Nuclear waste dump a danger and’ negligible’ benefit to Northern Territory
NT not able to cope with nuke accident, says Government, Northern Territory News BEN LANGFORD March 29th, 2010 MOST Territory hospitals and the Port of Darwin are not equipped to deal with a radioactive waste incident or interest from “sophisticated criminal groups”, the NT Government has said.
The Government has told a Senate inquiry into new laws for a nuclear waste dump there would be “negligible economic benefit from the facility” for the NT. Continue reading
Greens to Question Secret Deal on Muckaty Nuclear Waste Dump Plan
“They have been hiding behind the cloak of ‘commercial in confidence’ for too long.
Greens to question secret Muckaty contract in waste dump inquiry 29 March 2010
The Australian Greens will question the two parties involved in signing a secret contract that led to the nomination of Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek, as the only proposed site for Australia’s first ever radioactive waste dump. Continue reading
Longterm Victims of Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown
To this day the families of those harmed by radiation at Three Mile Island have been denied the right to make their case in federal court.
The Legacy of Three Mile Island: It Could Happen Again At Any Time HARVEY WASSERMAN, BUZZFLASH, 27 March 2010, As radiation poured from 3 Mile Island 31 years ago this weekend, utility executives rested easy. They knew that no matter how many people their errant nuke killed, and no matter how much property it destroyed, they would not be held liable. Today this same class of executives demands untold taxpayer billions to build still more TMIs. No matter how many meltdowns they cause, and how much havoc they visit down on the public, they still believe they’re above the law. Continue reading
Union opposing Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan
ETU slams nuclear waste dump plan ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Mar 27, 2010 The Electrical Trades Union is seeking to ban its members from contributing to the proposed nuclear waste dump in Central Australia. Continue reading
Navajo’s Radioactive Legacy from Uranium Mining
Toxic legacy for tribes, High Country News, Caitlin Sislin | Mar 26, 2010 Earlier this month, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals approved a controversial permit for uranium mining operations at sites in Church Rock, New Mexico. The operation includes a site associated with the largest release of liquid radioactive waste in United States History — a catastrophe which continues, a generation later, to negatively impact the lives and health of Navajo people residing near the spill site. Continue reading
USA- resuscitation of nuclear industry threatened by waste problem
Waste issue hurting U.S. nuclear revival-panel Lack of plan for waste seen hurting nuclear development Commission told to move beyond Yucca Mountain site Some lawmakers oppose plan to shut down Yucca By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) – The lack of a permanent home for the nation’s radioactive waste is dampening prospects for a resurgence of the U.S. nuclear industry, federal commissioners said at their first public hearing on the subject. Continue reading
Rudd’s “aboriginal policy” more of a “uranium miners’ policy”
the big mining companies have been pressuring Australian governments to allow the opening of more mines and the establishment of a nuclear waste dump. The forced or coopted loss of Aboriginal control of their land is an important step to achieving this.
Fight for Aboriginal Rights: Labor steps up racist NT land grab, By Hamish Chitts. Rudd would make a great snake-oil seller because for all his lofty words over the past year,…..
In June 2007 the Howard Coalition government used the Little Children are Sacred report into child abuse in remote Northern Territory Aboriginal communities to invade these communities under what it called the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER)……. the Rudd Labor government has not only maintained the NTER, but also extended it.. Continue reading
Appeal to help local communities attend Senate hearing on nuclear waste dump
“Traditional Owners, Tennant residents and Barkly region pastoralists are extremely disappointed that the Senate Committee will not sit in Tennant Creek. The distance and cost to travel to Darwin makes it impossible for the majority of concerned people to attend the hearing,”
A public appeal is being launched to raise funds for Muckaty Traditional Owners to attend a Senate Inquiry hearing in Darwin on April 12.
The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is considering the recently tabled National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010, which identifies an area in the Muckaty Land Trust as the only site to be initially considered for a radioactive waste dump. Continue reading
Northern Territory “Intervention” in interests of uranium miners, not Aborigines
Without doubt, the so called ‘resource boom’ where the price of minerals, especially of uranium started climbing, had a major impact in the introduction of the NT intervention laws which permitted the government to reclaim aboriginal lands.
it is the mining companies and not the aboriginal people who stand to gain from the relocation of aboriginal people away from their land
Alyawarr (Australian Aboriginal) people walked off. They say “enough is enough ! Abolish Northern Territory Intervention ! jagath dheerasekara, 23 March 2010, ” Continue reading
NRC says uranium wastes radioactive for 1000 years
The [uranium mining waste] design must provide “reasonable assurance of control of radiological hazards to be effective for 1,000 years, to the extent reasonably achievable, and, in any case, for at least 200 years,” according to the NRC.
Risk assessment a complex task – Experts described the top threat from uranium mining, and regulators cited thorough efforts, League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc, By Duncan Adams, 23 March 2010, One thousand years. If uranium mining and milling of ore happens someday near Chatham, Va., Virginia Uranium or another company involved could be required by Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations to design a disposal system that can safely impound mining wastes for a millennium. Continue reading
Aboriginal opposition to National Land Council’s Nuclear Waste Dump Agreement
“You and your organisation should be embarrassed hiding behind legislation that suspends the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (1976).”
N-dump anger The Guardian , 24 March 2010. Darren Coyne, Opposition is mounting against a proposal to site a national radioactive dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory despite the Northern Land Council (NLC) insisting it has the support of traditional owners. Meetings, protests and angry statements have been the fall-out since a recent announcement by Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson………… Continue reading
Canadian doctors make a stand against uranium mining
Residents have expressed concern that tailings from uranium mining and exploration could affect the quality of the air and contaminate local drinking water.
(Canada) Anti-uranium doctors renew threat to resign, March 22, 2010 CBC News
Nearly two-dozen doctors in Sept-Îles, Que., are renewing their threats to resign and leave the province after the government rejected calls for a moratorium on uranium mining and exploration in the region. Continue reading
Nuclear waste problem likely to end the ‘nuclear renaissance’
ANALYSIS – Toxic waste weighs on revival of nuclear industry Reuters, by Ayesha Rascoe, 17 March 2010, “…LEGAL LIABILITY ANOTHER ISSUE Nuclear power producers also have to grapple with the legal liabilities of owning waste. The Energy Department was supposed to take ownership of waste in 1998, but that has not happened
Utilities “don’t like the idea of this long-term liability over which they really have no control,” said Robert Fri of Resources for the Future.
With no place for the used fuel to go, the nuclear waste has to stay on site even when plants are shut down. There are about 14 shut-down reactors where waste remains at the site.
Dealing with technical and legal issues will not be easy. But the biggest obstacle for the new commission will most likely be overcoming political opposition.
ANALYSIS – Toxic waste weighs on revival of nuclear industry | Business News | Reuters
Taiwan’s antinuclear activists show the way in stopping nuclear power
For now, Taiwan’s anti-nuclear forces are focused on opposing any plans for a nuclear dumping ground.
Asia’s nuclear dilemma, Global Post, by Jonathon Adams, 21 March 2010 “…Taiwan’s activists have successfully slowed, if not stopped, the island’s nuclear expansion. Continue reading
Nuclear waste dump becoming an Australian election issue
Mr McCarthy predicts an electoral backlash against his federal colleagues over their plan to put the waste dump in Central Australia. He says it could become an election issue.
MP predicts electoral backlash over waste dump, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Alison Middleton Mar 19, 2010
The Senate committee in charge of the inquiry into the Federal Government’s proposed nuclear waste dump legislation has decided not to hold hearings in Tennant Creek.
Public hearings will be held in Darwin and Canberra, but not in Central Australia, where the Government is planning to put the dump. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 