Media silence on land grab for uranium
Pilger: Breaking the Australian Silence by John Pilger 06 November 2009 Pacific Free Press “I would like to talk about this silence: about how it affects our national life, the way we see the world, and the way we are manipulated by great power Continue reading
The strange mentality of some nuclear commentators
In a week of dubious comments from fossil-fuel and nuclear industry puppets, it’s been hard to choose the weirdest comment.
But I like the one from Northern Territory Labor MP Damien Hale. Apparently, Hale’s view is that if a state is already contaminated with radioactive pollution, then it’s just fine to go ahead there and add more pollution. Is South Australia stuffed already, as far as radioactive contamination goes – so it can be open slather for nuclear waste in S.A.?
The Labor Member for Solomon, Damien Hale, .. says there is political support for the dump to be built in South Australia.”Now we all know there’s areas of Australia that are already contaminated through radioactivity,”Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
NT politician claims that South Australia wants nuclear waste dump
Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA ABC News By Michael Coggan Nov 4, 2009 Darwin A Northern Territory federal politician is arguing for a national nuclear waste dump to be built in South Australia. Continue reading
Northern Territory targeted as the only place for nuclear waste dump
Nuclear dump sites ‘all in the Territory’ NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS NICK CALACOURAS November 3rd, 2009 THE Federal Government has been sitting on a report on the decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Territory for the past nine months. Continue reading
Review: BHP under scrutiny, ANSTO rigs poll
Australia. Lucas Heights nuclear waste has to be returned to Australia; Rudd govt pretty sure to dump it on aboriginal land. China buying up big into Australian uranium mining. S.A. govt very little restriction likely for Marathon’s uranium mining in Arkaroola, and no obligation for Four Mile to clean up after u-mining ends. . Melbourne and Perth protest rallies mark BHP’s AGM. ANSTO caught out crookedly rigging opinion poll.
International. Iran avoids international agreement to prevent it developing nuclear weapons.
US Hanford nuclear workers to be compensated for their cancers. Alternative annual report launched for BHP Billiton’s AGM. Iraq now seeking to have nuclear power. French nuclear plant has critical buildup of plutonium. – the week that has been
Rudd govt cowardly about nuclear waste obligations
Australia is contractually obliged to take back from France the reprocessed nuclear waste from ANSTO’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.
The Rudd government, like the Howard government is just too cowardly to explain this truth to the Australian people, and then to act sensibly and honorably.
The government could choose Commonwealth land, take back the existing waste, close down Lucas Heights, and finish this problem.
But, no. The Rudd government will con and bribe the citizens least able to resist, – the aborigines, – in the Territory least able to resit, the Northern Territory.
If that were not enough of cowardice and hypocrisy, the Rudd government is then likely to use ANSTO to open the door to the return of radioactive wastes to Australia. A very lucrative industry for a few big players, including the uranium mining companies.
No sensible housewife would even plan a meal in the knowledge that the house would be left with permanent, unfixable, toxic waste. But then what government would ask the opinion of a sensible housewife?
Why Ziggy Spinowski doesn’t mention radioactive wastes
Have you noticed how nuclear spruikers, such as Ziggy Spinowski, never talk about the “back end” of the uranium and nuclear industries? It’s all about the “front end” – the wonderful “cheap, “clean” “best practice” mining and reactors. But what does everybody do with their wastes, (apart from shutting up about them)?
Well, that’s a mystery. Mountains of radioactive uranium tailings – Polluted towns and areas – Dead reactors – too “hot” to move for decades, perhaps centuries?
Mostly – radioactive wastes just sit there – in cooling ponds, in containers. But then where to? Dumped in some “Third World” country? Or in the ocean- but always in or near the land of some indigenous peoples, who won’t have the financial, legal, media or whatever sort of resources you need to stand up to nuclear corporations.
Uranium miner squanders Australia’s precious water – for FREE!
South Australia: Olympic Dam mine BHP Billiton 30 Oct 09 Watch Western Mining Corporation first developed the Olympic Dam (Roxby Downs) Uranium Mine in 1983, despite strong and sustained opposition from Kokatha and Arabunna Traditional Owners and environmentalists. BHP Billiton purchased the underground Olympic Dam mine in 2005.
In May 2009 BHP Billiton released an Environmental Impact Statement detailing plans to turn Olympic Dam into a massive open pit mine. With this expansion uranium production is expected to increase from 4,000 tonnes to 19,000 tonnes per year and copper production from 200,000 to 750,000 tonnes a year. Continue reading
SA government not protecting sanctuary against uranium pollution
Arkaroola plan ‘not strong enough’ ABC News 28 Oct 09 A Greens’ legislative councillor says a South Australian Government plan to manage mining and conservation in the Northern Flinders fails to protect the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.
The plan is a response to the discovery of illegally dumped exploration waste at Arkaroola but Mark Parnell says the response is not strong enough.
“The Government should have just made the announcement that they were not going to allow future exploration or mining anywhere in the wilderness sanctuary,” he said.
“Instead, they have produced a map for discussion that shows most of the wilderness sanctuary still available for mining and only one tiny area close to Mount Painter which is designated as off limits.”…………… The State Government draft framework is currently open for public comment. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/28/2726287.htm
Protest against BHP as Alternative BHP Report released
In Melbourne today, protesters gather outside BHP Billiton’s head
office in Melbourne, highlighting the impacts of BHP’s plan to make
Olympic Dam the biggest uranium mine in the world.
Friends of the Earth’s national nuclear campaigner Dr Jim Green said:
“For all of BHP Billiton’s hollow rhetoric about corporate social
responsibility, the company operates the Olympic Dam mine in SA under an outdated Indenture Act which exempts the mine from key environmental and Aboriginal heritage laws.
“BHP Billiton has provided over $2 million to Reconciliation Australia.
Yet the company will not relinquish its exemptions from the SA
Aboriginal Heritage Act. The company’s attitude appears to be ‘do as I
say not as I do’. It’s time for this hypocrisy to end.”
Duban Velez, a union delegate for workers at the Cerrejon coal mine in
Colombia, will be at today’s protest in Melbourne to tell his story
about BHP’s inadequate social and environmental standards in Colombia.
Mr Velez will also be attending BHP’s second AGM, in Brisbane on
November 26. Farming families in villages around the mine have been
deprived of their livelihoods as the mine expands and accuse BHP of
failing to negotiate in good faith or offer sufficient assistance or
compensation.
The Alternative Annual Report can be downloaded at:
http://tinyurl.com/yjjluqg
Now Western Australian aborigines join the fight against uranium mining
ANAWA 29 Oct 09 “…………………Statement from the Western Australian delegation to the 9th annual Australian Nuclear Free Alliance meeting Quorn (Nukunu Country), South Australia.“Uranium mining has not happened in WA but there is a lot of talk that it could. Continue reading
China gets 70% of Australian uranium miner
Guangdong Nuclear OKed to Acquire Australian Uranium Miner TRADING MARKETS.com October 28, 2009; GUANGZHOU, Oct 28, 2009 — China Uranium Development Co., under the wing of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co., Ltd. (CGNPC), Continue reading
Uranium miners can just walk away from cleanup
Oil spill disaster continues – the toll rises
“…………………..the federal government has jettisoned its three mine uranium policy and is now considering a rush of exploration licence applications. In July, the Environment Minister gave the go ahead for Alliance Resources to move into production using the controversial acid corrosion Continue reading
World Indigenous Uranium Forum – next time in Australia
Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum a Success Indybay by Anna Rondon Oct 27th, 2009 This past weekend Indigenous Peoples from Alaska, North America, Bolivia and Japan converged near Acoma Pueblo for the 7th Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum in Sky City, New Mexico. Continue reading
Uranium miners – the phoniest of corporations
During the next decade the world must reduce emissions as fast as possible, in order to avoid climate change “tipping points”. Australia is the world’s worst per-capita emitter of greenhouse gases. Our coal-fired power stations emit almost 50 percent of our emissions, so it is crucial that we minimise their emissions as fast as possible. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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