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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?. Existing NT uranium mines

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Uranium mining, processing, transport & waste disposal industries in the NT

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  1. Uranium mining, processing, transport & waste disposal industries in the NT Reducing the Risk: What are we in the NT doing? MAPW Alice Springs 2007 O. Fried May 07

  2. 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 O. Fried May 07

  3. 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 O. Fried May 07

  4. 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 Transport of nuclear materials – is it safe? O. Fried May 07

  5. 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? O. Fried May 07

  6. 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 O. Fried May 07

  7. 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? O. Fried May 07

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