Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Secrecy on transport of uranium from Darwin port

with all the recent pollution problems there, the shipment was being kept “quiet”…not uncommon for containers to be damaged.”Our wharfies aren’t trained to know what to do should one of the containers get damaged or there’s a spill …

Port keeps lid on uranium transport | Northern Territory News , ALYSSA BETTS, October 24th, 2010 ABOUT 500 tonnes of uranium concentrate from Jabiru is set to be loaded from East Arm Wharf on to ships bound for China. Continue reading

October 24, 2010 Posted by | Northern Territory, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency shamed into being honest

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asked why it took a media story to prompt the agency into releasing the overdue Australian Radiation Incident Register summaries.

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, according to five “missing” annual critical incident registers released by the nation’s peak radiation safety body yesterday. Continue reading

October 22, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies | , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Restricted solid waste” sounds better than “radioactive”

The government maintained for years that Nelson Parade in Hunters Hill was safe, despite six people who lived there dying from cancer……..Ms Keneally said the waste was not ‘‘radioactive” but rather ”less hazardous, classified as restricted solid waste”’………

NSW government cover up Penrith toxic waste plan, Sydney Morning Herald, Alexandra Smith, October 18, 2010 The state government deliberately delayed briefing Penrith City Council on plans to dump 5000 tonnes of toxic soil in western Sydney until after it had signed a contract with the waste company, internal documents reveal. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | New South Wales, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency secretive about reports

Other incidents related to unexplained high doses recorded by three mining company employees, radioactive contamination of drinking water at a uranium mine

Radiation reports are sadly lacking Karen Dearn, The Australian, 16 Oct 10,

THE Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, the nation’s peak radiation safety body, has failed to publish annual critical incident reports for the past six years, despite commitments to do so. Continue reading

October 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Secret Pine Gap, the CIA’s largest facility outside USA

Pine Gap hosts the largest CIA facility outside America,…While visiting US lawmakers are taken on tours of Pine Gap, Federal MP’s are denied entry.

Strategic US Military Intel Base in Pine Gap, Australia,  Global Research,   by Richard Neville Ground Truth: Pine Gap, Australia On the flight from Sydney to Alice Springs the desert unfolds for hours beneath the window. On descent it is possible to glimpse a space age compound on the sand backed by the MacDonnell Ranges and distinguished by a clump of enormous white pop art “golf balls”. This is Pine Gap, a US military base built on the traditional land of the indigenous Arrente people, Continue reading

October 12, 2010 Posted by | Northern Territory, secrets and lies | , , , , | 8 Comments

How to lie about nuclear power funding and still sound “ethical”

In this month of focus on lies and secrets, we might ponder what Westpac Bank actually does mean when it promises to favour “clean” energy projects.

In the USA, the word “clean” is routinely applied to nuclear power.  In China, even the word “renewable” is applied to nuclear power. We regularly hear of “green” nuclear power, along with other amazing lies  like “cheap”.

Most (not all) of Australia’s “ethical” investments fund any uranium mining that is not specified as intended for nuclear weapons –  in other words, they fund any uranium mining – and still call themselves “ethical”

October 2, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, energy, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hypocrisy of Australian banks over finance for renewable energy

Most Australian banks are signed up to the Equator Principles for project finance……the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment….the equator principles are “pretty loose … they don’t compel banks to do or not do particular things”. At worst, they are a dangerous aid to bank greenwashing.

Banks under scrutiny over coal funding, Sydney Morning Herald, Paddy Manning, 2 Oct 10, Australian banks, highly dependent on offshore capital, will face increasing international scrutiny of their lending practices – particularly, their exposure to the coal industry. Continue reading

October 2, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, secrets and lies, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Liberal MP in Northern Territory plans to betray Aboriginal Jeffrey Lee

Member for Katherine Willem Westra van Holthe wrote: “People like Mr Lee won’t be around forever so I believe it will be easier to ‘unreserve’ a piece of land than mine it inside a park boundary or excise it … at a later time.”….

CLP digs up new uranium policy | Northern Territory News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au, BEN LANGFORD, September 16th, 2010 PLOTTING is afoot within the Territory Opposition to change its policy on uranium mining at Koongarra, a leaked email shows. Continue reading

September 16, 2010 Posted by | aboriginal issues, Northern Territory, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian govt cover up of radioactive gases from Lucas Heights nuclear reactor

Despite all the scientific evidence that these gas plumes are dangerous, the Australian government continues to maintain that the plumes were not harmful to the public

Australia’s Radiation Cover Up, The Intel Hub, August 30, 2010 By Michelle Jones On November 3, 2006, in Lucas Heights Australia, OPAL, the Open Pool Australian Light-Water Reactor was throttled to full power. There was grave opposition to this $400 million science research/nuclear facility, Continue reading

September 1, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Secret release of radioactive gases from Lucas Heights nuclear reactor

the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) decided against releasing a public statement at the time to avoid causing alarm.

Poison gas leak cover up By LINDA SILMALIS  : The Sunday Telegraph  August 29, 2010 POTENTIALLY dangerous radioactive gases have been secretly pumped into the atmosphere from Lucas Heights and have spread hundreds of kilometres from the nuclear reactor – but the public have never been told. Continue reading

August 31, 2010 Posted by | New South Wales, secrets and lies | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Depleted uranium stolen in Australia

Depleted uranium and a substantial amount of chemicals and glassware were found at the shed…

Uranium stash claim,WHITNEY HARRIS  The Advertiser, 24 Aug, 2010 A Kangaroo Flat man accused of drug trafficking after a series of police raids turned up a stash of uranium will stand trial next year. Continue reading

August 25, 2010 Posted by | secrets and lies, uranium, Victoria | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry manipulating older Aboriginals into leasing their land

“The old people particularly, and the tricks that companies use to get people to sign and not realising the full impacts of what they’re signing, and what that means for their ground water especially.”

Traditional owners ‘pressured’ into nuclear land leases ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 16 Aug 2010, The Australian Nuclear Free Alliance says traditional owners, particularly the elderly, are facing increasing pressures from mining companies and governments to lease their land for nuclear development. The alliance of mainly traditional owners held its annual conference near Alice Springs over the weekend. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BHP, Climate Doubters, involved now in Australia’s CSIRO

A poor climate for debate at CSIRO, The Age, Paddy Manning, July 3, 2010 QUESTIONS are being raised about the closeness of BHP Billiton and the CSIRO under chief executive Megan Clark. A former technology vice president at BHP, Clark was appointed in late 2008 ……. there is concern about the imbalance in research funding at CSIRO, particularly in responses to climate change. Continue reading

July 3, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, secrets and lies, solar, wind | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium company director Ken Talbot and Arkaroola corruption charges

The death of Ken Talbot in an airplane crash puts a stop to  the legal proceedings that have been ongoing over corruption charges, and the murky history of uranium miner Marathon resources.

The charges concerned $300,000 allegedly paid by Talbot to Nuttall while Nuttall was a Minister of the Crown. Nuttall was sentenced in July this year to seven year’s jail…………

Arkaroola uranium hunter on bribery charges, The Independent Weekly, HENDRIK GOUT17 Oct, 2009 The owner and director of the largest shareholder in the company which the state government allows to explore the Arkaroola wilderness for uranium, Marathon Resources, is awaiting trial on charges of having bribed a government minister.

Ken Talbot of Talbot Group Investments Pty Ltd is accused of corruptly making payments to Gordon Nuttall, then a Labor minister in the Queensland Government…………In December 2008, Gordon Nuttall and Ken Talbot were committed to stand trial on 35 corruption charges. Continue reading

June 24, 2010 Posted by | secrets and lies, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Public kept in dark about radioactivity used in Sydney war games

Radioactive material used in Sydney games Herald Sun: AAP * June 18, 2010 AUSTRALIAN and American military forces reportedly used radioactive material during war training games across Sydney.The material was shifted around the city and its surrounding suburbs throughout May, the Seven Network reported on Friday Continue reading

June 19, 2010 Posted by | New South Wales, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment