Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Nuclear Technology Agency will Analyse Possibly Radioactive Dust

So ANSTO will analyse Australia’s dust storms?   – Sounds a bit like Dracula looking after the Blood Bank –  Christina Macpherson

Glowing welcome for nuclear partnership
PS NewsvANU 29 Sept 09 The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and the Australian National University have joined together in a partnership aimed at enhancing the nation’s nuclear science and technology engagement. Continue reading

September 29, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian govt fails to deal with nuclear waste

Danger in nuclear waste move: ACF
ABC News 29 Sept 09

Nearly 10,000 barrels of nuclear waste will be moved again in the Woomera prohibited area, to a more suitable storage facility. Continue reading

September 29, 2009 Posted by | South Australia, uranium, wastes | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BHPB not publicly discussing Olympic Dam’s radioactive dust danger

by Coober Pedy Regional Times“…….70 million tonnes of radioactive tailings to be dumped at the Roxby mine site each year without evidence of dust control is cause for concern”, says David Bradbury.. Continue reading

September 26, 2009 Posted by | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, environment, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Liberal MP opposes nuclear plant

MP warns against Port Stephens nuclear plant

ABC Newcastle News 26 Sept 09 The state Liberal Member for Port Stephens, Craig Baumann, says he is not against nuclear energy, but will not tolerate a power plant being built in his electorate.

Yesterday, Acting Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said nuclear energy needs to be considered as a way to address climate change.Three years ago Mr Baumann strongly criticised an Australia Institute report that named Port Stephens as an ideal site for a nuclear power station.He says such a plant would ruin the area.

ABC Newcastle NSW – MP warns against Port Stephens nuclear plant

September 26, 2009 Posted by | 1, New South Wales, politics, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Dust to be analysed for radioactivity

Are the dust storms radioactive? Australian scientists study Aussie dust from New Zealand * Daily Telegraph By Greg Roberts and AFP  September 26, 2009

  • Second dust storm ‘on the way’
  • Fears mine dust is radioactive

A TEAM of Australian scientists are analysing the dust that has engulfed eastern Australia this week to see whether it is dangerous.

The dust storm is believed to have originated around Woomera in outback South Australia near the massive Olympic Dam uranium mine, prompting fears it was radioactive and dangerous…

………The scientists were analysing dust that had been blown 2150km to New Zealand and “fingerprinting” it, and its minerals, to find out where it came from and if it was a threat to the Coral Sea and agriculture…………

Academy Award nominated documentary maker David Bradbury, who has made films about nuclear power, warned about the risks from radioactive dust near the Olympic mine yesterday.

Are the dust storms radioactive? | The Daily Telegraph

September 26, 2009 Posted by | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, environment, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactive waste’s journey from Melbourne to Sydney, and now to South Australia

Dangerous waste to be moved
The Age MARK DAVIS September 26, 2009 TWENTY years after it was first uncovered at an old CSIRO site in Melbourne’s Fishermans Bend, nearly 10,000 barrels of radioactive waste are on the move again Continue reading

September 26, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, uranium, wastes | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BHP Billiton’s chief gets 51pc pay rise

Billiton chief Marius Kloppers enjoys 51pc pay rise BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers enjoyed a 51pc pay rise this year to more than $10m (£6m), despite a 51pc fall in BHP pre-tax profits. Continue reading

September 26, 2009 Posted by | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Wake up Australia, and New Zealand, to the radioactive dust danger!

a-cat-CANRegarding BHP Billiton’s planned expansion of Olympic Dam uranium mine, South Australia’s minister for resources, Mr Holloway says “radioactive dust obviously could be a problem but the issue is able to be resolved”

You gotta laugh. The dust “could” be a problem? Dust already is a problem . The planned open cut mine will be – I’ve forgotten how many kilometres wide, and is it 1 or 3 kilometres deep, – with an equally vast amount of tailings, a mountain of radioactive dust ready for blowing in the wind.

And this issue is “able to be resolved”?  Just how?.  Well, it might be resolved in the way that the radioactive rain to Australia’s East coast, from the French Pacific nuclear testing in the 1970’s was resolved. Professor Ernest Titterton came up with the bright idea – just stop testing the rain for radioactivity. That could be the answer.

September 25, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, environment, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

South Australian govt says Olympic Dam dust risk must be resolved

Uranium mine told to address dust risks

ABC News 25 Sept 09 Issues such as dust risks from a planned expansion of BHP Billiton’s uranium mining operations in outback South Australia will have to be addressed by the company. Continue reading

September 25, 2009 Posted by | environment, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia: no uranium to India

`No Uranium supply to India’

Central Chronicle September 25, 2009 United News of India
New Delhi, Sept 24:

Australia today reaffirmed its stand of not supplying uranium to India but said it favoured cooperation in energy sector specifically Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and coal. Continue reading

September 25, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, weapons and war | , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear disarmament a tougher task than global financial crisis

Multilateralism has its limitations

September 25, 2009 Disarmament poses a stern test for international forums Continue reading

September 25, 2009 Posted by | 1 | , , | Leave a comment

China’s investments in Australian resources

TIMELINE-Chinese investments in Australian resources

“………….REUTERS, Sept 24, 2009 – Australia’s defence department opposes a proposed joint venture between Wugang Australia Resources, a wholly-owned subsidiary of state-owned Wuhan Iron and Steel (600005.SS: Quote, Profile, Research), and Australia’s Western Plains Resources (WPG.AX: Quote, Profile, Research). Continue reading

September 25, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business | , , | Leave a comment

Olympic Dam will cause radioactive dust risk to Eastern Australia

Radioactive dust storm threat’ if mine goes ahead
ABC News 24 Sept 09 An Academy Award-nominated documentary maker claims the red dust dumped onto east coast cities yesterday is a reason to be concerned about BHP Billiton’s proposal to turn South Australia’s Olympic Dam uranium mine into an open-cut mine.

David Bradbury has made four documentaries on the nuclear issue and says figures in the company’s environmental impact study suggest that 70 million tonnes of radioactive tailings will be dumped at the minesite each year.

He says these tailings contain alpha radiation, which is known to be carcenogenic to humans and animals.
“My grave concern is that with the open-cut mine expansion that BHP Billiton wants permission from state and federal governments to go ahead with, that the radioactive tailings left behind will blow over the eastern coast centres of the most populated cities of Australia,” he said

‘Radioactive dust storm threat’ if mine goes ahead – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

September 24, 2009 Posted by | 1, environment, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

More dust storms predicted, may carry radiation

Dust storm born out of flooding rains
ABC Science 23 September 2009
Darren Osborne
“………………..with climate change set to bring more variability, Australia may experience more large scale dust storms in the future. Continue reading

September 24, 2009 Posted by | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weak WA govt message to BHP on uranium and aborigines

a-cat-CANChristina Macpherson – With BHP Billiton’s poor international track record on care and concern for indigenous peoples, I wouldn’t put much faith in their pious statements to the W.A. govt.

Sure, it’s great that the Ngalia people’s ecological knowledge has been publicly recognised, but there won’t even be a rap over the knuckles if BHP Billiton completely disregards this at the Yeelirrie uranium project.  Note the wording of the article below – “…………..…..state Environment Minister Donna Faragher did not order BHP to consult the Ngalia, she made it clear they should..………”

September 24, 2009 Posted by | Christina reviews, spinbuster, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment