Radioactive incidents at Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
at least one employee had “received a substantial dose of radiation”……The accident was confirmed by a confidential report by the nuclear industry regulator, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency
Safety breaches at Lucas Heights, Sydney Morning Herald, ELLIE HARVEY, May 6, 2010 New claims of safety breaches have emerged at Australia’s only nuclear facility at Lucas Heights. The allegations were made by an employee of 28 years and backed up by an external safety report by an industry regulator. Continue reading
NASA’s Nuclear Compton Telescope crashes near Alice Springs
VIDEO Nuclear Compton Telescope crashes on launch, Dynamics of Cats NASA loses a balloon in the outback April 29, 2010 The Nuclear Compton Telescope (PI Boggs at UCB’s SSL), a soft γ-ray telescope designed for balloon launch, observations in the stratosphere, and recovery, crashed because of a wind gust during an attempted launch in Australia earlier today
Nuclear Compton Telescope crashes on launch : Dynamics of Cats
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
Olympic Dam uranium mine still only at 25% capacity output
Delays continue at BHP’s Olympic Dam, The
Independent Weekly, KEVIN NAUGHTON 10 Apr, 2010 Work on the full recommissioning of Olympic Dam’s main shaft has been delayed again,….The shaft, which carries 75 per cent of the mine’s output, has been out of action since an accident on October 6, 2009…… Continue reading
W.A. premier rules out Oakajee port for uranium shipments
No uranium through Oakajee: Premier ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 25 March 2010, The Premier Colin Barnett has ruled out using the proposed Oakajee deepwater port north of Geraldton to ship uranium products. Continue reading
Muckaty nuke waste site – earthquake risk, missing documents
one key document, an anthropological report, is missing.
Earthquake fears over nuclear dump site, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Jane Bardon and Emma Masters, Mar 12, 2010 Reports into the suitability of the site chosen by the Federal Government for a nuclear waste dump say more scientific investigation is needed into the threat of earthquakes around the Tennant Creek region. Continue reading
Lax security at BHP’s Yeelirrie uranium tailings dump
Australia’s one nuclear reactor cited as a terrorist target
possible targets for bombings included the Lucas Heights nuclear facility.
Terrorism tools still missing, says judge Sydney Morning Herald MALCOLM BROWN February 16, 2010 A ”WIDE RANGE” of materials collected by conspirators in a terrorism case has not been recovered by authorities and may be used by others bent on terrorism offences, a Supreme Court judged has warned. Continue reading
What if terrorists targeted Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor?
Today’s news story on the terrorist plot in Sydney should be a reminder that Sydney’s Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor is a terrorist target
“the intended target was never revealed”
Hefty jail terms for terrorism plotters – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) By Shane McLeod for PM 16 Feb 2010 It took Justice Anthony Whealy more than three hours to read out his judgement in the case of the five men, who were found guilty by a jury last year of plotting a large scale terrorist attack…. Continue reading
Cyclone flood danger to uranium mines
Australia Issues Red Alert as Tropical Cyclone Approaches Coast By Jason ScottDec. 16 (Bloomberg) — Australia issued its highest storm alert as Tropical Cyclone Laurence’s winds strengthened to as high as 285 kilometers (177 miles) per hour as it approached the northwestern coast, where offshore oil and gas rigs were evacuated earlier………..
Cyclone George in March 2007 caused flooding at Energy Resources of Australia Ltd.’s Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory.
Australia Issues Red Alert as Tropical Cyclone Approaches Coast – Bloomberg.com
Australian nuclear terrorist to be released
France may release Brigitte in 2010 Sydney Morning Herald December 2, 2009 -Australia’s most notorious terrorist Willie Brigitte could be released from a French jail in the new year, after having served less than half his sentence for conspiring to blow up the nation’s only nuclear reactor and the power grid……….. Continue reading
Uranium miners can just walk away from cleanup
Oil spill disaster continues – the toll rises
“…………………..the federal government has jettisoned its three mine uranium policy and is now considering a rush of exploration licence applications. In July, the Environment Minister gave the go ahead for Alliance Resources to move into production using the controversial acid corrosion Continue reading
Radiation chemical spill at Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
Staff not evacuated after spill at Lucas Heights THE AUSTRALIAN October 21, 2009 Australian Associated Press OPERATORS at Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor were not evacuated after a radiation chemical spill, a Senate committee has heard. An internal audit conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation found safety procedures were breached in August 2008 after a vial of molybdenum 99 – used in the production of nuclear medicine – was dislodged.
Asked by Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam if the molybdenum was left unreported for three hours, ANSTO chief executive Adi Paterson said the organisation’s report had referred to this incident………..
A spokesman for Senator Ludlam said that if safety procedures could not be followed at Australia’s nuclear reactor, “God help” Australia if ANSTO was put in charge of a full scale nuclear power facility.
Staff not evacuated after spill at Lucas Heights | The Australian
Australian “Pentagon” against nuclear attack
KRudd’s war room to deal with all manner of Strangelove situations
Sydney Morning Herald, by Tony Wright October 1, 2009 “……..a brand-new, super-secret installation called Headquarters Joint Operations Command. It’s in a paddock about 35km outside Canberra, heading towards the village of Bungendore, and it’s been built for $300 million or so to provide, in military-speak, “the Chief of the Defence Force with an effective world class platform for the command and control of the Australian Defence Force on operations around the world and within Australia”.
This Australian Pentagon is supposed to have underground bunkers where the government can shelter and continue to operate in the event of a nuclear attack, major terrorist assault or natural disaster on Canberra.
The 2009 Budget, if you looked very closely indeed, revealed that $7.4 million was being spent on a super-secret plan to protect the nation’s decision makers in such emergencies.
No details were given, but The Goanna recalls early plans that seeped out after the Howard Government’s national security subcommittee approved in 2004 what was called “broad elements of the government post-doomsday blueprint”………… http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/krudds-war-room-to-deal-with-all-manner-of-strangelove-situations-20091001-gdsj.html
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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