Australian uranium miners salivating as they help Russia towards global nuclear dominance
Russia Offers Huge Market for Australian Miners …..as Moscow aggressively campaigns to be the top dog in the global nuclear industry.
Russia Expands Uranium Market Presence, Uranium Investing News, 24 March 2010, By Melissa Pistilli Against the advice of the Australian Federal Parliament’s treaties committee, the Rudd government is going forward with an agreement to allow sales of uranium to Russia. Continue reading
Strange deals – Aboriginals and Olympic Dam Uranium Mine Expansion
The Kokatha-Mula appear to have become the “Land Council” for the traditional Kokatha people of the Western Desert, since the traditional Kokatha people walked out on Native Title and BHP Billiton several years ago!
Kokatha ”Mula”, sounds catchy and similar but on researching the internet found no historic reference to this name.
MARK ALDRIDGE: WHO’S BEHIND THE INDEPENDENT ABORIGINAL CANDIDATES? , Coober Pedy Regional Times, 19 March 2010, ANTaR SA is helping Lynette Crocker and Dylan Mastrosavas to stand as ‘Independent SA Change’ to bring forward your Aboriginal Voices. Continue reading
Nuclear, Fossil Fuel, people stack Australia’s New Renewable Energy Centre
Members of the interim board for the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy include:
• Graeme Hunt (Chair) – formerly in charge of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam expansion;
• Prof Mary O’Kane – former Vice Chancellor of Adelaide University;
• John Ryan – awarded the public service medal for his work on the PM’s Task Force into Development of Uranium Mining and Nuclear Energy in Australia;
• Emma Stein – has served on the boards of energy, oil and gas utilities;
• Dr John Wright – CSIRO Energy Transformed;
• Other members without clear relevant expertise in renewable energy development.
Centre for Renewable Energy welcome, but Greens amendments would have improved it | Greens MPs
Lax security at BHP’s Yeelirrie uranium tailings dump
Children accessing old uranium site ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)Mar 3, 2010 BHP Billiton says it will step up security at an old uranium testing site in Kalgoorlie after concerns children are accessing the area.Labor’s candidate for the federal seat of O’Connor, Ian Bishop, says damage to a security gate has allowed children to enter the site at Hannan’s north on dirt bikes. More than 5,000 tonnes of tailings from the Yeelirrie uranium deposit, near Wiluna, were buried in the area after BHP stopped testing ore-processing there in the 1980s.
South Australian tax-payers will help BHP’s uranium mine to be “viable”
for the Olympic Dam Task Force to assist owner BHP Billiton in proving the viability of this project.
State funding to support Olympic Dam expansion – URANIUM, Mineweb , Ross Louthean, 01 Mar 2010 Continue reading
BHP’s Yeelirrie uranium mining poses riskes to groundwater, and to biodiversity
the report had “glazed over” a lot of the research into the mine’s
potential environmental impact…”There’s potential for leakages and spills … there is a great concern for contamination of water.”
BHP uranium report unveils risks, MICHAEL BENNETT, The West Australian February 27, 2010,
BHP Billiton documents have revealed the company’s proposed $17 billion Yeelirrie uranium mine could threaten vulnerable animal species previously found in the area. 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.
Australia: Nuclear Waste Dump, Obama Visit, Uranium Expansion.
It’s all happening in hyping the nuclear industry in Australia. Expensive advertising by the nuclear lobby (Environmentalists for Nuclear Power), big nobs promoting it (e.g. Bob Hawke), and Ziggy Spinowsky everywhere.
What great timing! Just as the Australian government plans to
put a radioactive nuclear waste dump on aboriginal land, President Barack Obama is to visit Australia to discuss uranium, while BHP Billiton is about to launch a huge expansion of its Olympic Dam uranium mine.
Let’s not forget that Australia is still signed up to the The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), by which as a uranium supplier, Australia would be obliged to take back radioactive waste from sales of uranium to the U.S.A..
(Australia is also obligated to take back a small amount of our own Lucas Heights radioactive waste from UK, – but that is not tied to uranium sales, and that doesn’t have to be on aboriginal land).
Business Charter calls for Financially Risky Nuclear Business
David Noonan said high set-up costs made nuclear an unviable energy source for SA.
Business SA calls for “bold and brave” reforms in its Charter For A Prosperous South Australia | Adelaide Now Daniel Wills February 16, 2010
“……The charter challenges political leaders to adopt reforms including:…….PURSUING development of a nuclear energy industry to “take advantage” of the state’s enormous uranium stores….. Continue reading
Olympic Dam uranium mine’s very costly accident
Olympic Dam accident may cost $228m Matt Chambers The Australian February 11, 2010 THE failure of a hoist at BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine last October that sent a full skip of ore plummeting hundreds of metres was caused by a computer braking system fault and could cost the company more than $US200 million ($228.6m) in lost profit………
The October 2009 incident has rendered the Clark shaft unusable and sliced 75 per cent of capacity from the big mine at Roxby Downs in South Australia.
BHP reduces Yeelirrie’s proposed uranium by an ‘uneconomic’ third
BHP cuts Yeelirrie uranium estimate Matt Chambers : The Australian February 09, BHP Billiton has cut projections for its proposed Yeelirrie uranium mine in Western Australia by nearly a third, ruling out a heap acid leach component at the site as uneconomic. Continue reading
BHP’s uranium mine expansion will destroy Aboriginal heritage
Elder attacks Olympic Dam excavation plans ABC News 1 February 2010
Plans by BHP Billiton to excavate around its Olympic Dam mine in South Australia’s north have come under fire from a local Aboriginal elder. Continue reading
Confronting racism and environmental degradation are global issues
Australian corporations, like BHP, exploit labour and resources the world over.
Nationalism and racism Green Left Stuart Munckton 31 January 2010 Celebrating the day that began the British invasion and genocide is a permanent slap in the face for Aboriginal people. Continue reading
Roxby Downs, Ranger – who’ll clean up, who’ll pay?
Relevant to the proposed BHP Roxby new open pit and to the Ranger expansion – will they leave nothing but waste and cleanup bills (comment from David Noonan)
Call to levy mining firms for green fund KIM MACDONALD, The West Australian January 26, 2010,
Former scientist of the year Jorg Imberger has called for a five per cent levy on mining companies to pay for social and environmental programs, amid revelations only a fifth of export sales money stays in WA. Continue reading
Roxby Downs uranium mine will blow out greenhouse gases
“All of our efforts to reduce emissions, to conserve energy, will be undone by just one company, one project” The Advertiser DAVID NOONAN, 20 Jan 2010
The science of climate change demands action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. BHP Billiton’s proposed new open-pit mine at Roxby Downs would blow out SA’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12 per cent. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 