Darwin to Adelaide Railway Planned for Transport of Imported Nuclear Waste
discussions were under way with the Yanks to store the US Nuclear Waste in Australia, and transport it with the Railway to ‘secure places’ in the NT Centre.
New Matilda, Markob 24/02/10 “… the Darwin to Alice train, built for no purpose other than a nuke waste train (it certainly, at a cost of $2billion-the interest on which is around $300k/day- had no economic upside or value, Continue reading
Should we allow bribing of a few to bring radioactive poisons to future generations?
It raises the question tho, should a community, or NLC, on receiving a bribe…have the right to approve a dump when it is the next 1000 generations who may have to…wear the impact of leakage?
New Matilda, Markob 24/02/10 “…the problem of allowing local communities to decide these things, for different reasons than Ferguson’s. This community clearly feels that this is not right – why would you put a waste dump at the confluence of 3 major rivers?- but that can change, unlikely as it sounds. It raises the question tho, should a community, or NLC, on receiving a bribe such as annual income and new housing, some jobs guarding a dump, sw pool etc, have the right to approve a dump when it is the next 1000 generations who may have to do repair work, or wear the impact of leakage? Who should decide?
Land rights are one thing, self determination another great principle, but what happens when the guardians simply want their people to have an acceptable standard of living and are sick of watching babies die, and sign anything?
ANSTO Should store its own nuclear waste at Lucas Heights
requiring ANSTO to store its own waste is the best — and perhaps the only — way of focusing the organisation’s collective mind on the importance of waste minimisation principles.
Ferguson to Dump Nuc lear Waste on Soft Target New Matilda, By Natalie Wasley 24 Feb 2010, Continue reading
Put Nuclear Waste at Lucas Heights, Not Aboriginal Land – Says Medical Body
MAPW believes that the safest current option for management of this toxic waste is likely to be continued storage at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.”
The Medical Association for Prevention of War notes with concern today’s announcement by Energy Minister Martin Ferguson that the Australian Government will pursue Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory as the preferred site for a nuclear waste dump. Continue reading
Australian Women Walk to Oppose Nuclear Waste Dump
“Most of the indigenous people of central Australia are opposed to a nuclear waste dump on their land and we need to stand by them. Opposing the nuclear industry is vital to supporting safe and peaceful future.”
Women’s Peace Walk to Take People’s Opposition to Nuke Dump to Canberra | Indymedia Australia 24 Feb 2010 Continue reading
Aboriginal people across Australia will fight radioactive waste transport and dumping
only some people agreed to the dump “because they saw the dollar sign”. Although Elders had long warned that the radiation is dangerous,
“Aborigines from across the country will fight nuclear dumping” Goodooga, northwest NSW, 24 February 10 – Aboriginal people will be called from all over Australia to protest in the Northern Territory against any movement of nuclear waste across their traditional lands, an Aboriginal activist says. Continue reading
Fifty Years Later – U.S. Uranium Mining Areas Still Too “Hot”
Enviros: Uranium mines still too hot CYNDY COLE AZ Daily Sun , February 20,
Local environmentalists said Thursday’s findings on past uranium mining confirmed what they suspected: That it led to uranium contamination on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon, and that mining is not safe. Continue reading
United Nations Envoy Condemns Australian Govt’s Aboriginal “Intervention”
Professor Anaya also criticised compulsory land takeovers proceeded without consent,
UN envoy demands changes to ‘racist’ intervention, Sydney Morning Herald, YUKO NARUSHIMA , February 25, 2010 Continue reading
Why Rudd must keep Garrett as Environment Minister
Peter Garrett was known for his strong anti-nuclear and pro-environment stand. That was before he became a politician. And of course, especially in the Labor Party, you have to be a “team player”. Peter Garrett has been a “team player” on matters like the Tasmanian pulp mill, and on widening the ALP’s policy to allow new uranium mines.
It will be no surprise when Garrett toes the line on future uranium/nuclear/radioactive waste decisions made by the Rudd government, as it kow-tows to BHP Billiton, and its other big industry backers. Garrett will be made to take the flak.
Uranium price continues its downward spiral
Spot Uranium Remains Under Downward Pressure ninemsn 23/02/2010 By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck Spot uranium prices continue their descent as buyers seem in no hurry and with sellers offering ever more aggressive price cuts to get deals done. The past week, ending Friday, saw a few deals being concluded, but also a further cut to TradeTech’s weekly price benchmark.
India seeking to own uranium companies in Australia
Cos in overseas drive to tie up N-fuel supply- –The Economic Times 23 Feb 2010 MUMBAI: Indian companies such as Essar, the London-listed Vedanta and a subsidiary of shipmaker Varun Industries are scouting around for opportunities to explore and mine uranium in countries like Australia, Canada and parts of Africa…………..India’s biggest private sector company, had last year bought a 49% stake in a special purpose vehicle, or SPV, set up by a company called Uranium Exploration of Australia (UXA) which has licences to mine uranium at four locations in Australia…… RIL’s overseas arm — RIL Australia — is already in an exploration joint venture with Uranium Exploration Australia. UXA had said in the past year that RIL had committed to invest around $13 million following the agreement in late 2007.2007. Cos in overseas drive to tie up N-fuel supply- Power-Energy-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
Nuclear news- last week and the coming weeks
Today, as I write this, Martin Ferguson is speaking on ABC Radio, Darwin. He’s explaining how the Federal Government will put a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station, while at the same time will repeal the Howard Government’s Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act.
So the Muckaty nuclear waste dump will be 1. voluntary (i.e. asked for by some aborigines), and 2. will be for returning Australia’s “own” wastes,
originating from Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor. (No question of radioactive wastes going to any of the States, or on Commonwealth or “whiteys'” land)
Sounds fine, doesn’t it? Let’s wait and see what happens when Obama gets to Australia in March, to talk about uranium sales to USA, under the GNEP, whereby wastes are to go back to the uranium’s place of origin.
U.S. State resists dumping of radioactive depleted uranium
(USA) Utah gov: 2 trains of SC waste won’t come to Utah, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Brock Bergakis, February 22, 2010. SALT LAKE CITY — About 6,500 tons of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina won’t be coming to Utah as originally planned, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Monday in announcing a verbal agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Impossible to dump nuclear waste on white Australians’ land
ANSTO executive Steven McIntosh said …“We cannot really comment upon that policy process [of siting remote dumps]…….. but politics frankly was the determining factor.”
How to site a nuclear waste dump – Crikey.
22 February 2010 Apart from the dispute between traditional owners, there’s a more fundamental question of why remote areas are preferred for nuclear waste dumps. The prerequisites routinely mentioned – geological stability and distance from groundwater – can readily be achieved elsewhere, without the expense and danger of transporting nuclear waste thousands of kilometres. Continue reading
Australian Government manipulations on nuclear waste dumping
22 February 2010 The Government is expected to announce tomorrow or Wednesday that it will repeal and replace the Howard Government’s much-criticised Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, and that a nuclear waste dump will be established at Muckaty Station, virtually in the middle of the Northern Territory. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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