Nuclear Pollution

The level of nuclear waste accumulating around the world presents a practically insurmountable problem to the nuclear industry. Despite billion of dollars of investment in various disposal options, the nuclear industry and governments have failed to come up with a feasible, safe and sustainable solution for managing nuclear wastes for the periods of time required.All countries involved in the production of this nuclear waste are pursuing locations "out of sight, out of mind". That includes Australia.

The Howard Government pushed through the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act in 2005 which sought to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory, legislation the ALP described as “extreme, arrogant, heavy-handed, draconian, sorry, sordid, extraordinary and profoundly shameful." Labor's national conference in April 2007 voted to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act (CRWMA) if elected. Labor also promised a method of addressing radioactive waste management issues which is "scientific, transparent, accountable, fair and allows access to appeal mechanisms" and to "ensure full community consultation in radioactive waste decision-making processes".

The Australian Greens want Australia to stop producing nuclear waste at the Lucas Heights reactor in central Sydney and will work towards the safe long-term containment of Australia's existing nuclear waste in above ground, dry storage at the site of origin.

Ferguson should rethink NT Nuclear Dump

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Tuesday 18th November 2008, 12:00am

The Australian Greens say Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson should rethink plans for a nuclear dump in the Northern Territory after evidence to a Senate Inquiry revealed strong opposition from traditional owners.

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, in Alice Springs today for the second day of a Senate Inquiry, said he was deeply disturbed to see the feeling of betrayal in the Indigenous community over nuclear dump plans for the Northern Territory - and Muckaty station north of Tennant Creek in particular.

Greens shocked at NT nuclear dump anger

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Monday 17th November 2008, 4:28pm

'Martin Ferguson wouldn't build a nuclear dump in Batman'

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has challenged Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson to visit the site of a proposed nuclear dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory before giving the go-ahead.

Speaking before a protest rally in Alice Springs today ahead of a Senate Inquiry investigating whether the nuclear dump proposal should be stopped, Senator Ludlam said he was shocked at the extent to which traditional owners were being ignored by Minister Ferguson.

Nuke law must go: activists

Newsflash | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Monday 17th November 2008, 11:26am

View this item

Why radiate when you can shine? Greens reject nuclear solution

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Friday 14th November 2008, 3:01pm

Senator Scott Ludlam, the Australian Greens spokesperson on nuclear issues is calling on the government to provide a policy briefing for senior official, Ziggy Switkowski, who keeps forgetting that the Rudd government has ruled out nuclear power in Australia.

Dr Switkowski is Chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and told a meeting of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in Adelaide last night, that nuclear power should supply 30% of Australia's energy by 2050.

"Dr Switkowskis is out of step with the science and public opinion, and I've never understood why the Chairman of a Government agency spends so much time promoting an activity that is illegal in Australia. By his own admission, it will take fifteen years before nuclear power is available, yet we can have a safe, efficient renewable energy grid up and running well before then. Why would we radiate, when we can shine?"

Green not yellow: New poll supports end to nuclear deal with Russia

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Monday 10th November 2008, 2:02pm

The Australian Greens are urging Australia not to proceed with sales of uranium to Russia, in light of a new poll showing strong opposition to the plan.

The Australian Conservation Foundation commissioned Newspoll to conduct a survey of 1,200 people and revealed today that 62 per cent are opposed to selling uranium to countries with nuclear arms.

Greens Nuclear Spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam says the poll shows the government is out of step with public opinion.

ANSTO - Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Wednesday 29th October 2008, 8:51pm

Economics Committee - Thursday 23rd October

Senator LUDLAM-I might just perhaps continue on the line that Senator Eggleston was pursuing. Can
you confirm for us that you do not think that your referral under the EPBC Act for the nuclear materials store should qualify as a nuclear action and be caught under EPBC?

Dr Cameron-That is correct. There is a requirement under the act to define whether or not it is a
controlled action under the act. Our judgement is that because of the nature of what we are doing it would not be a controlled action, but, nevertheless, we have to put our submission, and that determination is made by the department. The department has notified us that it agrees with us that it is not a controlled action.

Uranium in the NT: a conversation with the Supervising Scientist

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Monday 27th October 2008, 7:25pm

A rare opportunity to speak directly with the Office of the Supervising Scientist, the regulators of uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region, which includes the Ranger and Jabiluka mineral leases in the NT.

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Senator LUDLAM—Welcome, Mr Hughes. I am glad that we got to you eventually. Thanks for coming all this way. Some of these are probably going to get technically fairly complex, so by all means we can put things on notice if you think it is going to take too much time to run through it in detail. Can you give us an overview of the environmental research and monitoring projects that are currently underway under the Supervising Scientist, and their costings, and give us an idea of what criteria you use, both in the OSS office but also in the Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee, for setting your research project priorities?

Green not yellow: New poll supports end to nuclear deal with Russia

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Saturday 11th October 2008, 12:00am

The Australian Greens are urging Australia not to proceed with sales of uranium to Russia, in light of a new poll showing strong opposition to the plan.

The Australian Conservation Foundation commissioned Newspoll to conduct a survey of 1,200 people and revealed today that 62 per cent are opposed to selling uranium to countries with nuclear arms.

Greens Nuclear Spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam says the poll shows the government is out of step with public opinion.

Lucas Heights

Question | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Thursday 2nd October 2008, 6:00pm

On 4 September 2008 Senator Ludlam asked the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research:

(1) Since its opening in April 2007, what is the total number of days the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) OPAL research reactor 31 km from Sydney at Lucas Heights functioned as compared to the number of days it has been inoperative?

(2) What cost has been incurred to Australia through the closure of the reactor, the required attempted repairs and the limited function of the reactor since it was restarted?

(3) Can the Minister provide a breakdown of this total costing?

(4) How much of this cost may be expected to be recovered from INVAP?

(5) What measures is the Government pursuing in order to recover these costs?

(6) Given the ongoing problems with the reactor, does the Minister concur with the description on ANSTO's website describing the OPAL reactor as "world-class"?

(7) What was the total cost for the construction of the OPAL research reactor?

(8) What are the ongoing annual maintenance and running costs of the OPAL reactor?

(9) Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the annual revenues which were projected to be derived from the operations of the OPAL reactor?

(10) Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the annual revenues which are actually derived from the operations of the OPAL reactor?

(11) Given that the OPAL reactor has been unable to deliver what it promised – four times the amount of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine than its predecessor, and related expansion in the nation's capacity for nuclear medicine – from which countries and companies did Australia source its isotopes from during the reactors inactivity?

(12) What contingency measures is the government putting in place to provide for long-term alternatives to production of radioisotopes from the OPAL reactor?

Nuclear Waste Dump

Question | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam

Thursday 2nd October 2008, 5:54pm

Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Energy on 23 July 2008:

(1) When is the government intending to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, a commitment made in Chapter 5 of the ALP National Platform 2007?

(2) Will the Department of Defence sites being assessed under the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 be repealed in accordance with the ALP National Platform to, “not proceed with the development of any of the current sites identified by the Howard Government in the Northern Territory, if no contracts have been entered into for those sites?”

(3) Will the Minister confirm that on repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, the Muckaty site also no longer has legal status and will therefore be repealed in accordance with the April 2008 resolution of the Northern Territory Labor Party Conference?

(4) Did the Minister meet on 16 July with Northern Land Council representatives and/or Traditional Owners of Muckaty Station.?

(5) If so, what were the matters under discussion?

(6) Is the Minister undertaking negotiation or discussions on “transitional arrangements” regarding the Muckaty site?

(7) If yes, what was the nature of the negotiations or discussions?

(8) On repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, given that the Northern Territory legislation prohibiting Commonwealth nuclear waste facilities will come back into legal effect, will the new ALP Commonwealth government respect the right and jurisdiction of the NT government?

Scott Ludlam

Nuclear Pollution

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