Australian uranium miners jubilant at Japan’s election results
Producers bullish on Japanese demand The Age, December 18, 2012 Paddy Manning Greg Hall, managing director of junior Toro Energy, said Japan had been spending an additional $US100 million a day on extra coal, oil and gas, which represented a ”very, very high cost”.
After the weekend’s election, he said the country now had the political will to restart its reactors. A new independent safety
authority would be in place by April and Japan’s nuclear power capacity would be restored through 2013-15……..
Paladin Energy chief John Borshoff predicted Germany, too, would eventually return to the nuclear power fold. ”Germany can’t survive on a no-nuclear basis with all the countries…. Mr Borshoff said it was impossible for Japan to do without 27 per cent of its electricity-generating capacity.
”We’ve been working on the basis the nuclear programs will resume in some modified form. Germany have set
an irreversible path but I believe in eight-10 years they’ll be back on the drawing board.”
UBS resources analyst Glyn Lawcock welcomed the Japanese news saying it had been a ”torrid” 18 months for uranium markets since the closure of the Fukushima Daiichi reactor after last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
Malaysian MP explains why Malaysians are opposing the Lynas rare earths plant
Why should we allow anything less in terms of safety standards than Australia? Does the BN government feel that the Australian Government is being too fussy? Or that Malaysians can take more radiation than the Australians?
The Anti-Lynas movement: Are we being unreasonable? – Jeyakumar Devaraj, The Malaysian Insider , 13 Dec 12 Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj is a PSM central committee member and MP for Sungai Siput.“……..Vastly Differing Standards First, a brief overview of the industrial process of separating the rare earths from the rest of the ore.
Lynas actually has the license to operate a refining plant in Australia itself. Lynas acquired this license upon buying over Aston, the company that owned the mine in Mount Weld. In the mid 1990s, Ashton applied for a license to refine the ore, and in the process of consultations with the public in the region, agreed to a set of specific performances. If Lynas wants to use the refining license that came with the purchase of Ashton, it is committed to observing all the procedures agreed to by Ashton earlier.The table below compares requirements that Lynas would have to observe in Australia with the requirements for it in Malaysia.
The government has said in Parliament that Lynas is keen on operating a plant here because the total cost in Malaysia is only 30 per cent of the cost of refining the ore in Australia! (Despite the fact that it has to be transported from Mount Weld to Freemantle Port, loaded on ships and then brought some 4000 km to Kuantan for refining!) That means safety precautions in Malaysia are so much more lax than those required in Australia.
This point alone makes me uncomfortable. Continue reading
Lynas accused of deceiving Malaysian authorities on radioactive wastes
However the Temporary Operating License approved on 7/2/2012 allows Lynas to start operations even before they present their proposed plan for comprehensive management of the solid waste – the TOL only requires them to submit the waste management plan within 10 months of starting operations!!
Ten months have passed, and a safe permanent depository has yet to be identified and agreed upon by all parties. Instead Lynas is still talking of rendering the waste “safe”. Continue reading
Australian rare earths company Lynas may lose its Malaysian operating license over the radioactive waste issue
Four Malaysian cabinet MPs (responsible for trade, science, natural resources and health) have now released a joint statement, saying the temporary licence granted to Lynas requires it to remove “all the residue” from the plant out of the country.
They also warned that if Lynas does not comply, the Government can suspend or revoke the licence and order it “to immediately cease operation”.
Malaysia orders Lynas to ship out waste http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-11/an-malaysia-orders-lynas-to-ship-out-waste/4422084 Dec 11, 2012 . Australian mining company Lynas and its plans to process rare earths in Pahang state have caused local communities and environmental groups to raise concerns over the management of radioactive byproduct waste
Malaysia has ordered the Australian miner Lynas Corp. to ship out all the waste from its new rare earths plant, because of environmental and health concerns. Continue reading
ERA shuts down its open cut Ranger uranium mine
Open cut operations cease at Ranger uranium mine, Australian Mining 11 December, 2012 Cole Latimer Energy Resources of Australia’s Ranger uranium mine has finally stopped open cut mining, after three decades of operation.
It comes as the mine further explores its underground Ranger 3 Deeps project after receiving approvals for a prefeasibility study earlier this year.
ERA is now backfilling its Three Deeps pit after it extracted the last of the ore from Pit 3 in the last week of November, several weeks ahead of schedule, the company says….
Russia receives first shipment of uranium from Australia
The deliveries are being made under the agreement on nuclear cooperation for peaceful purposes signed by President Vladimir Putin and then-Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney in 2007.
Russia receives first uranium shipment from Australia http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/136667/
December 10, 2012 PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia has received the first shipment of uranium from Australia under a 2007 bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, a spokesman for Russian uranium enrichment concern Siberian Chemical
Combine said, according to RIA Novosti. Continue reading
Confusion about Australian company Lynas’ plans for managing radioactive wastes
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012
‘Now is the time to ask the court to suspend the TOL because AELB has said that they will enforce Lynas pledge to export the waste.’
Wastes won’t be exported out of Malaysia, says Lynas
Odin: Lynas Malaysia managing director Mashal Ahmad, you have been reported to have said no residues from your plant would be exported out of Malaysia, as your company needed to abide by international conventions that prohibit the export of hazardous wastes to other countries.
This means that the residues which your plant will produce are toxic. All this while, however, we have been told that the residues would be safe to humans and the environment.
Does this not mean that your company, and those outside it but who support your operations, have been lying? Continue reading
Some Malaysians not happy with Lynas’ tax free status
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Xabiso: Do the people know about the 12-year tax free incentive gifted to this foreign company listed in Australia? Why am I not surprise that they are keeping the toxic waste in Lynas?
I remember someone giving an assurance last time that the waste will be exported back to Australia. We are talking about the toxic waste from processing rare earth, not the raw material (if the raw material is radioactive, Australian can’t even send it to Malaysia).
Before plant operation – apa pun boleh (everything can be done). After start-up – dah tunjuk belang (show true colours). http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
Radioactive wastes to be exported from Malaysia, according to Lynas’ Temporary Operating Licence
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Blogsmith: Now is the time to ask the court to suspend the temporary operating licence because AELB DG has said that they will enforce Lynas’ pledge to export the waste.
From this Malaysiakini report: Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan has clarified that the regulatory body will enforce Lynas’ pledge to export all its waste in the form of commercial products overseas.
“The management and removal of residue is an integral part of the Temporary Operating Licence (TOL) conditions and agreements and is permanently documented in the licence document issued to Lynas on Sept 5, 2012.
“Issue of removal of residue being non-binding for Lynas, does not arise. It is legally binding and AELB will enforce it.” http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
Malaysia as dumping ground for radioactive wastes? Lynas’ Malaysian tax holiday
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Kgen: What cheaper production cost? What about the cost of transporting the earth from Australia to Malaysia? Most of the processes are automated so labour cost does not factor significantly in the production cost.
Does the 12-year tax holiday, lax environmental standards and an authoritarian regime which can impose its will on the people have anything to do with the choice of location?http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Not Confused: So, the waste from the Lynas plant cannot be exported from Malaysia because it is hazardous, as defined under the international convention.
I had refrained from commenting on this issue as I felt that too many professionals, supposedly with some integrity, had reported and clearly stated that there was no risk to any Malaysians from the operation of the plant.
However, it is now confirmed that the waste from the plant will indeed be toxic so will have to be “disposed of” in Malaysia.
This seems like Malaysia is being used as a dumping ground simply because operating costs here are less and we have a corrupt government which is presumably being paid handsomely for licensing their operations. http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
Radioactive toxicity from rare earths processing – gamma radiation
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Swipenter: Spending another RM2 million to install two units of radioactive detecting machinery is “unnecessary” expenditure. That is one callous and contemptous attitude towards the safety of Malaysians.
An Old Malaysian: The raw materials imported are not a danger to us due to the very low concentration of the radioactive elements.
However, if the raw materials are processed and the waste radioactive elements are being concentrated, they will become a threat to the environment, humans, animals, etc.
The danger is from the gamma radiation emitted by these radioactive elements. If in low concentration and exposure time is short, gamma radiation will be low and will not be harmful to us (for example, X-ray) but if the radioactive elements concentration is high (for example, Lynas waste products) they will be hazardous to all of us and the environment.
Why are the two radioactive detection monitoring systems – installed at Lamp and at the Kuantan police station – valued at RM2 million?
A Geiger-Mueller radiation detector will tell you if there is radiation emitted from the raw material.http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
Confronting Lynas about Radioactive Waste from rare earths processing
Hello, didn’t Lynas say wastes to be exported? Malaysiakini Dec 10, 2012 Onyourtoes: What happened to the undertaking that the waste will be exported or moved out of country? Here, you can see that Lynas has negated its responsibility even before full scale production has begun.
Why do they keep saying the waste is harmless when there is so much control and restriction over the movement of this residue across borders?
The Lynas MD thinks it is a big deal for the company to spend a few million ringgit to counter anti-Lynas allegations and to install two “unnecessary” radioactive detection monitoring systems to rebut the allegation.
Look, the money spent was for you to assure us that the processes and movements of this material are safe. It is not for you to counter anti-Lynas allegations.
You better get the notion right in your moronic head. Given your attitude, I don’t think we can be assured of your promises and assurance over the long term.
We have no confidence that the regulatory authorities will stay vigilant, too. It is better you get out. http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/216281
BHP gives up on uranium: Olympic Dam may mine copper only
BHP is now looking at less capital-intensive options for the mine, focusing on copper.
BHP shuts uranium arm; nuclear-fuel prospects dim
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bhp-shuts-uranium-arm-nuclear-fuel-prospects-dim-2012-12-06 By Robb M. Stewart MELBOURNE, 6 Dec 12, –BHP Billiton Ltd. BHP +0.19% has shut its uranium division, responsible for its Olympic Dam copper-and-uranium mine, in a reflection of dimmed prospects for the nuclear fuel.
The South Australia mine has been folded into its base metals division, the company said in a statement Thursday. Continue reading
Toro Energy gives Dr Vanessa Guthrie the poisoned uranium chalice
It looks as if Toro Energy, with its planned uranium mine Wiluna, Western Australia might be following an Australian tradition – of giving “the poisoned chalice” to a woman.
Australia’s had quite a history of giving women impossible jobs – I’m thinking mainly here of some State Premiers – Carmel Lawrence, Joan Kirner, Kristina Keneally. But it can happen in industry, too.
At Toro Energy, Dr Vanessa Guthrie, with a background in environmental sustainability, joins nuclear enthusiast Dr Erica Smyth. Smyth has been advocating nuclear power for Australia, nuclear powered desalination plants, and she presided over Toro’s propaganda campaign, with Doug Boreham preaching low level radiation as beneficial to health.
“There are serious flaws in the state assessment process and the studies Toro provided to the State Government. The project is a long way from being approved and the company faces serious financing constraints.
“Under new mine closure guidelines Toro has to find 100% of the mine closure costs in order to get approval to mine. So Toro needs $150 million to close a mine even before it has raised the $300 million to open it. The combination of a uranium price in free-fall and rising mine costs make this project increasingly unviable.” – Mia Pepper
Toro Energy’s uranium mining push comes as proven miners, including BHP Billiton and Cameco, defer or get out of planned uranium projects in WA. – Christina Macpherson
Women lead in ASX first, The Age, Peter Ker, December 5, 2012 THE branding is positively male, but the executive ranks of Toro Energy are about to take on a feminine look. In what is believed to be a unique set of circumstances in Australia, Toro will soon have women occupying both the chief executive and chairman roles, after announcing the departure of long-serving chief executive Greg Hall on Tuesday.
The situation will be formalised on February 8, when Dr Vanessa Guthrie replaces Mr Hall in running the company that is close to developing Australia’s next uranium mine.
Her chairman will be Erica Smyth, who has led the Toro board for more than three years. While it is difficult to be certain, most gender diversity experts believe the change will make Toro the only ASX-listed company to boast the female quinella. Continue reading
Labor-Liberal coalition refuse to study dangers of uranium transport
29 November 2012. Labor and the Coalition stood united today in their strenuous effort to completely ignore the dangers posed by uranium mining and transport.
Australian Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the major parties “defied logic and decency” by refusing to support an inquiry into the uranium industry.
“With no fewer than three states pushing for uranium mining we need an inquiry into the existing laws governing the industry; yet the major parties studiously keep their heads in the sand.
“You’d assume the ALP and Coalition would want to know if our regulations properly protect the public from radiation exposure from uranium oxide transport – but it appears that’s not the case. Continue reading
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