Nuclear power for Australia’s Northern Territory – ridiculous
NT nuclear power idea ridiculous, say greens
THE Territory has “cleaner, cheaper and greener” energy solutions than nuclear power, the Environment Centre said.
NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS 1 Sept 09
Centre co-ordinator Stuart Blanch said the suggestion by Alice Springs town councillor Murray Stewart a nuclear power station be built in Darwin or Katherine was “ridiculous”. He said the real issue was to develop renewable energy supplies that were as inexpensive as gas. Continue reading
Nuclear disarmament policies: Japan at odds with Australia over ‘pre-emptive strike’ issue
Australia, Japan in nuclear rift
The Age DANIEL FLITTON
September 4, 2009
AUSTRALIA and Japan are at loggerheads over the use of nuclear weapons in war, with Japan – the only country to have suffered atomic attack – determined, for now, to keep a broad deterrent role for the world’s deadly arsenal. Continue reading
Asbestos and Uranium
Christina Macpherson 3 Sept 09
It’s hard to get your head around the magnitude of the asbestos scandal, world-wide. Phillip Adams covered this very recently, in ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live (podcast available at ABC Radio National – Late Night Live – Home
Matt Peacock’s new book “Killer Company” details the James Hardie asbestos story in Australia. Another author’s new book tells the world-wide, and continuing story of asbestos contamination, corporate cover-up, and huge profits gained by companies which vanish long before they can be held accountable.
Meanwhile, the same process now kicks on, with uranium mining. But with one significant difference. It is actually easy to prove that a person’s nasty, fatal mesothelioma cancer was caused by asbestos. It is difficult to prove that invisible, unsmellable, tasteless radioactivity has caused a person’s nasty fatal cancer.
Hence the uranium mining corporations, and their investors, can relax. Their money will be made long before the scandalous health cost becomes public knowledge.
As asbestos scandal is revealed, uranium threat develops
Uranium mining ‘poses Wittenoom threat’ to Kimberley
ABC News 2 Sept 09
A Western Australian politician says the Kimberley is in danger of becoming the next Wittenoom if the Federal Government allows uranium mining to go ahead.There are between 30 and 40 uranium tenements in the Kimberley, in the state’s north, and Greens’ MP Robin Chapple says there are at least 12 proposed uranium mines in the region.
Mr Chapple was in Broome for a uranium mining forum last night and says the community has been lulled into a false sense of security about the practice.He says in some cases, uranium mining in the United States and India has wiped out all of the male members of some families.”In terms of the health effects we know there’s approximately a cohort of 10 per cent cancers in the workforce after about 20 years – so similar sort of effects as asbestos and Wittenoom [in WA’s Pilbara],” he said.
Uranium mining hype about aborigines
Christina Macpherson 3 Sept 09
As the commercial nuclear industry founders, uranium corporations hurry to expand their hype, while there’s still time. Continue reading
Review: Uranium, wastes, racism, nuke costs
Review of past week. by Christina Macpherson 2 Sept 09 Australia: Yeelirree uranium mine. W.A govt is not adequately assessing Environmental Review. Ferguson’s continued silence on federal govt’s plans for NT nuclear waste dump, Calls for NT to become “wildly rich” with nuclear power, despite the worldwide decline in commercial nuclear power. UN human rights expert James Anaya criticises Australia’s racist intervention in NT. Capd York aborigines keen for wind farm project. Uranium spot prices stay down.
Internationally: Hanford and other US nuclear fear they’ll become USA’s nuke waste dump. Finland’s Olkiluoto-3 nuclear reactor’s costs skyrocket, as AREVA takes court action against Finnish company. In Africa, nuclear electricity company makes record loss.
Some BHP Billiton shareholders concerned about Olympic Dam uranium mine’s”poisonous legacy”
Olympic Dam opponents willing to sacrifice dividends
ABC News 27 Aug 09A group of BHP Billiton shareholders who oppose the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine say they would rather forego any dividends from the project than see the environment damaged.
The BHP Shareholders for Social Responsibility group is made up of long-term shareholders from across the nation.
In a submission to BHP Billiton’s draft environmental impact statement, the group’s convener, John Poppins, says among other concerns, there is too much uncertainty about the impact on the local estuary of locating a desalination plant at Point Lowly.
Mr Poppins says BHP has no rectification plan if damage occurs and while shareholders stand to benefit from the expansion, it is a short-term view.
“Some shareholders are of the view that we can forego some of our dividends by looking to do things better environmentally or socially,” he said.
He says the mine will create a poisonous legacy for the future.
Location of BHP Billiton’s proposed desalination plant opposed
Australian environment body calls for shifting of BHP Billiton’s desalination plant domain-b.com news 24 August 2009
Environmental concerns over mining major, BHP Billiton’s expansion plans at Roxy Downs have come to the fore with the Australian Conservation Foundation calling for the shifting of a desalination plant from Upper Spencer Gulf in South Australia………………………
According to Dave Noonan from the foundation, the company has no choice but to shift the plant to address the environmental and other concerns. He added that the company should accept that a desalination at the planned location would not be allowed and that they would not be allowed to design a mine to leak millions of liters of radioactive waste a day.
domain-b.com : Australian environment body calls for shifting of BHP Billiton’s desalination plant
Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion will go ahead, no matter what?
SA assures BHP Billiton on Olympic Dam environmental concerns
Business Spectator 25 August 09
The South Australian government has raised a number of environmental concerns with BHP Billiton Ltd about its planned $20 billion expansion of Olympic Dam, but assured the miner the proposal is not under threat……………
The $20 billion project will convert the underground mine into a massive open pit through an excavation of rock and waste material that will take around six years to complete………….
“None of the issues that have been highlighted by the government authorities are dealbreakers,” acting Premier Kevin Foley told the newspaper.
Business Spectator – News – SA assures BHP Billiton on Olympic Dam environmental concerns
Liberals join Greens against some uranium mining in South Australia
Greens, Libs fight wilderness mining
ABC News 2 Sept 09
The Greens and Liberals are joining forces to urge the South Australian Government to keep mining out of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges. Continue reading
Radiation warning for BHP Olympic Dam expansion
perth now Steve Larkin August 24, 2009
BHP Billiton has been told by governments to provide more information on radiation risks of the proposed expansion of the company’s Olympic Dam mine. Continue reading
Australia won’t sell uranium to India
Australia won’t sell uranium to India, says Julia Gillard
Thaindian News New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS)
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard Monday reiterated that her country will not sell uranium to India as it is yet to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Our decision was not aimed at India. As a principle, we don’t sell uranium to countries that have not signed the NPT,” Gillard told reporters here.
Shortcomings of West Aust’s Yeelirrie uranium mine Environmental Review
Faragher urged to review uranium mine
ABC News Aug 28, 2009
Several appeals have been lodged against the planned environmental review of the Yeelirrie uranium mine in Western Australia’s Goldfields…………..The Greens joined the Conservation Council and seven others in seeking to change the way the environmental impact of the mine is assessed.Greens MP Robin Chapple says the Environment Minister, Donna Faragher, should conduct a ministerial review of the project.”………………
Mr Chapple says the Government needs to consider the overall environmental impact of uranium mining in WA.“Given that there’s a large number of uranium mines potentially going to be in that area that we actually need to be looking at a cumulative assessment as opposed to this one uranium mine in isolation,” he said.
Faragher urged to review uranium mine – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
DUMP FERGUSON NOT NUCLEAR WASTE
by Jim Green, 28 August 09
Four sites in the NT are under consideration by federal resources and energy
minister Martin Ferguson for a national nuclear waste dump. Not one of the
four sites was short-listed when a national site selection study was
undertaken in the 1990s, informed by scientific, environmental and social
criteria. Thus Labor’s commitment to handle the issue in a scientific manner
has gone out the window. As a 2008 Senate Committee report noted: “One of
the most disturbing features of the current legislation is that it severely
curtails the role of sound science in the process of choosing a site. It
abandons the Commonwealth’s commitment to basing the process on the best
science, in favour of basing it on choosing a location with the least legal
capacity to dispute the outcome.”
Later this year, Mr Ferguson is expected to wave around a consultant’s
report purporting to demonstrate that his favoured site – Continue reading
Call for Northern Terriitory to get wildly rich , with nuclear power
Alderman calls for NT to host nuclear plant
NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS, by NIGEL ADLAM
August 28th, 2009
AUSTRALIA’S first nuclear power plant should be built in Darwin or Katherine, a council alderman said yesterday.
Former Alice Springs deputy mayor Murray Stewart said a nuclear plant would make either community wildly rich. Continue reading
1 This month
15 April – Zoom –Nuclear Power is Not the Solution
Apr 15, 2026 01:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Tuesday, April 14th for a timely webinar exploring the risks associated with nuclear power and challenging the myth that it offers a simple, safe, carbon-free solution to the climate crisis
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 