Australia: Aboriginal voices raise uranium concerns
ANFA – protecting country, supporting communities – www.anfa.org.au
Australia’s poor record as a uranium mining nation
What is our record as a nation of Uranium miners?
ARCHIES ARCHIVE 24 July 09
Ranger:• despite being expected to operate under a “no-release” water management system, incidents involving misplaced low grade ores or failures in water control bunds have led on numerous occasions to contaminated runoff waters being leaked into adjacent creeks (especially Corridoor Creek, a tributary of Magela Creek).• in early 2004 incorrect plumbing saw the process water circuit being connected to the potable drinking water circuit – leading to rapid and significant toxic process water being mixed with drinking water, and much of the Ranger workforce being potentially exposed to both acute chemical and radiological exposure.Olympic Dam:• after operating for nearly a decade, a major ongoing leak from the tailings dam was revealed, amounting to the loss of billions of litres of tailings water to groundwater.• in March 1999, and again October 2001, major explosions and fires caused substantive damage to the mill and smelter complexes, including major releases of noxious fumes – though the extent of radiological releases remains highly contentious, the fact that the uranium solvent extraction circuit in the 2001 incident was on fire raises serious concerns about how these incidents are handled by current regulators.
Beverley:
• numerous spills and leaks from pipelines have occurred………………Can uranium mines be satisfactorily rehabilitated?
The experience of rehabilitating uranium mines to date in Australia is questionable. The first generation of uranium mines from the Cold War, namely Rum Jungle, Radium Hill, Mary Kathleen and the South Alligator group of mines, all still present environmental and radiological management problems and require constant vigilence and maintenance.
Examples include: – Rum Jungle –….mine drainage continues to pollute the Finniss River…… Radium Hill…………tailings requires ongoing maintenance…..Mary Kathleen………… ongoing seepage of saline, metal and radionuclide rich waters from the tailings dam
From a briefing paper by Gavin M. Mudd for <a
Uranium Mining and a National Park #2 « Ærchies Archive – The Curmudgeon’s Magazine
Rudd ridicules Opposition’s nuclear push
Rudd ridicules Opposition’s nuclear push
Jul 23, 2009 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Labor’s policy of opposing nuclear power generation in Australia is clear……………………………“Can I say our policy on this was made absolutely clear at the ALP national conference a couple of years a go when I was leader of the parliamentary Labor Party, I still am, though my other job has changed, and it was clear cut that we were getting rid of the three mines policy,” he said.
Mr Rudd says the remarks show the Opposition do not have a coherent policy on climate change.
“We’ve got this extraordinary situation where the only thing the Liberal Party seem to be united on is putting nuclear plants, power plants, across the country, when they can’t even have a unified position on climate change,” he said.
Bligh rules out Queensland uranium mining
ABC News By Chrissy Arthur Jul 23, 2009
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says uranium mining will not be allowed in the state under her government.Earlier this week, Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said it was inevitable that uranium would be mined in Queensland.Ms Bligh says she made a promise at the last election not to allow uranium mining and she will not be breaking it.”It’s not like coal, or nickel or zinc,” she said.”This is a material that is used for a range of very serious and violent purposes around the world.”
Bligh rules out Qld uranium mining – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Mega uranium in Australia
Mega steps up bid to beat BHP with WA’s 1st uranium mine
(Note from Christiona Macpherson – Is Mega Uranium involved in a court case in South Africa?)
PERTH, July 23 AAP
Trading Room By Rebecca Le MayJuly 23 2009,
The race to develop Western Australia’s first uranium mine has gained pace, with Mega Uranium Ltd entering a $US49 million ($A60 million) joint venture with a Japanese firm to progress the Canadian explorer’s Lake Maitland project.
Mega is vying to beat BHP Billiton Ltd’s Yeelirrie project as the state’s first uranium mine.
Both projects are situated in WA’s midwest region near Wiluna………………..Mega, which is expected to soon seek an Australian stock exchange listing, said on Thursday it had teamed up with Japan Australia Uranium Resources Development (JAURD) and Itochu to develop the project………………….
“JAURD’s shareholders – power companies Kansai, Kyushu and Shikoku, will have access to uranium produced at Lake Maitland and Itochu will participate in uranium off-take arrangements,” Mega chief executive Sheldon Inwentash said.
The transaction is subject to approvals required under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act.
Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, said on Thursday Australian was “committed to mining uranium with safe hands and only supplying uranium to countries which use it with safe hands”.
News: Australian Stock, Share & Commodity Markets News – Tradingroom.com.au
Australia’s top nuclear business closes down – “a waste of time”
Top trio turn off N-switch
(for more Australian news go to nuclear news Australia )
Herald Sun Cameron England
July 23, 2009 12:00am
THREE of Australia’s best-known businessmen have abandoned plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant in the face of Federal Government opposition to the controversial energy source.
Fairfax Media chairman and former Liberal Party treasurer Ron Walker has applied to deregister Australian Nuclear Energy — the company he set up with mining identities Robert Champion de Crespigny and Hugh Morgan — three years after its creation.
Mr Walker said yesterday a lack of government support had scuttled their ambitions. “Government was very clear that they would not allow nuclear energy in Australia,” he said.
“We decided that it was just a waste of our time…………
…………Mr Walker applied to shut down ANE, which investigated the possibility of building a nuclear plant in either Victoria or South Australia, on May 2
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25821675-664,00.html
Rio Tinto tries to steer Rudd towards nuclear power
Business Spectator , 22 Jul 2009
Rio Tinto tries to steer Rudd towards nuclear power“…………….The company laid out its position in a submission to the government’s Energy White Paper, signed by Rio Tinto Australia managing director Stephen Creese.
The submission raised particular concern about the government’s 20 per cent renewable energy target…………………..
Rio Tinto owns 68 per cent of Australia’s largest uranium exporter Energy Resources of Australia Ltd.
The miner also cast doubt on the viability of gas as a lower-emitting, base load alternative to coal.
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
edie.net news by David Gibbs 21 July 09-“……………..The decision to approve Australia’s fifth uranium mine sparked fierce criticism of Mr Garrett from political opponents and conservation groups.They accused the former anti-uranium activist, who once stood for the Nuclear Disarmament Party and penned anti-nuclear anthems for his band, of hypocrisy and argue the mine will harm the environment.
Federal opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull said: “This approval shows that Mr Garrett is as big a phoney as the prime minister.
“He spent his whole life denouncing uranium mining and wanting to shut it down. Now he’s opening a new one.” ………………Senator Scott Ludlam, nuclear spokesman for The Greens, said the claim the mine, 550km (340 miles) north of Adelaide, would be world’s best practice was “unfounded and bordered on delusional”.
He added: “This acid injection uranium mine will dump liquid radioactive waste into regional groundwater body and the minister is trying to argue this won’t damage the environment.”
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
Nuclear power is a feminist issue
by Noel Wauchope 21 July 09
Thirty years ago, along with others, I argued that NUCLEAR is a feminist issue, and Women’s Electoral Lobby put in a detailed anti-uranium submission to the Australian federal government.
Nothing has changed.
1. The uranium/nuclear industry is still a Big Boys’ Club
– providing the ultimate phallic symbol – the nuclear missile, – toys for the boys
– providing exorbitantly paid jobs for the corporate boys, and for their tunnel-vision “experts”
– providing short-term dangerous jobs for tough boys.
2. Cancer is on the increase, especially breast cancer. The research goes towards cure – which is fine, but where’s the research into the causes and prevention of breast cancer . (Women are conned into thinking that “detection = prevention”)
Women bear the load of caring for those who suffer and die from leukaemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, – as well as of birth abnormalities. Meanwhile the establishment carefully attributes these to “genetic factors” – or vaguely to “unknown” factors.
The nuclear issue is still a feminist issue.
In every survey, more women than men are opposed to this industry.
But then – if they speak out – the “experts” dismiss women’s views – they are too “emotional”
Still – those surveys are a bit of a nuisance for the uranium/nuclear lobby – they are working hard now, to get women on side with them.
Selling the “resource boom”, (especially uranium) to women
Resources industry seeks more women
ABC News 20 July 09 By Maria HatzakisThe Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says the industry will not be able to achieve the growth it wants without recruiting more women……………….
QRC chief executive officer Michael Roche says female workers are needed to take up trade roles and careers in engineering and environmental sciences.
“The industry will be in a recovery phase very, very quickly and we know we’ll need thousands more people to service the sort of growth that is being planned in the industry and we can’t do it just by relying on the blokes,” he said.
Resources industry seeks more women – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Martin Ferguson Minister for the Uranium Lobby
The Bulletin 21 July 09
“The Labor Party changed its policy at the 2007 national conference,” Mr Ferguson said.“There is no limit on the number of uranium mines in Australia.“I simply adopt the view it’s only a matter of time and there will be uranium mining in Queensland.”
Ferguson hails next wave of mining growth | Local News | Rockhampton Morning Bulletin
A Labor loner who has given it all away
A Labor loner who has given it all away The transformation of Peter Garrett from environmental activist to passive government minister is now complete, writes Kerry-Anne Walsh.
- Sydney Morning Herald July 19, 2009
Parachuted into the safe Labor seat of Kingsford Smith in Sydney, Garrett landed in Canberra at the 2004 election and has, in quietly dramatic fashion, been divesting himself ever since of his pre-Labor skin.
Approving the Four Mile uranium mine last week was the starkest example to date of the transformation of Garrett from anti-nuclear and environmental activist to passive government minister. It was an even bigger slap in the face to his past than giving the nod last year to a Tasmanian pulp mill…………………………… It was, after all, only two years ago at Labor’s national conference that he spoke passionately against expanding Labor’s three-uranium-mines-only policy.
“I have always maintained and indeed committed myself to the notion that Australia should be nuclear-free – that our country is as far into nuclear activities as it ever should be,” he spruiked. “I have long been opposed to uranium mining, and I remain opposed to it. I am unapologetic about this. In fact, I am proud of it.”………………..
………….when policy directions collide fiercely with deeply held convictions – if, indeed, they still do – there is always the option of resignation from cabinet……………..
……..The voters who put him there won’t thank him; he’s betrayed them.
Oppose Garrett’s sell out — leave uranium in the ground
Oppose Garrett’s sell out — leave uranium in the ground
Green Left Leslie Richmond19 July 2009
He occupied a (somewhat self-appointed) position as a hero of Australia’s environment and Indigenous rights movements for decades. Yet these days, former Midnight Oil frontman and current ALP environment minister Peter Garrett works overtime to prove his credentials as a defender of big business and the big polluters…………….
……….His latest exercise in political surrender was his approval of the Four Mile uranium mine in northern South Australia. The deposit is the biggest uranium discovery in 25 years. It is just a few kilometres from Beverley uranium mine, the expansion of which Garrett approved last yeat.
Four Mile will be run by Quasar resources, a company owned by US weapons dealer and nuclear energy corporation General Atomics. General Atomics makes the Predator aerial drone vehicles the US is using so effectively to kill civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan……………
…………………Once again, an Indigenous community is being forced to give up its heritage to have access to basic services and living standards. Garrett is dividing a community where people would have expected the Midnight Oil-era Garrett to be promoting Indigenous empowerment and ownership…………………..
………..And he’s accepted that far from being a setback for our country, US forces are, in fact, a positive boon. In 2004, he reversed his long-standing opposition to the US-run Pine Gap military facility. In 2007, he supported the establishment of a new US military spy facility near Geraldton…………….
………….who can know that the resources company Quasar — owned by military hardware company General Atomics — will run the mine without thinking immediately of the potential the uranium will end up in nuclear weapons? The only safe place for uranium is in the ground, undisturbed.
Green Left – Oppose Garrett’s sell out — leave uranium in the ground
Northern Territory nuclear waste dump needed for nuclear medicine? That’s a Lie
NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND THE PROPOSED NT RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP, Jim
Green, 8 Sept 11,
“As health organisations, we are appalled that access to nuclear medical procedures is being used to justify the proposed nuclear waste dump. Most waste from these procedures break down quickly and can be safely disposed of either on site or locally.” − Dr Bill Williams, Medical Association for the Prevention of War
“Linking the need for a centralized radioactive waste storage facility with the production of isotopes for nuclear medicine is misleading. The production of radioactive isotopes for nuclear medicine comprises a small percentage of the output of research reactors. The majority of the waste that is produced in these facilities occurs regardless of the nuclear medicine isotope production.” − Nuclear Radiologist Dr Peter Karamoskos.
Proponents of a national radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory routinely claim or imply that nuclear medicine would be jeopardised if the dump does not proceed. There is no basis to such claims – they amount to dishonest scare-mongering.
Proponents claim that most or all of the waste that the federal government wants to dump in the NT arises from medicine, specifically the production and use of medical radioisotopes. However the true figure is 10-20%. Continue reading
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