Friday, 25 May, 2007

Australian Conservation Foundation

The Australian Conservation Foundation has described as environmentally irresponsible and socially divisive the nomination of Muckaty Station, near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, as a possible nuclear waste dump site.

"The Northern Land Council’s nomination does not enjoy the full support of the land's traditional owners and it certainly does not enjoy the support of the wider community," said ACF’s nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney.

"Nuclear waste lasts for many thousand of years. It is not safe, it is not innocuous and it is not a low level threat.

"To make this land a radioactive waste dump would be environmentally irresponsible
and socially divisive."

ACF has called on the Federal Science Minister Julie Bishop to reject the nomination and criticised the Federal Government’s handling of radioactive waste management.

"The Federal Government’s process for dealing with nuclear waste is being driven by political criteria, not scientific or technical ones.

"The Muckaty site was not selected on a scientific basis. The Government failed to
convince Territorians that they should host a nuclear waste dump, so it introduced a law to coerce them. Now the Government is offering cash incentives with a $12 million compensation package to Traditional Owners.

"Some of the most disadvantaged people in the country are being offered a pittance to host some of the most dangerous toxic waste our nation produces.

"The process that has resulted in today’s nomination represents a great scientific and social policy failure.

"The Minister should not accept the nomination."