Radioactive isotopes. How they spread from the nuclear industry

Radioactive isotopes vary in the time they take to break down.This length of time is measured in "half-lives" - counting the time it takes for an isotope to lose half of its radioactivity.

Some of the many toxic isotopes that are regularly released from nuclear reactors into water and air are Radioactive iodine 131, (half-life of 8 days), & Strontium 90 (half-life 28 days), Cesium 137 (half-life 30 years) is gradually released from ageing reactors.

Plutonium 239, created in nuclear reactors, is an alpha particle with a half-life of 24.400 years

What are "high level" and "low level" wastes?

Where exactly do these radioactive elements come from?

High-level waste consists mostly of milling tailings, spent nuclear reactor fuel from both commerical power plants and military facilities, as well as reprocessed materials .

Low-level waste includes the remainder of radioactive wastes and materials generated in power plants, such as contaminated reactor water, plus those wastes created in medical laboratories, hospitals, and industry. Such wastes come in many ways, including - " protective clothing of people in contact with radioactive materials, old medical radiation equipment from hospitals and clinics.

All can emit radiation for hundreds of thousands of years. It spreads through the environment mainly through water. Buried wastes leak into groundwater.

What's going on with the Hunter's Hill radioactive waste? Is it's removal method/transport against the recommendations of New South Wales Governmen Inquiry? - from Holly Creenaune 7 May 08 Ian Cohen put this motion to NSW Parliament this morning That General Purpose Standing Committee No. 5 inquire into and report on the Radium Hill uranium smelter site in Nelson Parade, Hunter's Hill, and in particular:

(a) any rehabilitation or remediation of the site previously undertaken,

(b) the extent of contamination and radioactivity levels,

(c) the impact of any contamination on public health and the environment,

(d) the appropriateness of the Government's planned remediation strategy, and

(e) disposal of waste from the site.

Rudd asked to repeal nuclear dump laws The Age April 18, 2008 - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been urged to fulfil an election promise to repeal legislation paving the way for a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory.
The region was chosen by the Howard government for Australia's first waste facility because of its geological stability and remote terrain, far from population centres.

Four sites were being considered, including Muckaty Station, about 120km north of Tennant Creek, and commonwealth defence land at Harts Range, Mount Everard and Fishers Ridge.In the lead-up to the election, the Labor Party committed to overturn the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act (CRWMA) which was passed in 2006 allowing the facility to be established.

The Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) questioned the new government's commitment to the promise after what it claimed were "evasive" responses from Federal Resource Minister Martin Ferguson during Senate Estimates......

......Beyond Nuclear Initiative (BNI) pokeswoman Natalie Wasley. - .'Howard left a toxic legacy of undemocratic and secretive dealing in relation to radioactive waste management.

'It is time for ALP to act on its commitment to a responsible, mature and international best practice approach to radioactive waste management in Australia'............................"
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Rann bans 'cowboy' uranium firm THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS Jeremy Roberts | February 13, 2008 - "THE South Australian Government has suspended exploratory drilling at one of the nation's most promising uranium deposits, throwing into doubt mining in the environmentally sensitive Arkaroola Wilderness

.A government investigation reported yesterday that Marathon Resources had illegally dumped 22,800 core samples, some of them radioactive, and other rubbish at the Mt Gee site, 700km northwest of Adelaide. .........."

Nuclear waste may stay at harbourside suburb in Sydney Daily Telegraph By Simon Benson, State Political Editor January 30, 2008

looking across the Harbour to Hunter's Hill

"THOUSANDS of tonnes of radioactive waste may stay buried under a property in a Sydney harbourside suburb if a suitable waste dump cannot be found.

The State Government yesterday admitted the full extent of the contamination beneath a vacant residential block owned by the Health Department in Hunters Hill would not be known until it is unearthed.

And it has also admitted that a cloud still hangs over how the waste, which includes uranium 238, thorium and radium is to be classified.

..........................................................Dr Gavin Mudd, from the university's civil engineering department who chronicled a history of the Woolwich site dating back to 1911 when it was the site of a uranium ore processing plant, said it should be stored at the Lucas Heights nuclear research facility.

'Longer term studies would be needed about risk of elevated cancer rates . . . It should have been included in the plans for a national dump'..........................................................."

Australian uranium venture dumps waste in park Indymedia (Germany) Nigel Carney 20.01.2008 - "Alleged environmental contamination at the Mount Gee Uranium deposit in the far north of South Australia is being investigated by the SA Government and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The plan to extract seven billion dollars worth of Uranium ore has been controversial from the outset, with Mount Gee being situated in the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and the mining process posing considerable threat to the ecology of the area and the ancient aquifers connected to the Paralana hot springs, a site of significance for the Adnyamathanha people.

Aboriginal elders of this part of country know the stories of creation concerning the journey of the Akurra dreamtime serpent and the deposition of the Uranium and most importantly that it should be left alone...............

.......... the implications of mining a mineral which has been so harmful to humanity extend beyond color or creed as the details of these mining processes reveal.

Marathon Resources exists primarily to extract Uranium ore from Mount Gee. A major shareholding is held by CITIC Australia, part of China's biggest global trading arm, CITIC Group. The Californian based Rand Corporation stated in a 1997 report that CITIC served as 'a conduit for military sales and acquisition', a subsidiary of which is the Polytechnics Group.

So then, what protocols exist to ensure the safe end use of ore from this project while one of the stakeholders is intricately connected to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) who have demonstrated an interest in procuring arms for countries which plan to include nuclear in their defense or attack strategies?.

Indeed, what is the criteria that determines who isa responsible 'person', corporate or otherwise, to engage in such ventures? The damage done to the Arkaroola Sanctuary and the willful dumping of waste in that environment suggests no such criteria exists and Marathon has shown itself not to be a responsible 'person'....................................."

Muckaty Station Northern Territory

Anti-nuclear campaigners say Muckaty will be dumped ABC News 27 Nov 07 - "Anti-nuclear campaigners say the election of the Labor Party to Federal Government will probably mean there will not be a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory.

The Howard Government had been considering locating a nuclear dump at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek.

Natalie Wasley from the Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs says now there's been a change of government, it's unlikely those plans will go ahead.

'The Beyond Nuclear Initiative really welcomes Labor's commitment to repeal Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act which was forcing the dump on the Territory. We are hoping that will be done as soon as possible to bring some closure to the communities who have been fighting this dump proposal for a couple of years now,' she said........................"

'I won't sign any agreement because my mob disagrees with building the dump there," said Sammy Sambo, senior elder of the Milwayi clan, which owns the only road to the site in Muckaty, a former cattle station 120 kilometres north of Tennant Creek."We are upset about the way those government fellas have gone about trying to convince us and are confused and worried about what to do next.'

Elders of two Aboriginal clans owning parts of Muckaty, including land adjoining the site, have told the Herald they have not been properly consulted,...........

Milwayi elder Janet Thompson said meetings with her people to discuss an offer of $2 million to allow trucks carrying waste to cross their land were called at short notice and most of those who indicated their agreement at a recent meeting did not know what was being proposed.
Most of the elders do not speak English as their first language and were not offered translators......................................................"

All quiet on waste and dump
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader By John Mulcair 4 Oct 07
"Another election will come and go without a Federal Government decision on the national site for a radioactive waste dump. This will delay the removal of about 6000 drums of low level waste and other materials from ANSTO at Lucas Heights and radioactive wastes from other Commonwealth sites..........................The Government has since chosen three sites on Commonwealth land in the Northern Territory..........last Thursday, Science Minister Julie Bishop applied the brakes again, saying a site offered by the traditional owners of Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek, has now been added to the list.

It is expected that months of study will be necessary to ascertain its suitability, taking a decision well past the federal election.

In addition to the radioactive waste at Lucas Heights, shipments of higher-level wastes from facilities in France and Scotland that reprocess ANSTO nuclear reactor fuel rods are due to return to Australia from 2011.........

the alternatives would be Lucas Heights or large payments to the storage facilities at La Hague in France and Dounreay in Scotland.

Sutherland Shire Council wants removal of the radioactive wastes, which have built up at Lucas Heights since the former Australian Atomic Energy Commission began operations there in the mid-1950s.


This and previous governments have promised that reprocessing waste, which Australia is contractually obliged to accept, would not return to Lucas Heights.

Secret plans for Waste dump for WA? - A rail line from Port Hedland thru Chichester Ranges, to link up with the Adelaide-Darwin line?

Sounds expensive - if this is so, and - what is it for?

John White's Nuclear Fuel Leasing Group (of which Pangea is a partner) proposed restricted area in WA or SA for the "High Isolation" nuclear waste repository. Pilbara has several restricted Dept of Defence areas. There are several uranium deposits in the eastern Pilbara.

Pangea proposed a high level international nuclear waste dump in the Savory Basin (marked on map at left by radiation sign).

That was stopped in 2003 when a promotional video to investors was leaked.

Is the Savory Basin dump back on the agenda? Why else would Fotescue Mining, Lang O'Rourke and Austrack be outlaying $millions for this isolated area rail line?.

Well, Prime Minister Howard did promise, on 27 April 2007 to repeal Commonwealth legislation prohibiting nuclear activities. WA's legislation against uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping would need to be overthrown. Did Howard give guarantees to John White et al - so they could get started on this costly rail line?

After all, the National Council of the Liberal Party in June unanimously endorsed an "international" high level waste dump, nuclear reactors, and uranium enrichment.

The Commonwealth has already legislated to override objections by the Northern Territory Government to a waste dump.

The Government focused on the Territory after its efforts to establish a dump in outback South Australia were countered by years of public backlash and legal moves by the Rann Labor Government.

The Herald revealed on Wednesday that the Government had also shelved until beyond the election legislation to facilitate the eventual establishment of a nuclear industry in Australia...."

Howard signs Australia up to take world's nuclear waste with Global Nuclear Partnership 7 Sept 07 Prime Minister John Howard has signed Australia up to take the world's nuclear waste with the announcement this morning that the US will support Australia's bid to join the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

GNEP involves a small number of countries enriching uranium, leasing the nuclear fuel to other countries eager to develop nuclear power and taking back the radioactive spent fuel for reprocessing and disposal……

…………………."The entire purpose of GNEP is for countries to take back nuclear waste. It is simply not believable for the Government to claim that we could join GNEP but rule out an international nuclear waste dump"

. - Wilderness Society Acting Director Virginia Young. "The United States desperately needs somewhere to put their nuclear waste after public opposition stopped their proposed dump at Yucca Mountain.

"The Australian Government has already rushed through legislation that for the first time allows Australia to import radioactive waste from overseas.

Muckaty Station, Northern Territory

Proposed dump in quake hotspot - Herald Sun By Ben Langford -July 02, 2007 - "THE Northern Territory site recently nominated for a national nuclear waste facility is near one of the nation's earthquake hotspots.Muckaty Station, nominated by the Northern Land Council for consideration by the Federal Government for the national facility, is about 120km north of Tennant Creek - one of the most seismologically active areas in Australia.

Figures confirmed by Geoscience Australia, the government seismological monitoring body, show there have been 239 earthquakes in the area in the past 10 years and 1298 earthquakes since 1988.

Lease a nuclear hot-rod today ABC Radio National Interest . Peter Mares interviews John White chairman of Australian Nuclear Fuel Leasing 6 May 2007 "........................Ultimately, Australia might also want to enrich uranium onshore and manufacture fuel rods for use in nuclear reactors around the world. Then we could take back the spent fuel rods, as high-level radioactive waste, and store them in the desert.The key supporter of this idea is industrialist Dr John White, who also has the ear of government. He chaired the committee that developed Australia's uranium industry framework.....

John White: '.This is an international idea: I've developed it with other colleagues in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and in Europe........Technically, the best place, unarguably, to store residual, spent fuel-rods would be in Australia. We have, technically, some of the oldest geology in the world ......And when you drill down to find the first water, many, many metres down, you find that that water is millions of years old, which means that it is not moving.' (Great - that means we can pollute it permanently! - Christina) .... the federal government passed legislation last year that would enable it to override any objections the Northern Territory may have to the siting of a nuclear dump in the Top End.........................."

Aust needs shared view on 'seriousness of climate change' ABC NEWSONLINE May 21, 2007. "The head of the Federal Government's uranium task force Ziggy Switkowski says nuclear power will never be considered as a serious alternative to fossil fuels unless community opinion on global warming changes.

Western Australian Premier Alan Carpenter has previously said the state could become a dumping ground for the world's nuclear waste if uranium mining was permitted in WA.

However, Dr Switkowski has told a forum of business people and academics in Perth the fears are a farce.'I'm not aware of any country that has accepted that logic, quite the reverse," he said. "As we've travelled around the world, we tried to find a country that would accept radioactive waste from industries in another country and there is none.'........................................"