Guardian 2nd April 2018, One of Australia’s proudest land rights struggles is passing an important
anniversary: it is 20 years since the establishment of the blockade camp at
Jabiluka in Kakadu national park.
This was the moment at which push would
come to shove at one of the world’s largest high-grade uranium deposits.
The industry would push, and people power would shove right back.
The blockade set up a confrontation between two very different kinds of power:
on the one side, the campaign was grounded in the desire for
self-determination by the Mirarr traditional Aboriginal owners,
particularly the formidable senior traditional owner Yvonne Margarula. They
were supported by a tiny handful of experienced paid staff and backed by an
international network of environment advocates, volunteer activists and
researchers. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/03/20-years-on-from-the-jabiluka-mine-protest-we-can-find-hope-in-its-success
April 4, 2018
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AUSTRALIA, indigenous issues, opposition to nuclear |
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Austria, Luxembourg Agree on Alliance against Nuclear Power http://www.chronicle.lu/category/energy/25133-austria-luxembourg-agree-on-alliance-against-nuclear-power 05 Mar 2018 Luxembourg and Austria have agreed on an Alliance against the promotion of nuclear energy in Europe.
Outside of the meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Brussels, Austrian Minister for Sustainability and Tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger, and Luxembourg Minister for the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg, have agreed to jointly build a pan-European alliance against the promotion of nuclear energy. Both countries are already actively working together on this issue and this alliance shows their desire to intensify this cooperation in the future and expand it throughout Europe.
As part of a meeting of the German-speaking environment ministers in Luxembourg planned for the spring, a common positioning will also be discussed with Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The focus will be on questions of real costs and the improper promotion of nuclear energy, nuclear liability and insufficient participation of citizens in energy policy. Following this, the joint platform with the German-speaking environment ministers could be extended to countries in southern Europe.
Moreover, Carole Dieschbourg announced during the meeting that Luxembourg supported Austria in its claim against the public subsidy for the expansion of the Hungarian Nuclear Power Plant PAKS II. The Luxembourg government decided this last Friday in its Cabinet meeting. The Austrian government is bringing the European Commission- which has classified this subsidisation as harmless- before the European Court of Justice on this matter.
March 19, 2018
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The State 16th March 2018, Once ignored, small band of protesters proven right about bungled nuclear
project. Through the years, the activists’ message was simple: the nuclear
project’s costs would spiral out of control; electricity customers would
face higher bills; the reactors would produce power the state did not need;
and the untested nuclear design could slow down completion of the project.
Instead, the groups wanted utilities, including SCE&G, to spend money
making homes more energy efficient, and developing solar and wind power,
which, they say, are cheaper and better for the environment
http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article205512869.html
March 19, 2018
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opposition to nuclear, USA |
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Protest draws thousands calling for end to nuclear power http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201803110013.aspx, – -By Wu Hsin-yun and Elizabeth Hsu)2018/03/11 Taipei, March 11 (CNA) An annual anti-nuclear march was held on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Sunday, drawing about 2,000 people calling for an end to the use of nuclear power in Taiwan.
The protest, held on the seventh anniversary of the meltdown of the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant in northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, was organized by the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform, an organization joined by hundreds of anti-nuclear civic groups from around Taiwan.
While pressing the government to decommission nuclear power plants as soon as possible, the other purpose of the Sunday’s demonstration was to prepare people for the potentially high cost of closing the nation’s three operating nuclear power plants and the disposal of nuclear waste, the organizer said.
Walking with protesters, Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) of the opposition New Power Party, said that as the government has already said Taiwan will be nuclear free by 2025, it should move forward with the plan, but is instead going backwards.
The recent approval of the reactivation of the second reactor at the Second Nuclear Power Plant after maintenance work is “obviously a backwards move,” Huang said.
The lawmaker named the nuclear plant as one of the most dangerous power plants on Earth due to its geographic position, in an area subject to volcanic, earthquake and tsunami activities, and raised safety concerns in the wake of reported radiation leaks and explosions in the past.
Three major demands were made during the protest, including on the disposal of nuclear waste, a transition to environmentally-friendly energy sources and the decommissioning or re-purposing of nuclear power plants in the country.
Northern Coast Anti-Nuclear Motion League member Chiang Ying-mei (江櫻梅) urged the government to proactively address the thorny problem of nuclear waste disposal, calling for the fast-tracking of three bills detailing the management of nuclear waste.
The bills include one on nuclear waste disposal, which is being considered by the Cabinet; the second on the establishment of a nuclear waste management center, which has been delivered to the Legislature for review; and the third involves revisions of provisions governing the management of radioactive materials.
(
March 14, 2018
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Taiwanese protesters rally for ‘nuclear-free’ island, Agence France Presse 11 Mar 18
Government has promised to phase out nuclear energy by 2025. Hundreds of anti-nuclear protesters staged a rally in Taiwan on Sunday to demand the island’s government honour its pledge to abolish the use of atomic energy by 2025
Waving placards reading “nuclear go zero”, and “abolish nuclear, save Taiwan”, they gathered outside the presidential office in Taipei on the same day Japan marked the seventh anniversary of the Fukushima disaster.
Taiwan’s cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council recently decided to allow state-owned energy company Taipower to restart a reactor at a facility near Taipei, pending parliament’s final approval.
The reactor has been offline since May 2016 after a glitch was found in its electrical system, which the company said had since been resolved.
Anti-nuclear groups are now questioning whether Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will keep its promise to phase out nuclear energy.
“It would be violating the spirit of creating a nuclear-free homeland by 2025 pledged by the DPP,” said Tsui Shu-hsin of the prospect of restarting the reactor. Tsui is the spokeswoman for the Nuclear Go Zero Action Platform, which organised the rally.
Lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang, head of the opposition New Power Party, echoed the sentiment.
“The government should move forward, not backwards and restarting the reactor would be a regression,” he told reporters at the rally.
…….Taiwan started annual anti-nuclear rallies to commemorate Japan’s nuclear disaster on March 11, 2011, when the Fukushima energy plant was hit by a tsunami following an earthquake, knocking out power to its cooling systems and sending reactors into meltdown.
Taiwan, like Japan, is prone to frequent quakes as the island lies on a number of fault lines.
“Nuclear facilities are unsafe as Taiwan has many earthquakes,” 40-year-old protester Fan De-lu said. “The government needs to take the lead to actively develop alternative and green energy.” http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2136732/taiwanese-protesters-rally-nuclear-free-island
March 12, 2018
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https://www.echo.net.au/2018/03/seven-years-fukushima-still-disaster-without-solution-2/
High-profile Japanese activist Toshiko Okada spoke at the Channon Market [Adelaide ,Australia] on March 11 to mark the seventh anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Okada’s speech in the Rainbow Chai Tent wasfollowed by a march around the market, including music and art.
Local Japanese activist and actress Saya Minami interviewed Okada, and they spoke about introducing a Chernobyl-type law in Japan – and the rest of the world – to protect people from the risks of radiation.
Where were you when the Japanese tsunami hit the coast?
I was at home in Saitama prefecture, about 250km away from Fukushima; I was watching TV and saw the houses and cars being washed away. I was screaming “Please run away quickly!”. My family home is near the ocean in Fukushima so I was very worried about my family. But they were okay. After that the Fukushima power plant exploded and my sister and relatives were evacuated to another prefecture, but the government said it’s safe so they went back after a few weeks.
How did you get involved in this work?
After the Fukushima nuclear accident, I heard that the organisation suing to save the children of Fukushima from the risks of radiation had lost a case, so I wanted to help them. I joined as a volunteer. Currently I am supporting their second trial, networking with radiation victims and taking action to help Fukushima children exposed to radiation.
What are the aims of the Citizens’ Network for Evacuation from Radiation?
The aim is to connect with citizens’ groups and individuals to achieve a society that is free from radiation exposure.
Tell us about the monthly demonstrations in Tokyo.
We protest in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. We speak the truth about Fukushima and call attention to the fact that Kanto district – which includes Tokyo – is also contaminated with radiation, which the mainstream media won’t report. We criticise the current government’s scary policy, which prioritises the economy over people’s lives.
We also protest at the front of the office of the prime minister once a month, against the government’s policy of abandoning the people of Fukushima.
Tell us about the monthly demonstrations in Tokyo.
We protest in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. We speak the truth about Fukushima and call attention to the fact that Kanto district – which includes Tokyo – is also contaminated with radiation, which the mainstream media won’t report. We criticise the current government’s scary policy, which prioritises the economy over people’s lives.
We also protest at the front of the office of the prime minister once a month, against the government’s policy of abandoning the people of Fukushima.
Is it easy to raise issues of nuclear safety and radiation in Japan?
It’s not difficult to bring up the issue, but the Japanese government says that it’s already safe. They say ‘let’s eat Fukushima food, let’s go to Fukushima.’ People think we are spreading a false rumour, which makes it hard for us.
The majority of Japanese people, including the people of Fukushima, are mostly silent, as they might be confused or not interested. That’s the biggest problem.
Why is it important to have a Japanese version of a Chernobyl Law?
The public radiation exposure safety limit was 1mSv before the Fukushima nuclear accident, but after the accident, the Japanese government increased the safety limit to 20mSv only for Fukushima people, and they do decontamination and say it’s safe. There are 54 nuclear power plants in Japan. We don’t know when we will have another accident like Fukushima. That’s the problem. We have to leave a safe environment for our next generation.
Tell us about politician Taro Yamamoto and his role in the anti-nuclear movement.
Most politicians never mention the risks of radiation exposure. Taro Yamamoto is one of the few politicians who raises the issue of radiation exposure and wants an inquiry in the parliament. He is the voice of the people and the best colleague.
What do you hope to achieve with this visit to Australia?
I hope to get support for our action to introduce the Japanese version of Chernobyl law and I hope to tell the truth about Fukushima to the world.
I also hope this law to protect people from radiation disaster will be adopted by the Australian government, to protect Aboriginal people or other people who live with the potential exposure to radiation near uranium mines, nuclear waste dump sites etc.
I hope this law will spread to the world and protect all the people who suffer from radiation disaster worldwide.
I believe that’s what we should do for the next generation.
I believe that this action would also add pressure on the Japanese government, which doesn’t think people’s lives are important.
And it would save the people of Fukushima as well.
March 10, 2018
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Counterview 6th March 2018, French president Emmanuel Macron should not be imposing the “untested,
expensive and technically troubled” French EPR reactor on India, say two
international groups, India-based DiaNuke and US-based Beyond Nuclear,
campaigning against nuclear power in India and across the world.
The French-supported Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project of the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India has been proposed at Madban village of Ratnagiri
district in Maharashtra.
The two well-known non-profit organizations’ statement comes amidst plans to hold a massive protest, with the
participation of 5,000 people of the villages surrounding the Jaitapur
site, on the eve of Macron’s visit on March 11. The Jaitapur EPR project
would be the biggest nuclear power plant site in the world if built,
producing 9,900 MW of electricity. https://www.counterview.net/2018/03/anti-nuclear-protest-to-greet-french.html
March 9, 2018
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India, opposition to nuclear |
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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/france-police-battle-protesters-nuclear-waste-storage-plans-180304113529227.html
Police used tear gas during clashes with anti-nuclear protesters at a waste site in northeastern France on Saturday. by David Chater 4 Mar 18 Police in France have used tear gas on environmentalists protesting against plans to store nuclear waste near a town in the northeast.
The two groups clashed in a field near the proposed site.
Protesters are upset by plans to place nuclear waste 500 metres below the ground.
Al Jazeera’s David Chater reports from Lorraine.
March 5, 2018
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Greenpeace protesters jailed for fireworks stunt at French nuclear plant, The Local Fr.28 Feb 18A French court on Tuesday sentenced two Greenpeace activists to a minimum of two months in jail for breaking into a nuclear power plant and setting off fireworks last year.
Six other protesters were handed five-month suspended sentences for the
October stunt at the plant in Cattenom, near the border with Luxembourg, which was intended to show the facility’s vulnerability to attack……..
Greenpeace said the fireworks were set off at the foot of a spent fuel pool — where nuclear plants store highly radioactive fuel rods that are removed from reactors after their use.
March 3, 2018
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By Williams-Grand Canyon News , 27 Feb 18, SUPAI, Ariz. – Vice President Jonathan Nez joined Arizona State Rep. Eric Descheenie and six other runners on a run to the village of Supai Feb. 14 to collect handwritten letters from the students of Havasupai Elementary School.
The letters are addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump in response to speculation that he plans to lift a 20-year ban on uranium mining in the greater Grand Canyon region, which was established by the Obama administration in 2012.
“We came to support the efforts of Representative Eric Descheenie and the Havasupai tribe to elevate the voice of the Havasupai youth.” Vice President Jonathan Nez said. “Their voice needs to be heard, especially on issues that impact their health and way of life.”
“Uranium has killed fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers across the Navajo Nation. It has contaminated the water supply in numerous areas poisoning plants, animals and people. For this reason, mining and transportation of uranium are banned on Diné Bikéyah, said Vice President Nez.
At an assembly held at the school Rep. Descheenie said, “We are going to make sure your words are received and read by the president of the United States so when he makes decisions that impact your lives he does so with you in mind. You have a powerful voice and it must be heard.”
Rep. Eric Descheenie and Havasupai Chairwoman Carletta Tilousi are scheduled to hand-deliver the letters to the White House Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. …….. https://www.grandcanyonnews.com/news/2018/feb/27/navajo-havasupai-resist-uranium-mining/
February 27, 2018
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indigenous issues, opposition to nuclear, Uranium, USA |
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The Hindu 8th Feb 2018, The CPI(M), the Human Rights Forum, and several non-governmental
organisations on Wednesday opposed the proposed visit of the team from
Westinghouse Electric Corporation to India to discuss with the government
the construction of the atomic power plant at Kovvada in Ranasthalam mandal
of the district.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/signature-drive-against-proposed-visit-of-westinghouse-team/article22683259.ece
February 22, 2018
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India, opposition to nuclear |
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City Council: Members oppose construction of a Piketon nuclear waste facility, The Post , 8 Feb 18
Athens City Council passed a resolution Monday night opposing the construction of a nuclear waste disposal facility in Piketon.
The Village of Piketon conducted an independent survey of the 10-acre site and found that there are fractures in the bedrock that the Department of Energy didn’t include in its report. The site is also 8,000 feet from a school.
“This is a David vs. Goliath fight we’re in here,” Piketon Mayor Billy Spencer said.
February 9, 2018
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‘Insanity’ to allow nuclear waste disposal near Ottawa River, Indigenous groups say http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/chalk-river-nuclear-waste-indigenous-1.4492937
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories facility in Chalk River, Ont., could be up and running in 2020, CBC News Jan 18, 2018 Indigenous groups say a plan to dispose of nuclear waste near the Ottawa River in eastern Ontario is “insanity” and want the federal government to intervene.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, a private company, wants a 10-year licence to keep running the Chalk River nuclear labs in eastern Ontario.
In 2014, the federal government gave Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) control over nuclear operations at Chalk River. The government continues to own the nuclear assets.
CNL has plans for a permanent nuclear waste disposal site at Chalk River, plans that have been criticized by a concerned citizen’s group as being “cheap, dirty, unsafe and out of alignment with International Atomic Energy Agency guidance.”
Nuclear waste in Chalk River will cost billions to deal with and leave a legacy that will last centuries, opponents say.
“Trying to build this giant mound of radioactive waste … is insanity,” said Patrick Madahbee, grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation, which advocates for around 40 communities representing around 65,000 people across Ontario.
He said CNL has an obligation under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to consult Indigenous people about storing hazardous materials in their territory, but CNL hasn’t talked to them about it.
The waste facility could be operational by 2020.
“We understand this is a complex file, but clearly the risks here are to people’s drinking waters and traditional territories,” said Patrick Nadeau, executive director of the Ottawa Riverkeeper.
CNL’s licence to run the Chalk River labs expires on March 31 and the consortium has asked the regulator, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, for a 10-year licence agreement, rather than the usual five-year term.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will hold public hearings in Pembroke, Ont., from Jan. 23 to 25 to consider CNL’s licence.
Dozens of delegations have registered to comment at the hearings. But Mark Lesinski, president of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories said among those posed to present submissions at the hearings, there are a number of “misunderstandings.”
January 19, 2018
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Canada, indigenous issues, opposition to nuclear, wastes |
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,Opposition groups say private consortium lacks proper oversight for nuclear labs, By Julie Ireton, CBC News Jan 18, 2018 Ole Hendrickson, a former government research scientist, worries that if Canadian Nuclear Laboratories gets the 10-year licence the private consortium wants to keep running the Chalk River nuclear labs in eastern Ontario, approval of a proposed nuclear waste site won’t be far behind.
Hendrickson will be among the concerned citizens, Indigenous leaders, environmentalists and former nuclear scientists marching through downtown Ottawa on Thursday, as they deliver their objection to the licence proposal to municipal and federal politicians.
Nuclear waste in Chalk River will cost billions to deal with and leave a legacy that will last centuries, notes Hendrickson.
In 2014, the federal government gave Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) control over nuclear operations at Chalk River. The government continues to own the nuclear assets.
CNL’s licence to run the Chalk River labs expires on March 31 and the consortium has asked the regulator, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, for a 10-year licence agreement, rather than the usual five-year term…….
CNL also has plans for a permanent nuclear waste disposal site at Chalk River, plans that have been criticized by a concerned citizen’s group as being “cheap, dirty, unsafe and out of alignment with International Atomic Energy Agency guidance.”
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will hold public hearings in Pembroke, Ont., from Jan. 23 to 25 to consider CNL’s licence.
Dozens of delegations have registered to comment at the hearings.
Lynn Jones, who worked in public health for years and now represents a coalition of concerned citizens, will be among those speaking out at the Pembroke hearings next week.
“Personally I have a big problem with profit being part of dealing with nuclear waste. I’m not alone in that,” Jones said.
She noted that two-thirds of the 88 interventions take issue with the 10-year licence and what they perceive as “reduced oversight”.
Lack of stability, oversight: scientists
In submissions already published, former Atomic Energy of Canada scientists write that “a decision by the Commission to grant a 10 year licence to CNL would be an unsafe and unsound decision.”
The scientists allege “instability in CNL management, lack of knowledge of key regulations and international obligations, and lack of open and transparent public engagement.”
Canadian firm, SNC Lavalin is one of the members of the CNL consortium.
At least one submission cites the legal issues facing SNC Lavalin as a reason the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission must reject the licensing application…….http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/nuclear-chalk-river-license-renewal-1.4492167
January 19, 2018
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