Friday, 20 July, 2007

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth has today condemned the Howard government's reported intention to join the US government's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).

The GNEP is a set of proposals first advanced by US President Bush in February 2006. It envisages the expansion of nuclear power in the US and globally; establishing a limited number of 'supplier' nations to supply enriched nuclear fuel and dispose of nuclear waste; and the development of plutonium-fuelled 'fast neutron' reactors.

Dr Jim Green, FoE's national nuclear campaigner and author of an EnergyScience Coalition briefing paper on the GNEP, said: "Australia's involement in the GNEP would potentially open the door to uranium enrichment and also the dumping of high-level nuclear waste in Australia."

"The Switkowski report made it clear that enrichment is not economically viable in Australia, so it must be asked whether the Howard government is secretly scheming to turn Australia into the world's nuclear waste dump. The Liberal Party Federal Council passed a resolution on June 3 supporting high-level nuclear waste dumping in Australia."

"Last year, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet rejected a Freedom of Information request for information on Howard's discussions on nuclear issues during his May 2006 visit to the US. What is Howard hiding from the Australian public? If he plans to turn Australia into the world's nuclear dump, he ought to tell Australians before the election, not after."

"The leading proponent of nuclear dumping in Australia is John White from the Nuclear Fuel Leasing Group. Instead of distancing itself from White, the federal government appointed him to head the ongoing Uranium Industry Framework inquiry," Dr. Green said.

High-level nuclear waste dumping poses serious long-term risks. As Professor John Veevers from Macquarie University wrote in the Australian Geologist in 1999: "[T]onnes of enormously dangerous radioactive waste in the northern hemisphere, 20,000 kms from its destined dump in Australia where it must remain intact for at least 10,000 years. These magnitudes - of tonnage, lethality, distance of transport, and time - entail great inherent risk."