Mirrar Aboriginal people oppose expansion of Ranger uranium mine
Senior Mirarr traditional owner Yvonne Margarula, who led the push against the Jabiluka mine, accuses ERA of telling the community “half truths” about the environmental impact on an area where children fish and swim.
Indigenous owners to block mine plans, Lex Hall , The Australian May 29, 2010 “…….TRADITIONAL owners at Kakadu will oppose Energy Resources Australia’s plans to expand the Ranger uranium mine unless the company can make what they say are necessary improvements in its environmental performance, following revelations of radioactive waste leaking into wetlands in the World Heritage-listed national park. Continue reading
AREVA’s Northern Territory uranium plans blocked by one Aboriginal man
Owner wants uranium-rich land to be added to Kakadu, Sydney Morning Herald, LINDSAY MURDOCH IN KAKADU, May 29, 2010 “……….Areva executives in Australia did not return calls from the Herald. The blocking of the mine comes five years after a federal takeover of uranium mining from the Northern Territory Labor government that was supposed to boost uranium mining. But the move is in tatters, Continue reading
Earthquake danger ignored in BHP’s planned Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion
Edward Cranswick, a geophysicist and expert on earthquakes, has warned the South Australian and federal governments of the earthquake danger for the Olympic Dam uranium mine area.
This risk has been ignored in BHP Billiton’s Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed gigantic expansion which would form the world’s biggest mining hole.
The Kalgoorlie Earthquake and the Proposed Olympic Dam Mine Expansion. by Edward Cranswick, 25 May 2010, BHP Billiton has proposed to dig the largest open pit mine on the Earth at Olympic Dam, 4.1 km long, 3.5 km wide, 1 km deep. As a geophysicist who investigated earthquakes for the US Geological Survey for 22 years [1], I strongly criticised BHP’s Olympic Dam Expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement 2009 (ODXdEIS) [2] because it omitted consideration of seismicity, i.e., rockbursts or earthquakes, caused by open pit mining, despite the fact that seismic hazard is well-known in the Australian mining industry (Hudyma et al. 2003 [3], Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) [4]).
The recent Kalgoorlie Earthquake emphasises the probability and consequences of these seismic events as mines grow larger and deeper – the ODXdEIS needs to be re-evaluated because it does not address this issue at all. I discuss the connection between mining and seismicity and how it is obscured in Australia, particularly the seismic hazard of the Olympic Dam mine, and I make recommendations about these matters. Read on for the complete submission. Continue reading
Cameco’s planned uranium mine a risk to Alice Springs’ water supply
“Now if the tailing’s dam were to burst here at Angela-Pamela, radioactive water would run downhill from the mine towards our future water bore at a place called rocky hill.
“The radioactive water would contaminate our water through surface recharge,”
Ranger problems cause a stir in Alice Springs ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 28 May 2010, An overflow of contaminated water at the Ranger Uranium mine has prompted an environment group in Alice Springs to again speak out against a possible mine in Central Australia. Energy Resources of Australia operates the Ranger mine, which is surrounded by Kakadu National Park. The Greens say there have been 150 reported leaks from the mine since it opened and ERA should be forced to conduct continuous monitoring.
Cameco is leading a joint venture project exploring for uranium at its Angela Pamela project, 25 km south of Alice Springs.
Jess Abrahams from the Arid Lands Environment Centre says the project would be too close to the towns future drinking water supply.
“Now if the tailing’s dam were to burst here at Angela-Pamela, radioactive water would run downhill from the mine towards our future water bore at a place called rocky hill.
“The radioactive water would contaminate our water through surface recharge,” said Ms Abrahams.
Cameco says if it cannot protect the town’s drinking water, it will not mine the uranium.
It says any Environmental Impact Statement would consider all environmental, social and economic impacts. Ranger problems cause a stir in Alice Springs – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Northern Territory to become China’s uranium colony?
Uranium powers Chinese interest in NT Northern Territory News |NADJA HAINKE May 28th, 2010
CHINA is turning to the Northern Territory to source uranium in its ever-increasing need for power. Territory Uranium Company has received immense attention from several Chinese businesses wanting to invest in its exploration projects in the NT.
//But it is believed no solid agreements have yet been reached…..Managing director Ian Bamborough said …… Territory Uranium Company was keen to sell off about 50 per cent of its shares as more funding would mean more drilling…………
……One of the prospects getting particular interest from Chinese businesses is the Daly River project, about 350km south of Darwin…….
Environmental surveys and negotiations with traditional owners have yet to be completed. Uranium powers Chinese interest in NT | Northern Territory News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au
The quack background of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy
France has, rather unwisely, put a huge amount of its export eggs into the nuclear energy market. Its President Sarkozy spends much time and energy pushing nuclear sales around the world.
Helping in this French sales effort is Bruno Comby, who purports to be a health expert and 
environmental scientist. Among his many-faceted health promotion businesses is the Comby Stressometer. Rather like the Scientologist’s E-Meter, the Comby Stressometer can be sent to you from overseas, (for a price). and it purports to measure your stress levels and physical well-being.
Mr Comby is a quack.
He is also the founder and leading light of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, supposedly a worldwide organisation, but very secretive about its membership and its funding.
Also secretive is the background of Bruno Comby – who is in fact qualified only as a nuclear physicist.
Yet another attempt to start an Australian pro-nuclear party
Pro-nuclear pollies join the party, Reportage; 27 May 2010 “… Anna Watanabe investigates the Environmentalists for Nuclear party, a new minor party waiting to join Australia’s political system.
Goronwy Price is a former adventurer, turned software designer, and is the candidate-to-be for Environmentalists for Nuclear Power Australia (EFN), an umbrella group of the original organization founded in France.
Price and the EFN plan to register as a federal political party when their membership exceeds 500 people…………….But the vast majority of Australia’s Green movement remains decidedly anti-nuclear………..
Dr. Mark Diesendorf, author and deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies, UNSW says that he has a more conspiratorial objection to pro-nuclear environmentalism.“Just like there is big money behind climate change deniers, from the coal industry…there has to be big money behind these so called environmentalists for nuclear power.”
Do your savings go to promote the nuclear industry?
Banktrack is a coalition of citizen organisations whose research campaign is tracking down those financial institutions bankrolling the nuclear industry.
This is the secret the www.nuclearbanks.org website will tell you.
Nuclear banks? No thanks! | Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – May 26, 2010 , Today sees the launch of the http://www.nuclearbanks.org website, a joint venture between BankTrack, Greenpeace International, Urgewald (Germany), Les Amis de la Terre (France), Antiatom Szene (Austria), WISE (the Netherlands) and CRBM (Italy).Banks around the world love to boast about their investments in green technologies and renewable energy. What they don’t like to boast about is their involvement with the dirty and dangerous business of nuclear power. Continue reading
3rd degree examines Western Australia’s uranium problems
The 3rd degree is a community radio show on 2ser 107.3 FM bringing meaningful climate change dialogue to the Sydney airwaves. We’re a crew of people involved in environmental movementsTune In!Listen to the 3rd degree Thursdays 9-9.30am est on 2SER 107.3FM or online here
Click here to download our nuclear special!
Ep.105: Western Australia – the nuclear state?There are several proposed mines being processed at the moment, many on Indigenous homelands. Western Australia also doesn’t have a regulatory framework to deal with the risks of nuclear mining and many community members are concerned about this….. who is exploring where, what is being planned and what does the community say?
the 3rd degree: Ep. 105: Western Australia – the nuclear state?
Campaign to remove BHP’s special legal exemptions for Olympic Dam uranium mine
Friends of the Earth is currently working on a campaign to have the SA Roxby Downs Indenture Act repealed. This legislation allows the mine to operate with wide-ranging exemptions from the Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act, the Environment Protection Act, the Natural Resources Act and the Freedom of Information Act………….
Radioactive Exposure tour at Olympic Dam, The Monitor Newspaper : by Celeste Lustosa, 27 May 2010, The Friends of the Earth conducted their annual Radioactive Exposure Tour from May 14 to 23. As part of this event, they were in the Roxby Downs / Olympic Dam area from Sunday, May 16. Continue reading
Nuclear energy push is the central aim of U.S. Climate Bill
Nuclear Energy Has a Friend in Heads of Obama’s BP Oil Disaster Commission, by kgosztola May 25, 2010“……..Public Citizen reports the current climate legislation is a “nuclear energy-promoting, oil drilling-championing, coal mining-boosting” piece of legislation “with a weak carbon pricing mechanism thrown in.” The public interest groups warns against the nuclear power incentives currently in the climate change bill:
At its core, this legislation is all about promoting nuclear power and handing taxpayers the bill. Consider: Continue reading
Ranger uranium mine water poorly monitored
Pronukes Graham and Reilly in charge of Obama’s Oil Disaster Commission
The EPA under Reilly specifically called for “the construction of 600 more 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants around the world.”
Nuclear Energy Has a Friend in Heads of Obama’s BP Oil Disaster Commission, by kgosztola May 25, 2010 “…….The single largest nuclear industry contributor to Graham’s campaign was Exelon, which has provided him with $19,000 since 1998. Exelon, in fact, is a particularly generous donor, giving a total of $588,044 to members of Congress in 2002 alone. That makes it the kindest nuclear company to politicians, according to a Public Citizen report issued this past May 20 titled “Hot Waste, Cold Cash.” Continue reading
Tony Abbott would sell uranium to India
Australia’s Abbott Wants Japan Trade Deal, India Uranium Sale, Bloomberg Business Week By Marion Rae May 25 — Australia will try to clinch a trade deal with Japan, boosting ties with its second-largest trading partner after China, and will sell uranium to India under a Liberal-National government, opposition leader Tony Abbott said..
…The coalition will build a “strong strategic partnership” with Japan, including stronger military links and a conclusion to free trade talks, and will “overturn Labor’s ban on uranium exports,” Abbott said today in a speech to the Asialink-Asia Society forum in Canberra……Rudd’s government doesn’t allow uranium to be sold to India for energy use because the South Asian country hasn’t signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
That ban will be scrapped, opening a new market for uranium producers such as BHP Billiton Ltd., Energy Resources of Australia Ltd., which is controlled by Rio Tinto Group, and explorers such as Toro Energy Ltd., Abbott said. Australia’s Abbott Wants Japan Trade Deal, India Uranium Sale – BusinessWeek
Huge anti nuclear protest in Switzerland
Swiss anti-nuclear protest gathers 4,000 Solothurn, Switzerland (GenevaLunch), 26 May 2010, – More than 4,000 people gathered in Goesgen, canton Solothurn, in northern Switzerland Monday, for a peaceful protest against the continuing development of nuclear energy in the country. The protest had participants from 83 groups in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria. One of their key points was that switzerland’s nuclear power plans are preventing the rapid development of alternative energy programmes. GenevaLunch » Swiss anti-nuclear protest gathers 4,000
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