Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

The week that was in Australian nuclear news

a-cat-CANAUSTRALIA

While the uranium industry is stagnant, due to record low prices, the pro nuclear lobby is busy. South Australia appears to be the pro nuke hub.:

  • This week we have the Property Council of S.A. pushing the plan for the full nuclear fuel cycle in South Australia, and for importing the world’s nuclear wastes to South Australia. Businessmen Nathan Paine, Chris Burns,and Theo Maras promoted the idea that South Australia should become the nuclear energy “Dubai of Asia”.  The worst part of this is that these men are pitching this as an  investment idea for “mums and dads” , as part of  a campaign “We’re for Jobs in SA” to be run by The Advertiser.
  •  South Australia’s two  nuclear front group lobbies (Decarbonise S.A and Brave New Climate) are promoting  a conference  – “Nuclear Energy For Australia” (Sydney July 25-26)
  •  At Flinders University, USA’s Dept of Energy funds a program aimed at showing that low dose radiation is good for health.

Renewable Energy got quite  a boost on 18th July – with two rallies in Canberra, which drew respectable gathering of 500 . Speakers included Professor Simon Chapman  and Greens leader Christine Milne.

Meanwhile the much touted anti wind farm rally was a bit of  a fizzer. It drew 100 people, who listened to radio shock jock Alan Jones, and politicians Liberal Senator Chris Back , National Senator, Ron Boswell, DLP Senator John Madigan. Senator Nick Xenophon was expected but didn’t turn up.

Climate change – more bad news, as Australia is predicted to be especially affected, and Canberra to become especially vulnerable to bushfires.   But good news – Australia’s Uniting and Catholic churches have taken renewable energy initiatives, encouraged by the Pope and other religious leaders.

Renewable  energy programs going ahead in remote locations, under the Federal Governmnent’s  Regional Australia Renewables (RAR) 60 communities are lobbying the government – Coalition for Community Energy – for funding community energy projects. Construction beginning on South Australia’s Port MacDonnell wave energy project

Australia hosted first World Indigenous Network Conference in Darwin.

 

June 19, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

The latest Australian nuclear news

It seems as if nothing is happening in the nuclear and uranium scene in Australia.  However, a renewed propaganda effort is going on – in both departments.  Articles in national and South Australian media have promoted an old, (but never discarded) idea of the Liberal Party, to make Australia the world’s nuclear waste dump.   The uranium industry has been strongly promoted by Australia’s new Minister for (Nuclear) Energy, Gary Gray, and of course, by the Australian Uranium Association and their faithful business  journalists.

The nuclear waste dump idea, (to enrich a few entrepreneurs like John White of Australian Nuclear Fuels Leasing) comes as the world’s nuclear waste crisis becomes more apparent, and as the Australian nuclear lobby is tantalised at the thought of a Liberal Coalition win on September 14.

The uranium promotion idea looks more like a desperate effort by the uranium industry to jolly itself up, as uranium prices drop below US$40/lb with no prospect of coming up again. This puts the lid on the Western Australian Wiluna uranium mine project – unless there’s  a miracle recovery in the market.

Mary Kathleen uranium mine is still a toxically radioactive place, decades after closure. But that hasn’t stopped the Queensland government from deciding to  assess opportunities for mining at the site, which contains millions of tonnes of ore tailings.    The Mary Kathleen mine is under a Restricted Area 232 status, meaning exploration and production are both prohibited.

a-cat-CANWind energy.  Front groups for the fossil fuel and nuclear industry will put on an anti wind energy rally, at Federal Parliament on June 18.  Prominent anti climate change sceptics will be there, representing   front groups  Australian Environment Foundation, Lavoisier Foundation, Galileo Movement, Waubra Foundation – and blessed by the right wing Institute of Public Affarirs (IPA) .   The Liberal Colaition if elected, will impose new noise monitoring rules on wind farms – a complicated and tedious requirement that is likely to cripple the industry.

Meanwhile King Island continues to agonise over whether or not to allow a feasibility study for a wind farm there. It seems that at least one golf club is opposed – it is possible that fewer golf tourists would come to King Island  if there were a wind farm there.  In good old Aussie tradition, sport is having  a higher priority than clean energy?

Renewable energy powers on.  Regional Australia’s Renewables (IRAR) programs- will halve  electricity costs in  remote areas where settlements and mining projects have no connection to the grid, and which have relied almost entirely on fossil fuels to date. Households in South Australia are increasingly turning to solar power to alleviate or even obliterate energy bill woes.

Former Liberal  leader John Hewson praised the (Greens) plan to push Australia’s $80+ billion Future Fund to cut global warming risk in their portfolio. Former leader Malcolm Fraser  tweeted his Twitter followers to vote Green, after a discussion on global warming

 

June 12, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

The week that was in Australian nuclear news

  • a-cat-CAN
    Renewable energy and climate change are in the news – but mainly for political reasons. It is still  possible for the Liberal Coalition to persuade one or more Independents to go for a double dissolution of Federal Parliament. The Coalition then they might be able to put a stop to developments in renewable energy – ones that are being contracted by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) , and are  due to commence on July 1.
  • Even if the election does not happen until September 14, Australia’s Opposition Party has been able to frighten off many renewable energy investments with their promise to repeal the carbon tax, and shut down the  CEFC and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
  • All the same, Clean Energy Australia Report showed record renewable energy use in Australia in 2012.
  • In Geraldton, W.A. a large solar array has just come into operation.
  •  In South Australia a final government decision is due soon on the  Keyneton wind farm.
  • From today, residents of tiny King Island can vote on whether or not to allow for a feasibility study into hosting the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere. Opponents, led by the Waubra Foundation, have hired a Sydney public relations firm to lobby residents for  “no” vote.

Uranium price has hit 4 year record low, casting doubt on the future of Toro Energy’s Wiluna project in Western Australia. This would have been W.A.’s first uranium mine.

Julian Assange. Well, if you want any help from the Australian government – make sure that you do a drug crime, or manslaughter or something like that. Don’t expect any help if you just showed a video about US army atrocities in Afghanistan, or revealed cables in the public interest. Australia’s Foreign Minister, Bob Carr has made it pretty clear that the government is not interested in helping Julian Assange, (under investigation by USA for ‘treasonable’ offences)

 

June 7, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Even Australia’s newspaper The Age fell for deceptive pro nuclear spin

a-cat-CAN5 June 13. Today’s Age article by John Watson repeats the mudd;led story put out by the latest UNSCEAR press release –  carrying the general message that Fukushim aradiation is not hurting anybody, and really, we should again look upon nuclear power as safe. – Japan’s radiation disaster toll: none dead, none sick  http://www.theage.com.au/comment/japans-radiation-disaster-toll-none-dead-none-sick-20130604-2nomz.html#ixzz2VNXzK6Hl

I can only think that the author is, like all too many Australian journalists – somewhat illiterate about ionising radiation and its biological effects.

John Watson’s article on Japan’s radiation following Fukushima repeats a misleading interpretation of the World Health Organisation’s February report.  He does quote that report’s predictions of increased breast cancer and leukaemia risk for exposed communities. Bu then goes on to endorse the latest press release from UNSCEAR, which at a glance, appears to contradict that risk.
However, the UNSCEAR press release from Vienna experts is in fact cleverly worded so as to allay fear and panic.  This press release talks about the “general  public” of Japan. But the WHO report focussed on the exposed communities, not the whole general public of Japan.   This press release talks of no “immediate health effects”.  But the WHO focussed on effects that would occur many years later, not immediately.   This press release talks of the “inability to attribute any health effects”.  Alas, that is all too true.  It will not be possible, in future to attribute cancer in individuals to Fukushima radiation.  That’s because for say, every 30 cancer cases that occur in 20 years’ time, only one is likely o be due to Fukushima radiation. But which one?
In fact, to allay fear and panic, the latest press release from UNSCEAR has just sort of turned the WHO report upside down.  In fact, the majority of people exposed to Fukushima radiation will remain well. The problem is that a significant minority will not. Fukushima radiation is not a big risk individually, but it is on a collective, population basis

 

June 5, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear News This Week – Australia

a-cat-CANRenewable Energy –  yes the news is all about this area. The indomitable Giles Parkinson of REneweconomy just keeps on revealing interesting stuff  – like:

  • the growth in community renewable energy – community solar network Farming the Sun in NSW”s Northern rivers region, the first of several such groups in New South Wales. NSW government’s Office of Environment and Heritage has approved funding for up to 9 groups to develop similar proposals.   Community wind farms exist in Victoria (Hepburn Wind project) and in Albany, W.A.
  • Australian businesses are taking to solar energy, with 1,460 commercial solar installation in the first quarter of this year. This is causing financial distress to fossil fuel energy utilities. Australia needs to follow Germany’s lead in helping fossil fuel utilities to cope with the transition – they will still be needed as the renewable energy revolution progresses, for backup energy.
  • Meanwhile the Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA)  got  a bit desperate, blaming home solar owners for  ‘avoiding network charges’. As Parkinson pointed out,  the ESAA ignored the cross-subsidy paid by households with no air conditioning for those who do.
  • Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC)  launches  screen printing for solar energy – an Australian scientific first!

Federal politics. Greg Hunt Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage reiterated the Liberal Coalition’s plans to repeal the Carbon Tax, remove the Clean Energy Act, and remove Federal powers over Environmental Law.  Christine Milne gave  a spirited stand for Australia’s environment.

Uranium

  • Share prices for Australian uranium companies ERA, Paladin, Bannerman Resources, have fallen over 90% since 2007
  • A new study  ‘Economics at Large’ examines Toro Energy’s Wiluna uranium project., and finds that it is financially risky. It might just manage to be financially viable   if Toro can avoid clean-up and decommissioning costs.
  •  Paladin Energy is the news again, for all the wrong reasons. Very poor and unsafe working conditions in Paladin’s  Kayelekera uranium mine, in Malawi, having led to blindness in one worker. Paladin blamed all this on  a”sub-contractor”.  They couldn’t get away with this in Australia. Sadly, our mining companies can be “The Ugly Australian” in Africa.

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May 22, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australia: nuclear news this week

a-cat-CANNuclear wastes and the old dead High Flux nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights back in the news, as Federal Government plans (listed in Budget) to move these from South Sydney, for dumping on Aborignal land in the Northern Territory. This would clear the way for further nuclear development at Lucas Heights. Nobody seems to have thought of the idea of just stopping making this radioactive trash, importing radiopharmaceuticals made by non nuclear methods. Sydneysiders are anxious about the radioactive transport.

Federal Budget. 

  • Uranium miners  squealing as the Federal Budget moves to stop the rorts on tax exempt exploration, (but they keep all their other perks, such as the fuel rebate).
  • Nuke Dump gets $35.7m over 4 years.
  •  ANSTO gets $38.7m for decommissioning High Flux Nuclear Reactor and $8.1 m for increasing costs of running OPAL Nuclear Reactor
  • ARPANSA  Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency gets  $ 7.8 m over four years 
  •  Rum Jungle radioactive decontamination  funds gets $1.5m this year.
  • A mixed result for renewable energy and climate change action.  The Australian Renewable Energy Agency survives, with funds deferred. The Clean Technology Programs did not receive rumoured cuts. It could have been worse – and certainly will be, if Abbott gets in, in September.

Uranium market gloom.  .Underneath the hype of the future “uranium boom”, some analysts actually coming out now and predicting indefinite stagnation for Australia’s (and everybody’s)  uranium industry.

Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations going on, in secret, in Lima, Peru.  I bet you’re not hearing anything about this.  So far, the Australian government has resisted conditions that would endanger the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, limit access to Internet material, and permit US corporations to over-ride Australian legislation, in investor-state dispute provisions.  Australia is admired, as a model for resisting this. However, this could all change very quickly if the Liberal Coalition wins on September 14.   You think that this is not nuclear-related?  Well, I think that it’s related to everything!

 

May 16, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Antinuclear’s take on Australia’s Federal Budget

 budgetToday’s special –  a swathe of items about the Budget.

People are analysing the Budget all over the place.  Christina Milne of The Greens is scathing a-cat-CANabout how the Labor government has backed down on its clean energy commitments.

Still – the Australian Renewable Energy Agency survives, and solar and wind power are going to keep growing. Heaven help us if Tony Abbot gets in in September and tries to wreck renewable energy and climate change action.  We may well look back on this Budget as something quite good.

The uranium lobby will be squealing, as new rules tighten, to stop the rorts on tax exempt exploration.  But they keep all their other $billion perks.

Nuclear agencies continue to gobble up their $millions. The old dead, but still dirty High Flux has costly cleanups indefinitely, the live OPAL nuclear reactor continues to cost. Then there’s the radioactive waste dump planning.

And there are the Counsellors in India and  China being funded –  their job sounds very like marketing for Australia’s uranium industry.

May 15, 2013 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, politics | Leave a comment

Uranium mining: Budget slightly dents the government handouts to this industry

a-cat-CANThe mining industry  has  had  a royal run from the Australian government.  Up until this latest Federal Budget uranium mining companies could deduct the full cost of exploration immediately, or even 150 per cent of the cost of exploration in some cases. Tax breaks on exploration and equipment cost taxpayers more than $1 billion per year.

Now – mining companies will cry poor, as the new budget contains  measures to tighten the rules on exploration deductions for miners. Companies will now only be able to deduct genuine exploration spending, rather than writing off the acquisition of a company that acquired mining rights and spent money on exploration. But hey, the Government is sacking  more than 100 staff from the federal environment department, staff who help assess mining proposals

money-lobbyingBut don’t let’s feel too sorry for the uranium, or indeed, any mining corporations. For example BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto pay tax on their fuel, but the government gives nearly all of it back through the Fuel Tax Credits program. Fears the diesel fuel rebates could be targeted again proved unfounded, with no direct changes to the 32 cent rebate.

As Charles  Berge wrote (in Sydney Morning Herald May 11, 2010)    “And then there are direct government services. Geoscience Australia’s annual budget is $130 million, much of which goes to providing free data and services to the mining industry. The CSIRO and various government research centres chip in another $130 million per year in benefits to the industry. And for the research the miners have to do themselves, they get $160 million back per year in the form of research and development tax concessions.

A billion or two for fuel, … a billion for free pollution and a couple of hundred million for subsidised science . . . pretty soon we’re talking real money.

And that’s before we’ve even begun to talk about government-provided roads, rail, ports, electricity networks and other infrastructure.

 Mining is different from most other industries because it directly accesses publicly owned, non-renewable resources. It is appropriate that it pay for this privileged access, over and above its fair share of company tax. In light of the $4 billion to $5 billion in benefits the mining industry receives each year from the Australian taxpayer, the government’s proposed resource rent tax starts to look modest (and anyway, uranium mining was exempt from that tax)….. 

So don’t be snowed by the big miners’ shrieks about sovereign risk driving them out of Australia. The biggest risk is that we continue to subsidise mining operations that aren’t paying a fair return for their use of public resources and taxpayer dollars.”

May 15, 2013 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, politics, uranium | 1 Comment

This week’s nuclear news in Australia

a-cat-CANFederal politics.  Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop joins in the growing chorus of Liberal, and some Labor politicians urging for nuclear power for Australia.    Much Liberal-Labor wrangling going on about the carbon tax,  the the Clean Energy Future legislation, renewable energy promotion and demotion.  And I’m sorry, but I haven’t kept up with it too well.

Western Australia. Intrepid Traditional owners and international protesters are already on their way in their 250 Km walk from Yeelirrie to Leonora  in protest against uranium mining.  In addition to this strong local opposition, there are still many hurdles for the uranium industry to overcome, before Wiluna, or Yeelirrie uranium projects ever become operational. The most significant hurdle is the persistent fall in uranium prices.

Which brings me to the Australian media. The business pages continue to hype the marker forecast for uranium mining. They must be relying on handouts from the uranium lobby, as the reality for the uranium market is quite the opposite – as demonstrated by the spectacular fall in earnings and share prices of leading uranium miner Cameco.

Northern Territory govt is bringing in  a levy on mining companies, to raise money to clean up defunct old mines, like the still radioactive Rum Jungle uranium mine.  It’s not going to be enough money – but this is still  a welcome recognition that uranium mining companies should not get away scotfree,   leaving their radioactive mess.

Victorian Health Department finds that wind turbines do not cause illness, but  Premier Napthine and the Victorian Liberal govt apparently do not believe this, and are retaining the restrictions on wind farm development.   However, a big global fund, Denham Capital Management, is joining with others to create  OneWind Australia – investing in wind energy in New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania.

 

May 9, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Energy issues in Australia this week

a-cat-CANWhile there is nothing dramatic to report – that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening.

Uranium. The Australian Uranium Association’s annual Paydirt Conference, in Adelaide, was  sad little affair this year. Poor attendances, schedule cut down from 3 days to one, venue changed from The Hilton to The Intercontinental Hotel.  The star address was by the New Minister for Energy and Resources, Gary Gray. Mr Gray has just discovered that climate change is real.  Gray has been an enthusiastic climate denier until now.  But he has renounced his previous position that climate science was “pop science” and a “middle-class conspiracy to frighten schoolchildren”.    Why? I hear your cry?

Well that’s simple. Australia’s nuclear lobby is pitching nuclear power as the cure for climate change. Well, it wouldn’t be very convincing to promote a cure for a disease that you denied existed, now would it?

Uranium economics.  The Australian Conservation Foundation has produced  a terrific analysis  Exposing the Uranium Industry’s Economic Myth shttp://www.acfonline.org.au/sites/default/files/resources/ACF_Yellowcake_Fever.pdf

graph-uranium-slide

Tony Abbott promises to reinvigorate BHP’s massive Olympic Dam project, although BHP has rejected it, and the South Australia government admits that it was over- hyped.

Climate Change and Renewable Energy.  Liberal Ministers of Energy in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria unite in a chorus of climate scepticism, and downgrading of renewable energy . Labor’s  Gary Gray joins in dismissing renewables.  So you see – obeying the fossil fuel/nuclear lobby agenda is not really a party political thing. They are all equally illiterate about energy’s future trends.

Maralinga veterans. Although the UK government has rejected any claim for compensation for Australia’s nuclear veterans, the veterans, many suffering from cancer,  are making an appeal to the  Australian Human Rights Commission, on the illegality of their exposure to atomic radiation in the 1950s and 60s.

Lucas Heights nuclear wastes. Sutherland Council doesn’t want it stored there. Strange that they haven’t thought of the idea of just shutting it down, and not making any more radioactive wastes.

 

May 3, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australian Uranium Association’s Paydirt Conference a Flop

NUCLEAR-INDUSTRY-FIGHTS-ON Always a big mutual admiration society “do”, the Australian Uranium Industry’s annual Paydirt Conference in Adelaide was a sad little affair this year.

It’s getting harder and harder for the uranium industry to jolly itself up, as the economic realities for the industry become more apparent. Touted as a “major” conference,  this one attracted only half as many delegates as in 2012.  The conference duration was shortened from 3 days to one. The venue was changed from the Hilton to the Intercontinental Hotel.

Press releases (as far as I could find) focused on excuses for why the Paydirt conference was such a lemon. “Mr Koutsantonis blamed the Fukushima disaster in Japan – and the global review of the industry – for the lack of attendance” – (Perth Now)

Nevertheless, uranium industry spruikers will spruik on.

So – during May, I think that I will just note the antidotes to the Australian Uranium Hype – by quoting salient bits from the just released YELLOWCAKE FEVER Exposing the Uranium Industry’s Economic Myths http://www.acfonline.org.au/resources/yellowcake-fever-exposing-uranium-industrys-economic-myths

For today’s example:

AUSTRALIA’S URANIUM EXPORT REVENUE IN PERSPECTIVE

In the 2011/12 financial year:

• uranium accounted for 0.19% of national export revenue;

• uranium revenue was 4.4 times lower than Australia’s 20th biggest export earner, wool;

• uranium revenue was 8.7 times lower than Australia’s 10th biggest export earner, aluminium; and

• uranium revenue was 103 times lower than the biggest earner, iron ore.

April 30, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Ethics, Australia’s media, politicians, and the Uranium Paydirt Conference

a-cat-CANChristina Macpherson 27 April 13, Today I’ve posted an item from The Conversation, in which 4 very serious writers raise the question of Australia’s politicians having an ethical duty to seek out the scientific consensus on climate change, rather than to just rely on their own personal opinions.

I think that these writers are being far too kind to Australia’s Climate Denying politicians.   With the facts on climate change becoming ever more widely known, and increasingly urgent, –  are we to believe that these politicians are just a bit stupid?

No. They are smart. They know who funds their campaigns. They know who best articulates the hidden case for the fossil fuel industries  – and they draw on propaganda material from America’s well organised think tanks,  whose opinions are paid for by fossil fuel interests, especially the notorious Koch Brothers.

I know that climate change is a critical threat to the planet, and especially to Australia.  However, it’s not the only critical threat. This website is dedicated to opposing the equally critical threats of nuclear war, and nuclear pollution.

I found it very interesting that our 4 ethically minded writers singled out Australia’s new Resources Minister, Gary Gray, as one who has Gray-nuclear-rather suddenly seen the light on climate change – ”  Gray renounced his previous position that climate science was “pop science” and a “middle-class conspiracy to frighten schoolchildren.

But why did Gray do this sudden u-turn on climate change?

Well, that’s not hard to discover.   Minister Gray is to deliver his first address in his new role ( since Minister Ferguson got kicked out)  – and Gray’s “maiden address” is to the Australian Uranium Association’s 3 day “Paydirt Conference in Adelaide – April 30 – May 2.

What’s the connection?  I hear your cry.   Well, the connection is that Australia’s (rather desperate) uranium industry is spruiking the lie that nuclear power is the solution to climate change,

Well, you can’t pose as one trying to solve climate change, if you are saying that you don’t believe in climate change – now, can you?

And that is why the opportunistic Gary Gray now states that he believes in climate change.

April 27, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Apology for news on renewables, instead of on nuclear

a-cat-CANThis is my apology for putting up so many items about renewable energy, instead of ones about nuclear energy

Yes – I know that my websites are  supposed to be all about nuclear news.  But what IS the nuclear news? And what IS happening in the energy world.

Well – my problem is that IT’s ALL HAPPENING IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.

The nuclear lobby  huffs and puffs, and tries to blow down the house of renewable energy.

But it’s all hot air.  The reality of the nuclear industry is that it hobbles on, in its servitude to nuclear weapons, it pretends that it’s economic, which it clearly isn’t, and it touts for markets all over the world.

The real news about the nuclear industry is that it can’t solve the waste problem, that it can’t convince the world’s health authorities, as it lies its head off about ionising radiation.  And its costs just keep skyrocketing. Nuclear news is all negative stuff, and I get sick of it.  In Australia, it’s sad stuff, – with the uranium industry in decline, and even South Australia’s Premier admitting that uranium has been “over-hyped”.

Meanwhile there’s all sorts of positive things happening in renewable energy, small and large scale, in energy storage, and in constantly falling costs.

Of course, as the nuclear lobby huffs and puffs, it tries to fight, to destroy, the clean energy movement.  It brings to mind Mahatma  Ghandi’s sayng:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”

April 26, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Muckaty was never selected scientifically as a nuclear waste dump site

Aust-dump-sites15 July 2005 The Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP, announces three potential locations to be investigated for the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Facility. The three locations are properties located near Katherine and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory: Fishers Ridge, Department of Defence property, southeast of RAAF Base Tindal; Mt Everard, Department of Defence property, northwest of Alice Springs; and Harts Range, Department of Defence property, northeast of Alice Springs. The new facility will co-locate low-level and intermediate-level radioactive wastes.
http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/online/RadioactiveWaste#radio

Christina Macpherson 19 April 13.  It’s hard to discover exactly what sites were recommended by  Bureau of Resource Sciences in the 1990’s, but Muckaty wasn’t one of them.

NRIC, A Radioactive Waste Repository for Australia: Methods for Choosing the Right Site, DPIE, Canberra, 1992.The Commonwealth releases its report National Radioactive Waste Repository Site Selection Study, Phase 1 for public comment by December 1992. The Phase 1 report is prepared by the National Resource Information Centre (NRIC), a science unit within the Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE). The report:

describes the nature of radioactive wastes

briefly describes the criteria for assessing the suitability of sites for hosting a waste repository

outlines a Geographic Information Systembased system for applying the criteria, and
describes the way a repository would be constructed.

Of the eight regions identified by this study, five were selected entirely by using ASSESS. These were the
Tanami, Bloods Range, Everard, Billa Kalina and Olary regions. Continue reading

April 19, 2013 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Around the nuclear/uranium traps in Australia this week

a-cat-CANNorth Korea continues to be a source of anxiety for Australia, though we are not seen as a target at present, and perhaps they don’t have a nuclear missile anyway?   Intrepid Dr Helen Caldicott takes off for nuclear  lectures in South Korea.

USA militarism in the Pacific is now seen even by the right wing  Australian Strategic Policy Institute as  increasingly risky. The concept of the “Air Sea Battle” is likely to draw Australia into any war in the Asia Pacific, potentially a nuclear war.

Nuclear lobbying revs up, as Tony Shepherd (Transfield Services, -construction, resources, energy) of Business Council of Australia calls for nuclear power to be “on the table”. Barry Brook, the nuke lobby’s favourite spruiker, spruiks again. And the  political party ”Australian Voters Party” calls for a string of nuclear power plants in regional Australia.

Commonwealth Bank, in a magnificent piece of jargon, refuses to answer on the question of funding nuclear weapons manufacture.  http://www.abc.net.au/tv/thecheckout/futube/default.htm?WwEQu-_c3Bw  The question was asked by the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, (who have now changed their bank).

Paladin Energy, Australian uranium company forced to renegotiate a deal with Malawi, which will include removing the confidentiality clause, and getting  a better financial deal for Malawi.

Solar Power: 1,000,643 small solar power systems were installed in Australia as at April 5; with a collective total capacity of  2,461,696 kW. Based on an average 25c/kWh retail electricity cost (day rates); these home solar power systems could generate as much as $913,086,737 worth of electricity over the next 12 months.

Greenhouse gas emissions:  National Greenhouse Accounts released on Monday show Australia’s carbon pollution from electricity generation fell by 14 million tonnes during 2012.Around the nuclear/uranium traps

Queensland ALP reaffirms their policy against uranium mining.

Victoria‘s Premier Denis Napthine gets this week’s Hypocrisy award. He enthused over the opening of  Macarthur wind farm (largest in Southern Hemisphere – ““I think they are majestic, and I actually love them.” but then Napthine stated that he will not be changing Victoria’s anti wind farm laws.

 

April 18, 2013 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment