Comcare recommends radical changes to ANSTO’s nuclear operations
“……….said Senator Ludlam: “Comcare essentially vindicated Mr Reid’s original complaints about safety by recommending a radical overhaul of the way ANSTO runs its radiopharmaceutical operations.”
“ANSTO indicates that Comcare is now reviewing the report in question. The Government must ensure that the findings of that review are made public as soon as they are reached.” Senator Ludlam said. “This is an extremely grave matter. It indicates not only serious safety issues, but also what appears to be the use of disciplinary action to silence a whistle-blower.”
Comcare recommended that ANSTO; Continue reading
Damning report on safety breaches at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
They pay lip service to safety, but they actually do nothing. There’s been many accidents and incidents that they have not reported or investigated.
Report slams Australian nuclear reactor Australian Broadcasting CorporationBroadcast: 08/02/2011 Reporter: John ThompsonA confidential report obtained by the ABC shows that Australia’s only nuclear reactor has under-reported accidents and breached safety precautions. Continue reading
Danger of expanding Ranger uranium mine
Senator Scott Ludlam says Energy Resources Australia has a poor track record. “This isn’t an isolated incident. Right from the beginning this mine has been plagued with difficulties with accidents, spills and near misses,” he said.
Ranger uranium scare ‘not isolated’ ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 7 Jan 2011, The Greens say a uranium scare in Kakadu National Park is evidence mining there should not be allowed to expand. Continue reading
Airport scanners not only radiation risk, but are not effective security either
Australia is one of several nations that have begun to test or install full-body scanners
[Australia will be getting the “backscatter” ionising radiation type, (at left below) not the safer radio-wave type, (at right below) ]
Fears over fatal flaws in full-body airport scanners The Age Derek Kravitz, Washington December 27, 2010 US SECURITY experts have questioned the ability of full-body scanners to detect modern chemical explosives taped to a passenger’s abdomen or hidden in a cavity. Continue reading
Terrorist freed now, though plotted to bomb Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
Willie Brigitte walks out of prison | Herald Sun, 13 Dec 10, AUSTRALIA’S most notorious terrorist, Willie Brigitte, has been freed from jail on good behaviour, despite having served less than half his sentence for plotting to bomb the nation’s nuclear reactor.The Caribbean-born Muslim convert, who lived in Sydney, was sentenced in France in 2007 to a maximum nine years for joining an al-Qa’ida-backed Pakistani terror cell that had conspired to blow up the Lucas Heights nuclear plant, Australia’s electricity grid and/or a military base.But the Sunday Herald Sun has learnt the 42-year-old extremist walked free from a French jail on September 25 this year……Willie Brigitte walks out of prison | Herald Sun
Australia’s uranium to Russia, country with worst safety record!
“The move will see Australia supplying uranium to a country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, and the largest stockpile of weapons-usable material, much of it inadequately secured,” said ICAN Chair Associate Professor Tilman Ruff. Continue reading
Theft of radioactive materials in Victoria
The theft is the most serious incident in the report, which includes another 33 cases where people were exposed to levels of radiation, most often as the result of medical error.
The Brumby Dump: nuclear compounds stolen from the back of a ute | Crikey, by Wez Matthews-Naylor, 22 Oct 120 Dangerous nuclear compounds were stolen from the back of an unlocked ute in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong earlier this year, and remain at large Continue reading
Radiation mishaps in Australia 2005 to 2010
The newly posted ACIRs show errors involving medical uses of radiation are the most common cause of critical incidents.
ARPANSA comes clean on annual reports Karen Dearne, The Australian, * October 22, 2010 DIAGNOSTIC radiology has emerged as the highest-risk area for medical radiation errors, Continue reading
ERA tightlipped on uranium miners’ accidents
Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia refused to discuss the two accidents with the NT News.
Miners fear life after chemical leak, Northern Territory News, NIGEL ADLAM, August 13th, 2010 TWO uranium miners thought they were going to die after fleeing to a “safe room” to escape a chemical leak.They almost lapsed into unconsciousness as ammoniaseeped into the room through the door. Continue reading
Incident involving worker safety at Ranger uranium mine
Chemical scare at Ranger uranium mine By Louisa Rebgetz ABC News, Aug 12, 2010 Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia has confirmed four workers at its Ranger mine in the Northern Territory needed medical help after being exposed to chemicals during a shift. Continue reading
Radiation leak investigated in Queensland
Qld Health investigating radiation, Rockhampton News, 19th June 2010 A QUEENSLAND Health representative yesterday confirmed the department was investigating a radioactive substance leak at QMAG’s Parkhurst plant last week…….e small leakage of caesium-137.The leak was detected during statutory testing, where a high radiation reading was reported at the base of a cylinder on a gauge………The spokesperson said Queensland Health was investigating the cause of the incident.
ANSTO admits safety failures at Lucas Heights: whistleblower still suspended
Mr Reid remains suspended…..The Greens say he should be reinstated immediately.
Chief vindicates Lucas Heights whistleblower – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 1 June 2010, “………….In August 2008, a worker at the ARI facility dropped a vial of highly radioactive material in a containment cell, which went unreported for several hours.”We started investigating and the more we investigated the more we couldn’t understand because it was such a massive dose,” Mr Reid said.”None of our instruments could measure it – it was way off scale. Continue reading
Earthquake danger ignored in BHP’s planned Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion
Edward Cranswick, a geophysicist and expert on earthquakes, has warned the South Australian and federal governments of the earthquake danger for the Olympic Dam uranium mine area.
This risk has been ignored in BHP Billiton’s Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed gigantic expansion which would form the world’s biggest mining hole.
The Kalgoorlie Earthquake and the Proposed Olympic Dam Mine Expansion. by Edward Cranswick, 25 May 2010, BHP Billiton has proposed to dig the largest open pit mine on the Earth at Olympic Dam, 4.1 km long, 3.5 km wide, 1 km deep. As a geophysicist who investigated earthquakes for the US Geological Survey for 22 years [1], I strongly criticised BHP’s Olympic Dam Expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement 2009 (ODXdEIS) [2] because it omitted consideration of seismicity, i.e., rockbursts or earthquakes, caused by open pit mining, despite the fact that seismic hazard is well-known in the Australian mining industry (Hudyma et al. 2003 [3], Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) [4]).
The recent Kalgoorlie Earthquake emphasises the probability and consequences of these seismic events as mines grow larger and deeper – the ODXdEIS needs to be re-evaluated because it does not address this issue at all. I discuss the connection between mining and seismicity and how it is obscured in Australia, particularly the seismic hazard of the Olympic Dam mine, and I make recommendations about these matters. Read on for the complete submission. Continue reading
BHP’s dangerous plan to transport uranium through towns
Australia’s proposed nuclear waste dump a target for terrorism
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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