Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Secret agreement on nuclear waste dump for Northern Territory

Hale to fight own party against nuclear dump – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 20 Feb 2010 “….The ACF’s Dave Sweeney says the only sites still under consideration are in the Territory.”I would put my money that Minister Ferguson will try and bulldoze through the imposition of a waste site at Muckaty at Tennant Creek,” he said.”And I think if he goes down that path and if Federal Labor allows the Minister to break with clear policy we will be in deeply contested territory.”Mr Sweeney says the Commonwealth has entered into an agreement regarding the facility with the Northern Land Council but that agreement is being kept confidential.

Hale to fight own party against nuclear dump – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

February 20, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies | , , , , | Leave a comment

Bob Hawke pushes for Australian lucrative nuclear waste import industry

Aust has a duty to take world’s nuclear waste, Hawke says The Canberra Times BY SCOTT HANNAFORD 20 Feb, 2010 Australia had an unarguable responsibility to accept the world’s nuclear waste and discarded nuclear weapons, and could create a huge new industry for the country by doing so, former prime minister Bob Hawke said last night.

aste, Hawke says – Local News – News – General – The Canberra Times

February 20, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry would not exist without tax-payer liability

The Other Nuclear Power Subsidy – A Liability Cap ThePopTort 20 Feb 2010 : “……loan guarantees aren’t the only potential subsidy from which this industry benefits. Since the 1950s, when it passed the Price Anderson Act, Congress put a cap on the liability of the nuclear industry in the event of a major accident. Continue reading

February 20, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , | Leave a comment

Why Rudd will put a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory

a few prominent white suits (living well away from the NT) could indeed see this as the beginning of a bonanza of taking in the rest of the world’sradioactive wastes.

Once again – it’s all simple politics. The Australian government is obligated to take back , within a year or so, radioactive wastes from UK – wastes that originated in Australia’s terrorist target – the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.

There is no simple solution. Perhaps this relatively small nuclear waste dump could be situated at Lucas Heights, where it started, or perhaps it could join the existing radioactive waste at Woomera in South Australia.  Then Lucas Heights could be closed, and that would be the end of it.

No such simple story, however, and in fact, no story at all, as it’s all decided very quietly – let the Australian public sleep on!

But – it must be the Northern Territory  – they’re the only ones who cannot defy the federal government, – all the other States have the power to veto taking in nuclear wastes.

Anyway,a few aborigines could indeed see it as a good deal, getting a living standard equal to the rest of Australia perhaps –  though the rest of us didn’t need to have our land turned into a radioactive waste in order to get that standard.

More to the point, a few prominent white suits (living well away from the NT) could indeed see this as the beginning of a bonanza of taking in the rest of the world’s radioactive wastes.

February 19, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, Northern Territory, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia: Rudd govt failing on nuclear dump promise

Northern Territory could get nuclear dump next week: ACF  ABC News Alice Springs By Louisa Rebgetz 19 Feb 2010

The Australian Conservation Foundation says it expects the Federal Government to announce as early as next week that a nuclear waste dump will be built in the Northern Territory.

The Government has so far failed to deliver on its election promise to repeal legislation which has the power to force a waste dump on the Territory.

The ACF’s Dave Sweeney says the only sites still under consideration are in the Territory. Continue reading

February 19, 2010 Posted by | 1, Northern Territory, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power rebirth in USA? Not likely

Obama’s Nuclear Option – Amy Goodman Truthdig 16 Feb 2010
“……….Obama’s publicly financed resuscitation of the nuclear power industry in the U.S. is bound to fail, another taxpayer bailout waiting to happen.Opponents of the plan, which includes a tripling of existing nuclear plant construction-loan guarantees to $54.5 billion, span the ideological spectrum. Continue reading

February 19, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , , | Leave a comment

Australia will not introduce nuclear power

To meet its climate goals, Australia shouldn’t rely on either nuclear power or fossil fuels, Hepburn said. Instead the country should aggressively conserve energy and use more renewable power.

Rudd Rules Out Introducing Nuclear Power in Australia BusinessWeek By Ben Sharples and Stuart Biggs February 17, 2010, (Bloomberg) — Australia, ….has ruled out introducing nuclear power to the country and instead will pursue other low- carbon energy options, including ‘clean’ coal. Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Price-Anderson Act makes taxpayer liable for nuclear power risks

The Price-Anderson bill is the one that caps the nuclear industry’s liability and makes us (that’d be you) liable for the rest

(USA) Excuse Me, But That Nuclear Plant Has Its Hand On Your Wallet, San Francisco Chronicle : Gerald Sindell 18 Feb 2010 “……..if you dig out your handy guide to the laws of the United States you’ll find something called the Price-Anderson Act, a temporary measure passed in 1957 to help the nuclear industry get going. Atoms for Peace and all that. Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , | Leave a comment

Radiation Exposure to Nuclear Plant Workers

The CNSC said the workers were exposed to alpha contamination, a dangerous form of radiation that, if breathed in or ingested, poses a risk of cancer.

(Canada) Nuclear watchdog investigates possible mass radiation exposure – The Globe and Mail  Martin Mittelstaedt  Feb. 16, 2010 As many as 217 workers involved in November incident at Ontario plant, according to filing from Nuclear Safety Commission Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , , , | Leave a comment

Renewable Energy – Australian Solar Tower Project

enviromission aims to be one of Australia’s leading producers of clean renewable energy. enviromission holds the proprietary rights to Solar Tower technology,

Solar Tower – renewable energy Green Living 17 Feb 2010 enviromission, Ltd. (US Market: EVOMY, Australian Exchange: EVM) is a renewable energy developer of sustainable “green” energy solutions for the energy market. enviromission aims to be one of Australia’s leading producers of clean renewable energy. Continue reading

February 17, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | 3 Comments

Obama’s big financial risk with nuclear power

The government backing of the Georgia project is a major financial gamble, but the White House seems to see it as worth the risk politically…….The case the administration has made is that they will give Republicans more nuclear power, offshore oil and gas drilling, and incentives for coal, if they will accept a cap on carbon emissions and investments in renewable energy.

Obama’s risky nuclear renaissance The Guardian, Kate Sheppard 17 February 2010 Barack Obama’s promise to fund new nuclear power plants is a major financial gamble – and US taxpayers will foot the bill Continue reading

February 17, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , | 1 Comment

Australia’s one nuclear reactor cited as a terrorist target

possible targets for bombings included the Lucas Heights nuclear facility.

Terrorism tools still missing, says judge Sydney Morning Herald MALCOLM BROWN February 16, 2010 A ”WIDE RANGE” of materials collected by conspirators in a terrorism case has not been recovered by authorities and may be used by others bent on terrorism offences, a Supreme Court judged has warned. Continue reading

February 17, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, safety | , , , , | Leave a comment

France’s nuclear tests: radioactive experiments on soldiers

French soldiers used as ‘nuclear guinea pigs’ The Age MICHEL MOUTOT February 17, 2010 – France used soldiers as guinea pigs in nuclear tests in the 1960s, deliberately exposing them to radiation from atomic blasts to test the effects, according to a report revealed on Tuesday. Continue reading

February 17, 2010 Posted by | 1 | , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium price outlook not too good

Spot Uranium Remains Under Pressure

FNArena News – By Rudi Filapek-VandyckFebruary 16 2010Investors and uranium market enthusiasts may want to pay attention as two stockbrokers in Australia used last week’s somewhat disappointing results release by Paladin Energy (PDN) to reiterate their negative view both for uranium companies and for the short term outlook for spot U3O8 prices. Continue reading

February 17, 2010 Posted by | 1, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

What if terrorists targeted Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor?

Today’s news story on the terrorist plot in Sydney should be a reminder that Sydney’s Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor is a terrorist target

the intended target was never revealed”

Hefty jail terms for terrorism plotters – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) By Shane McLeod for PM 16 Feb 2010 It took Justice Anthony Whealy more than three hours to read out his judgement in the case of the five men, who were found guilty by a jury last year of plotting a large scale terrorist attack…. Continue reading

February 16, 2010 Posted by | New South Wales, safety | , | Leave a comment