Presentation Transcript
Uranium mining, processing, transport & waste disposal industries in the NT : Uranium mining, processing, transport & waste disposal industries in the NT Reducing the Risk:
What are we in the NT doing?
MAPW Alice Springs 2007
Mining : are existing environmental policies & safeguards adequate?: Mining : are existing environmental policies & safeguards adequate? Existing NT uranium mines
Ranger, Jabiluka: discrepancies between regulations/monitoring & outcomes
NT environmental safeguards: captive to the needs of industry?
McArthur River Lead/Zinc Mine 2006/07
NT has a poor record on mine rehab
Rum Jungle uranium mine 1954/71
Redbank copper mine 1993/96
Mt. Todd gold mine 1994/97, 1999/00
Olympic Dam Uranium and Copper Mine at Roxby Downs SA: an instructive case: Olympic Dam Uranium and Copper Mine at Roxby Downs SA: an instructive case Controversial since 1975
Bypass of existing legislation
Environmental impacts
Water use from Gt Artesian Basin, Mound Springs
Safety impacts
Tailings maintenance; Numerous incidents & spills
Miners exposed
No monitoring at Roxby
Cultural impacts
Transport of nuclear materials – is it safe?: Transport of nuclear materials – is it safe? Recent transport accidents:
Ghan derailment Dec 06
Road train cyanide spill Feb 07
Nuclear waste transport issues
Packaging
Training for handling
Accidental contamination
Preventing diversion
LLW
no special shielding
move by road/rail/sea in 200 litre drums
ILW
shielding, &
if >30 yr ½ life => improved handling and disposal
HLW
both shielding and cooling
Counter-disaster planning in the NT: Is it adequate?: Counter-disaster planning in the NT: Is it adequate? NT Chemical, Biological and Radiological Disaster Response Plan is a ‘controlled document’
Focused on terrorism, not accidents
Dealing with hysteria?
Monitoring of populations potentially at risk from nuclear industry development ?: Monitoring of populations potentially at risk from nuclear industry development ? Populations exposed to nuclear bomb testing
French Polynesia – Maralinga and Fangatuafa atolls
Australian Maralinga vets study
NZ Operation Grapple vets study
NT Study: Aboriginal people living near Ranger uranium mine
No follow-up research
NT Cancer Registry? Not adequate/ focused
What’s needed?: What’s needed? [well, stopping any expansion of nuclear industries…]
Procedures – rigor, transparency and accountability – is that enough?
Mining, transport, processing….
handling, education, packaging….
Counter-disaster planning – a public discourse?
Health monitoring – start now?