Review: a good week for skulduggery and secrecy
Review: Australia; it was a good week for skulduggery and secrecy, even not counting ANSTO’s opinion poll debacle
Defence Dept keeping quiet about planned “termporary” nuke waste dump at Woomera. Martin Ferguson’s secret deal with some NT aborigines over NT nuke waste dumping. BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam disrupted for months, keeping quiet over probable job losses. Greens asking awkward questions about radioactive spill at Lucas Heights. ERA keeping quiet about radioactive leaking at Ranger uranium mine.
Internationally: Obama being ambiguous about nuclear, as nuke lobbying continues over U.S.A’s Climate Bill. Chilean veterans suing govt over radiation harm. Iran being flighty over nuke deal offered to them. AREVA’s “flagship” nuclear reactors limp on expensively. IAEA trying to solve Chernobyl’s still radioactive cooling pond. Sellafield cleanup costing billions with no end in sight. – review of the week that was
Australian initiative to reduce medical radiation risks
Rethink on medical imaging radiation to cut risks AUSTRALIAN IT Jennifer Foreshew | October 27, 2009 Continue reading
ANSTO quickly backtracks on crooked opinion poll
After this morning (26/10/09)changing the wording on its nuclear opinion poll, so that it changed results from “Against nuclear” to “in favour” of nuclear, viewer reactions caused ANSTO to rethink this blatantly dishonest (and rather stupid) strategy Continue reading ANSTO’s crooked nuclear opinion poll
ANSTO (Australian Nuclear and Technology Organisation) has been running on their website, an opinion poll on nuclear power. By Saturday Oct 24, results showed an overwhelming majority opposed to nuclear power. Continue reading
Australian uranium miner Paladin’s Malawi uranium not monitored
Malawi: Govt. ignorant of exported Uranium tonnage | Business News – TheZimbabwean.co.uk by Nyasa Times Sunday, 25 October 2009 Government is yet to know about the quantity of Uranium exported by Australia-based Paladin Africa last month. Continue reading
Australian govt not upfront about new “temporary” nuke waste dump
Alarm over radioactive waste plan KIM WHEATLEY
Adelaide Now October 23, 2009
ABOUT 80 drums of radioactive waste has been earmarked to be shifted 450km from Edinburgh RAAF base to a new waste dump at Woomera. Continue reading
Martin Ferguson’s secret deal on nuclear waste dump
Secret $200k nuclear dump contract criticised ABC News By David Coady 22 Oct 09
The Greens are criticising the Federal Government for keeping secret a contract with traditional owners about a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory.
The Greens asked about an agreement between the Northern Land Council, Muckaty Land Trust and the previous Federal Government in committee hearings yesterday.
Senator Scott Ludlam says it involved an initial payment of $200,000 to a small group of traditional owners.
He says the contract is not being made public and the intentions of the Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, are clear.
“He intends to coercively dump the nation’s most dangerous industrial waste, probably at Muckaty Station in Tennant Creek,” he said.
“They’ve had two years to deal with this situation.
“They’re clearly in violation of commitments they made before the election.”
The Resources Minister’s media advisor says it is the Northern Land Council, not the Government, that wants the agreement kept confidential.
Secret $200k nuclear dump contract criticised – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Radiation chemical spill at Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
Staff not evacuated after spill at Lucas Heights THE AUSTRALIAN October 21, 2009 Australian Associated Press OPERATORS at Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor were not evacuated after a radiation chemical spill, a Senate committee has heard. An internal audit conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation found safety procedures were breached in August 2008 after a vial of molybdenum 99 – used in the production of nuclear medicine – was dislodged.
Asked by Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam if the molybdenum was left unreported for three hours, ANSTO chief executive Adi Paterson said the organisation’s report had referred to this incident………..
A spokesman for Senator Ludlam said that if safety procedures could not be followed at Australia’s nuclear reactor, “God help” Australia if ANSTO was put in charge of a full scale nuclear power facility.
Staff not evacuated after spill at Lucas Heights | The Australian
Uranium water contamination in Kakadu National Park
Probe into uranium mine leak continues ABC News Oct 20, 2009 The Commonwealth supervising scientist of the Ranger uranium mine at Kakadu National Park says investigations are continuing into water contamination at the site. Continue reading
Review: Uranium and nuclear skulduggery
Australia: – Corrupt dealings over Marathon’s uranium exploration. Telstra closes down nuclear veterans’ website – under govt pressure? The case against the govt’s plans for radioactive waste dumping in NT – is taken internationally. mainstream media wrongly portrays Peter Beatties as pro-nuclear. A High Court ruling further limits aborigines’ land rights
International: Nuclear lobby aims to take over US Climate Bill. Revelations of France and Germany’s unsafe radioacttive waste dumping in Siberia. AREVA’s half-built nuclear reactors in Finland and France are plagued with problems, lawsuits, and ever-escalating costs. French govt not likley to compensate Polynesian nuclear bomb test victims. – the week that has been
British nuclear bomb tests in Australia
Maralinga Our Own Shame – UK Nuclear Bomb Tests in Australia – Care2 News Network (UK) by David Buchan 19 Oct 09 Britain actively used Australian soil and people to conduct it’s nuclear testing program during the 1950s and 1960s. Continue reading
Maralinga atomic testing :The Anangu Story
Maralinga: The Anangu Story 50 years ago secret atomic tests were carried out on Australian soil at a place called “Maralinga” in north–western South Australia. Continue reading
Making money out of depleted uranium weapons
by Christina Macpherson Raytheon Australia’s Industry Development Unit (IDU). – with the announcement of of a deal between Australia’s Defence Department and Raytheon, a ,lovely new Australian industry is started.
Yes, we can become part of making money by selling the stuff that has been used so profitably in Iraq and Gaza
Dose the Australian public care about this? Worse still, does the Australian public know about this. Where is the mainstream media on issues lik e this?
Corruption charges follow uranium company’s deals with S.A. govt
Arkaroola uranium hunter on bribery charges HENDRIK GOUT17/10/2009 The owner and director of the largest shareholder in the company which the state government allows to explore the Arkaroola wilderness for uranium, Marathon Resources, is awaiting trial on charges of having bribed a government minister. Continue reading
Central Australia’s radioactive waste threat discussed internationally
Radioactive sites get overseas pressure ABC News By Kirsty Nancarrow i Oct 16, 2009
Anti-nuclear campaigners from Central Australia are hoping to put international pressure on the Commonwealth to abandon plans for a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory.
Natalie Wasley from the Beyond Nuclear Initiative says it is providing a briefing and a DVD to be screened and distributed to delegates at a conference in Sweden this weekend on the management of radioactive waste.
She says the Australian Government’s failure to consult people who are likely to be affected by the four sites being considered is out of step with what other countries are doing.
Radioactive sites get overseas pressure – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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