nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Deadly Plutonium Shipment Headed for Pacific | Regional | Solomon Islands News

March 07, 2009 – Sydney/Suva – Last night’s announcement by French nuclear company Areva that the largest ever plutonium (MOX ) shipment is enroute from France to Japan through the Pacific requires strong opposition from Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith.

About 1.8 tonnes of plutonium in MOX fuel, enough to make 225 nuclear weapons, will travel to Japan via the Cape of Good Hope, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand and the south-west Pacific Ocean, to arrive in Japanese waters by late-May.

Greenpeace protested against the departure of the shipment from Cherbourg this week. “MOX shipments are unsafe, insecure and unnecessary, and the nuclear industry knows it, that’s why there is so much security accompanying the shipment. You would never need such security levels when shipping solar panels or windmills,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigns director Stephen Campbell.

“An accident involving the ship while it is off Australia’s coast could have a catastrophic impact on the environment, and seriously affect our tourism and fisheries industries.” he said.

“Of great concern is the fact that Australia has no emergency response plan in the event of an accident, fire or terrorist attack onboard a nuclear shipment,” said Mr Campbell.

Australia should join with Pacific governments, who have publicly called for an end to such dangerous and unnecessary shipments.

In 2005 (1) and 2002 (2) Pacific nations made strong public declarations of opposition to plutonium and nuclear waste shipments through their waters and called for, “the immediate cessation of such practice, in order to prevent any occurrence of accidents that could seriously threaten their sustainable development and the health of their peoples.

Deadly Plutonium Shipment Headed for Pacific | Regional | Solomon Islands News

March 8, 2009 Posted by | OCEANIA, safety | Leave a comment

In case of doubt, No to nuke | Manila Bulletin

In case of doubt, No to nuke mb.com.ph By Atty. Romeo V. Pefianco March 5, 2009,  “……………………

Radioactive for thousands of years

There’s a great insurmountable problem with nuclear waste: It’s radioactive and can remain that way for years, in some cases, thousands of years………………

One large issue in Bataan and RP

The raging debate here is about the structural safety of the Bataan nuclear plant. So far the zone/site for waste disposal has not been identified. One possible site is the South China Sea, with fierce opposition expected from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, etc.

Or the government may search for a cluster of sites on the mainland of Luzon Island.

No way

In both possible sites of nuclear waste disposal most readers foresee real/heated and fierce opposition from promdis in Bataan, Zambales, all of Central Luzon and such islands as Mindoro, etc.

There’s no way for this project to win approval!

In case of doubt, No to nuke | Manila Bulletin

March 8, 2009 Posted by | Philippines, safety | Leave a comment

roadblock to nuclear power

The anti-carbon president creates a massive road block to nuclear power and carbon reduction Dallas Morning News Andrew Smith 7 March 09 President Obama’s budget nearly eliminates funding for the planned nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Without a storage facility, spent fuel created at each nuclear plant will stay in “temporary” storage at the plant that created it — probably for decades to come. This state of affairs doesn’t necessarily prevent the construction of new nuclear plants, but it certainly reduces the odds of such construction — possibly to the vanishing point.

March 8, 2009 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

‘Risky’ nuke ship passes Cape: South Africa: News: News24

‘Risky’ nuke ship passes Cape NEWS 24 07/03/2009 16:12 – (SA) Johannesburg – A massive shipment of plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) is meant to travel via the Cape of Good Hope on Saturday, Greenpeace Africa said in a statement.

“MOX shipments are simply not worth the risk, they are a major terror target and pose an enormous threat to the environment of all countries en route,” said Rianne Teule, nuclear campaigner for Greenpeace International in a statement on Saturday.

The ships, Pacific Pintail and the Pacific Heron, were heavily armed and protected by specially trained British forces, the statement read.

They are to enter South African waters as they make their way from France to Japan.

Poses riskhe shipment left Chebourg port with about 1.8 tonnes of MOX fuel – enough to make 225 nuclear weapons – and will travel via the Cape of Good Hope.

“This MOX transport poses immediate contamination and security risks, and is yet another example of the dangers of nuclear energy… not only is the shipment unnecessary and insecure, there is no evidence that the containers carrying the fuel are safe from accidents,” Teule said.

MOX fuel is an alternative nuclear fuel made up of a mixture of uranium and plutonium.

“This shipment is a reminder to the South African government that the health and environment risks associated with nuclear power are real, and that taking the nuclear route in power generation is not the solution to reducing climate change emissions.

“Nuclear power will provide too little, too late to address climate change and it is a dangerous distraction, sucking billions of rands in funding, away from the real solutions which could already be implemented today,” said Brad Smith, programme director for Greenpeace Africa.

In a bid to stop this shipment, Greenpeace Africa has sent a warning letter to several African environmental ministers including South Africa’s environmental affairs and tourism Minister, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, urging them to take immediate action against the two ships.

– SAPA

‘Risky’ nuke ship passes Cape: South Africa: News: News24

March 8, 2009 Posted by | safety, South Africa | Leave a comment

Cricket massacre lays bare the flaws of a failing state

From The Sunday Times March 8, 2009 Cricket massacre lays bare the flaws of a failing stateThe Pakistan terrorist attack and its aftermath have underlined the violence and corruption at the heart of a nuclear nation “……………….

…………..Unlike Pakistan’s military rulers, Zardari has no sympathy for the militant groups, pointing out that he lost his own wife, Benazir Bhutto, to terrorism. But he heads a weak minority government in alliance with an Islamic party linked to some of them.While Pakistan remains a largely moderate country, support for militants has increased with public anger at US drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas. These have killed senior Taliban or Al-Qaeda commanders but also many civilians. “Zardari may wish to be rid of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, the LeT and other affiliated terrorist groups, but he cannot afford to be seen to cave in to western and Indian pressure”, said MJ Gohel, director of the Asia Pacific Foundation. “The terrorist infrastructure is being allowed to continue functioning with only cosmetic restrictions, whose main function is to impress the US. Yet until firm action is taken and training camps are closed down, the slow collapse of the Pakistani state will continue.”………………….

If nothing works, America could be confronted with the nightmare of a nuclear-armed and fragmented Pakistan in the hands of Islamic radicals.

For years the United States has been studying how to remove or disable Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the event of an emergency, but it is highly delicate.

Cricket massacre lays bare the flaws of a failing state – Times Online

March 8, 2009 Posted by | Pakistan, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Aboriginal land owners told to sign leases or lose funds

Aboriginal land owners told to sign leases or lose funds * March 6, 2009m”………….

The proposal has already been slammed in some quarters.

The National Indigenous Times labelled it a “betrayal” by Labor.

“In broad terms it represents a national roll-out of the most controversial parts of the Northern Territory intervention – the compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land for the reconstruction of townships,” the fortnightly newspaper said.

The publication said Ms Macklin argued against a similar proposal pushed by the former Howard government when Labor was in opposition.

There is also concern that native title claims will be unduly rushed as a result of the policy.

Aboriginal land owners told to sign leases or lose funds

March 8, 2009 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Aborigines told to swap land rights for new homes | smh.com.au

Aborigines told to swap land rights for new homes * Joel Gibson Indigenous Affairs Reporter in Cessnock Sydney Morning Herald  March 6, 2009  ABORIGINES living in remote areas throughout Australia will not get a cent of $2 billion in new housing money unless they sign away their land rights for at least 40 years under a controversial Rudd Government plan that NSW indigenous leaders called insulting and dictatorial………………………………….

The policy is a milder version of a Howard government approach in the Northern Territory, which required 99-year leases, but is being extended to all states and territories for the first time.

It represents an about-face for Ms Macklin, who argued against the Howard government policy in 2007, saying land tenure reform should not be a condition of funding for basic service………………………………..

Rick Griffiths, chief executive of the Mindaribba land council, which represents indigenous people in the Cessnock area, said it was an insult. “There’s no mention of compensation for the leases … And what happens if there’s a change of state government?” he said. “They don’t go to white communities and say this, do they?”

The state’s peak Aboriginal body said neither state nor federal governments had discussed the plan with them……………………..The activist Michael Anderson, a founder of the Aboriginal tent embassy, compared the policy with those of Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, and the former Australian prime minister William McMahon, who took land from whites and wanted to lease land to blacks, respectively.

Aborigines told to swap land rights for new homes | smh.com.au

March 8, 2009 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment