Cherie Blair doing legal battle for aboriginal nuclear victims
Cherie Blair to help atomic test veterans Mirror News UK By Susie Boniface 4/04/2010 Cherie Blair is helping atomic test veterans sue the Government in a multi-million-pound lawsuit.Three hundred Australian survivors – ex-military staff and civilians including 100 Aborigines -say radiation from British tests in Oz left them with a legacy of cancers, rare medical conditions and defects in their children.
The leading human rights lawyer’s husband Tony Blair insisted while PM they were not affected and blocked their claims.The Sunday Mirror has campaigned for justice for the veterans, widows and children who won the right to sue the Ministry of Defence last year.Aborigines’ campaigner Neil Gillespie said of Cherie: “She is as sharp as a Samurai sword.”
$Millions paid to nuclear executives in UK, too
included paying £3.8 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses to staff during 2008…The payments, which ranged from an average of just under £12,000 to nearly £37,000, were made on top of regular salary payments totalling £19.5 million.
Top jobs go in shake-up at nuclear quango, The Times April 3, 2010, Two of Britain’s most highly paid civil servants have been axed and dozens more jobs are under threat at the quango charged with cleaning up nuclear plants, The Timeshas learnt. Continue reading
International Indigenous Solidarity Gathering for Alice Springs
Uranium mining’s damage to Niger
“You can’t just fight against nuclear power plants and waste repositories,” he said. “If you want to kill the tree, kill the roots”. He was referring to the uranium mines.
Uranium Mining in Niger ‘Tuareg Activist Takes on French Nuclear Company’ The Blogger: 2 April 2010, “……..A total of 80,000 people live in the two cities Areva created in the desert to service the mines. There are no paved roads, but there is plenty of reddish-brown dust, which penetrates into every crack and pore. Well water is radioactively contaminated, and precious fossil groundwater is used in the uranium ore processing plant. The region’s nomads are finding fewer and fewer pastures for their cattle, and people are affected by fatal illnesses. Continue reading
Australia needed for that two-faced nuclear security summit
On the one hand – yes, it’s a good idea to promote the world’s security from nuclear terrorism and nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, the summit is also aimed at promoting the nuclear industry by a global cartel – the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, to which Australia is signed up.
Australia could very well end up endorsing a system whereby Australia’s uranium is “leased” – i.e it comes back to Australia in the form of nuclear wastes.
Rudd urged to attend nuclear security summit
Mr Obama has made safeguarding nuclear material a major issue as countries increasingly look to atomic power.
Push for PM to attend nuclear security summit, DANIEL FLITTON April 3, 2010 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is being urged to join a growing global push to safeguard the world’s nuclear supplies and stop nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists……The US embassy in Canberra confirmed yesterday the invitation for Mr Rudd to attend the summit was still open, despite the Prime Minister’s office saying last month Mr Rudd could not attend as the timing clashed with plans to discuss health reforms with state premiers……..It is believed Mr Rudd had been specially asked to speak at the meeting, expected to draw about 40 world leaders – including from Russia, France, Indonesia, Israel, India and Pakistan – for two days of talks beginning on April 12…………….Mr Obama has made safeguarding nuclear material a major issue as countries increasingly look to atomic power.
$Million salaries for nuclear power industry executives
Salary Survey: Nuclear Exec Earns $3 Million, Energy Section, Amy Harder, April 2, 2010 The nuclear power industry may be stagnant, but the sector’s top trade group is banking on turning that around — and as one sign, it’s giving its top executive a hefty salary.
Far from benign, Australia promotes nuclear weapons
ICAN, 1 April 2010, We Australians often like to think of ourselves as a peace-loving nation.
However, as long as we continue to supply uranium to nuclear weapon states around the world, the perception of Australia as being benign in global affairs is an illusion. Continue reading
The uranium mining industry makes it easier for terrorists
An IAEA database counts scores of thefts, losses and other incidents involving nuclear materials each year.
Uranium-mining nations flout UN on nuclear terror Norwalk News 03/31/2010 By CHARLES J. HANLEYAP NEW YORK (AP) — Years after a six-month deadline passed, dozens of nations, including uranium producers, remain potential weak links in the global defense against nuclear terrorism, ignoring a U.N. mandate on laws and controls to foil this ultimate threat. Continue reading
Uranium mining devastates indigenous communities
“It is critical for people in New York City, as well as nation- and world-wide, to understand how mining uranium, possibly destined for one of these six reactors, devastates indigenous communities throughout the Southwest.”
Resisting the Nuclear Boom: A new wave of uranium mining threatens Indigenous communities in the Southwest By Klee Benally and Jessica Lee April 2, 2010 Continue reading
Long term radioactivity, secrecy, problems on proposed Muckaty radioactive waste dump
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has called for the release of all relevant documents held by the NLC on the proposed site at Muckaty Station.
Long term radiation from possible dump needs attention, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) By Alex Johnson 31 March 2010,
The deputy chair of the Senate committee examining the proposed national nuclear waste dump near Tennant Creek says the management of long-term radiation needs more attention. Continue reading
Protestors at Senater Inquiry into National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010.
critics said Labor merely rebadged the coalition’s policy
Protesters ejected from Senate nuclear inquiryAAP * March 30, 2010 PROTESTERS have been ejected from a Senate inquiry hearing on a nuclear waste dump to be built in the heart of Australia.A Senate committee is examining the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010.
With the bill, Labor kept an election promise to repeal coalition legislation to build a dump, and put in place a new process.But critics said Labor merely rebadged the coalition’s policy because finding a new site for the dump was too difficult, and they have attacked the consultation process……………
Mr Sweeney, who will give evidence at the hearing today, said security guards peacefully removed the protesters from the room.
The protesters were not associated with ACF.
The government is considering Muckaty Station, 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, for the dump site, after it was nominated by some of its traditional owners.
Protesters ejected from Senate nuclear inquiry | News.com.au
Western Australian Labor Party remains opposed to uranium mining
Labor remains opposed to uranium mining , ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 29 March 2010, The Western Australian State Opposition insists it is united in its opposition to uranium mining.Labor’s spokeswoman for the environment Sally Talbot took part in an anti-uranium protest in Kalgoorlie over the weekend……..
Dr Talbot says the party is opposed to the emerging industry.
“Everybody’s entitled to their own opinions but the Labor Party has a policy that is absolutely crystal clear – we’re opposed to uranium mining.”
“In government we will not support uranium mining. If we had won the last election we would not be contemplating opening up uranium mines in Western Australia.”
Labor remains opposed to uranium mining – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Taxpayer’s uranium mining clean-up costs not factored in to nuclear’s ‘revival’ costs
While the nuclear power loan guarantees essentially subsidize new power plants, what has not been factored in are the hidden costs of “clean” nuclear power: the financial legacy of past mining and milling operations have reached into tens of billions of dollars in the West’s “National Sacrifice Areas.”
Hot Rocks: Hidden Cost and Foreign Ownership of “Clean” Nuclear Fuel Emerging,THE HUFFINGTON POST, D.A. Barber, 1 April 2010, “…..Unlike coal, which goes straight from the mine to the power plant, uranium goes through several steps to become fuel for “clean” nuclear power plants and then needs to be disposed of. Continue reading
U.S. EPA warns on water risks with in situ uranium mining
a major hurdle for dozens of proposed in-situ uranium proposals in the region
Water concerns delay Wyoming uranium projects, 30 march 2010, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to go back to the drawing board with its site-specific environmental reviews of three proposed in-situ uranium mines in Wyoming. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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