70 Million tonnes of radioactive uranium tailings – to blow in the wind?
Radio active dust claims drift in after storms Roxby Downs Sun 30/09/2009 SA Greens MP Mark Parnell has claimed the Olympic Dam mine expansion will create the biggest radioactive waste pile ever seen. Continue reading
Where to put Australia’s hospital radioactive wastes?
MP attacks nuclear waste ‘indecision’
ABC News 30 Sept 09The Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey, says the constant relocation of 10,000 barrels of radioactive waste highlights state and Federal Government indecision. Continue reading
A nurse wonders about radioactivity in dust from uranium mine
Reflection on Dust Storm
ABC Contribute, by Pete 30 Sept 09 “……………Out of curiosity I googled radioactive sites Woomera as I was born in South Australia and knew a little of what Woomera was involved with as a testing range area for radioactive experiments post Second World War era. Continue reading
Radioactivity from uranium to go way beyond Roxby Downs?
Lifeinthemixtalk.com By Lynn Stanfield 30 Sept 09 “……..It would not be out of the question to consider this dusty little equation :If a violent dust-storm were to arise in the Woomera – Roxby Downs – Olympic Dam region, then the prevailing ‘Westerly Winds’ which stream across our country at around the 30 – 32 deg (s) latitudes are bound to contain a heap of Uranium 234 particulate matter!. Continue reading
Nuclear hype, but nuclear future uncertain
Review, by Christina Macpherson. It’s been an interesting week. Internationally – two blatant lies are being taken up by prominent world leaders:
1. that developing nuclear power is an essential part of nuclear disarmament
2. that nuclear power is the solution to global warming.
Meanwhile, the global nuclear energy leader, AREVA, is in debt as “poster boy” new reactors in Finland and France continue to have troubles. Thousands of Russians protest against a new nuclear plant.
In Australia, Liberal party MP’s disagree on nuclear policy. The nuclear lobbyist Ziggy Spinowsky is frantically busy pushing nuclear, (as uranium prices remain low). In W.A., BHP is gently “advised” to consider the Ngalia people’s views on uranium developments. Dust storms, with more predicted, raise fears of radon gas reaching millions of Australians and New Zealanders.
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
A caution about Australia’s uranium future
Australia’s Uranium, by Greg Baker. Parliament of Australia Research paper Sept 2009 “….. Australian and worldwide concerns about the environmental and health dangers of mining and using uranium, the need to store nuclear fission products for very long periods of time and the issues concerned with the decommissioning of nuclear electricity reactors at the end of their useful life may act to linit growth in nuclear generating capacity…” http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/pubs/rp/2009-10/10rp06.pdf
Australian govt fails to deal with nuclear waste
Danger in nuclear waste move: ACF
ABC News 29 Sept 09Nearly 10,000 barrels of nuclear waste will be moved again in the Woomera prohibited area, to a more suitable storage facility. Continue reading
BHPB not publicly discussing Olympic Dam’s radioactive dust danger
FILMMAKER DAVID BRADBURY: RED DUST DUMP ORIGINATING AT WOOMERA IS GRAVE CONCERN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
September 25, 2009 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
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.
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
Wake up Australia, and New Zealand, to the radioactive dust danger!
Regarding 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.
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
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)
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
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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