, the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), co-chaired by Australian Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi from Japan, released its first report.
Like other bodies ICNND chooses to skim over the proliferation risks arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel — Continue reading
On Renewable Energy: False Claims by Switkowski Report and the Nuclear Lobby
The promoters of nuclear power claim that we have to choose between coal and nuclear, that there is no alternative. This is a false choice, between BHP-Billiton and … BHP-Billiton.
Nuclear power: no solution to climate change, Green Left, quoting Mark Diesendorf , 17 April 2010 “………The 2006 Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review, chaired by Dr Switkowski.. claimed that “nuclear power is the least-cost low-emission technology that can provide baseload power”. However, there was no basis in the report for such a gratuitous statement, which was outside the terms of reference of the report. Continue reading














