Friday, 16 November, 2007

by ROS BEADLE & NATALIA DANIEL
Tennant and District Times

A PASSIONATE group of locals gathered at the Training Centre last Thursday night to hear what a range of knowledgeable guest speakers had to say about the nuclear waste facility for which Muckaty Station has been earmarked as a potential site.

The star attraction was Dr Helen Caldicott, a well renowned paediatrician and spokesperson on nuclear waste, nuclear power and its eminent dangers.

Dr Caldicott has researched, taught and written in this field for over three decades and provided a powerful insight for her audience.

The public meeting was organised and opened by Natalie Wasley from the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) in Alice Springs.

Wasley provided the group with a detailed account of the politics surrounding the move towards nuclear energy, as well as emphasising the Commonwealth’s power over the decision to construct a nuclear waste dump which overrides the Territory Government.

Wasley provided information about the four areas that have been nominated by the Commonwealth Government as potential sites for the dumping of nuclear waste.

The other three sites are Commonwealth defense sites including Harts Range and Mount Everard near Alice Springs and Fishers Ridge near Katherine.

Ms Wasley introduced Muckaty traditional owner Diane Stokes who described the importance of the land to her people of the Warlmanpa and Warumungu language groups.

Stokes made it clear that many of her people were appalled by the idea of having the nuclear waste facility on their land. She is devastated by the direction that the Northern Land Council (NLC) had taken by offering up their land in exchange for a dump.

She also inferred it was the underhandedness of the consultants that had hidden the truth about the dangers of the development to the elders who were initially consulted.

Stokes pleaded with community members at the forum to stand behind her people in this fight and resist the dump that would jeopardise the health of many many generations to come.

Her bottom line was that the temptation of the money was not worth it, nor sustainable. “Money comes and goes,” Stokes stated, “Think about your country which would be contaminated forever.”

Caldicott had a clear message in her presentation to the captivated audience: that nuclear waste produces massive amounts of toxic carcinogenic radioactive emissions.

Through its slow leakage into the land and aquifers, it can have enormous and disastrous consequences to those who access these resources in the surrounding communities and stations.

The recent plans of the Federal Government’s Intervention were raised early in Caldicott’s presentation.

She claimed the Intervention was a ploy to provide the Howard Government with easy access to mine uranium and dump nuclear waste in the outback, predominantly affecting Aboriginal land.

Caldicott related the potential dangers to the repercussions of Chernobyl disaster in 1986 which included congenital deformities in children, increased risk of developing cancer, and radioactivity entering the food chain.

Furthermore, the toxins which are released from the waste remain radioactive for up to half a million years.

In response to the current Federal Government’s sway towards nuclear energy, Caldicott has recently published a book titled Nuclear Power is Not the Answer to Global Warming or Anything Else.
She provided a detailed description of the process which must occur to produce nuclear power, demonstrating that its production requires a great deal of carbon dioxide producing energy which will contribute to global warming.

Dr Jim Green from the Beyond Nuclear Initiative provided convincing evidence that the development of a nuclear waste dump in the Barkly would not meet scientific or environmental criteria.
When these criteria were noted the Barkly was not shortlisted as a potential site.

The proposed land, 120km north of Tennant Creek, is in a geographically unstable area, with a recent earthquake near Tennant measuring 3.1 on the Richter Scale.

All three speakers made it clear that there are adequate facilities for the waste to remain at Lucas Heights in Sydney.

For the Commonwealth Government and the people of Sydney, Wasley stated the NT location as a case of “Out of sight, out of mind.”

Currently the dump is being labelled an ‘interim’ measure.

However, with no other proposed sites it is likely that the waste would remain.

Furthermore, despite promises that the dump would be reserved for ‘low-grade’ nuclear waste this was deemed to be a lie and a ‘foot-in-the-door’ approach.

In addition, any grade of nuclear waste contains radioactive toxins, simply in varying concentrates, all with the potential dangers.

Transportation of the waste was of huge concern to many of the audience members. Attention was bought to the recent accidents, both in the trucking industry and on the railway.
It was pointed out that no matter what precautions are put in place, there is always room for human error.

Dr Green emphasised that as well as the proximate communities to Muckaty being at risk, many people along the transport corridors will also potentially be exposed to hazards.

Put bluntly, if a major accident were to occur like the rollover of the cyanide truck in February this year, Green stated, “The people in Tennant Creek would not be able to live here anymore”.
Caldicott presented the escalating threat of ‘going nuclear’ as “The worst public health problem to ever face the planet.”

One of the underlying themes of the evening was that the nuclear industry was continuously trying to convince the public that nuclear power is a safe and environmental way forward in the world of energy.

A lengthy discussion took place following the formal presentations with a focus on the input the community could have to prevent the dump at Muckaty.

Suggestions included letters to the Commonwealth Government and local politicians, a support group and local campaigning leading up to the Federal election.

In closing there was a round of applause when Caldicott offered to visit Stokes’ land and speak with all the traditional owners about the dangers of the dump.

When asked how soon she would return to the region, Cadicott said, “As soon as I’m invited.”