Tuesday, 30 January, 2007

ABC NT Local News

Today marked the end of the old reactor at Lucas Heights.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) says it is confident problems with Australia's next nuclear reactor will be fixed by the time it is meant to come on line.

Today marked the end of the old reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney's south, after nearly 50 years of operation.

The work of the reactor will be taken over by the Argentinian-designed research reactor called OPAL.

ANSTO chief executive Ian Smith says he expects the new reactor to be up and running by April, despite some teething problems in the commissioning phase.

"This is simply a leak of light water coolant into the heavy water; this doesn't constitute a safety hazard," he said.

Federal Science Minister Julie Bishop says its not yet known which site in the Northern Territory will be chosen as Australia's first central nuclear waste dump.

Ms Bishop says a facility is needed, as medical and research nuclear waste is being kept in hospitals and storerooms around the country.

She says all the sites in the NT are well away from houses.

"There are three sites that are currently being considered and they are former defence sites so they are some distance from any form of civilisation," she said.

"We are looking at them from an environmental perspective as well as a social perspective."

Environmentalists have warned against dumping the Lucas Heights reactor's old radioactive parts in the NT.

Arid Lands Environment Centre spokeswoman Natalie Wasley says it would be much better for the old parts of the reactor to remain at Lucas Heights.

"The Australian Nuclear Association have all said that there is room here, they have the technology, they have the capability and they have the storage room," she said.

"Also there are trained personnel here who deal with radioactive material, and they'll be on site all the time.

"So that's definitely a lot better option than sticking it out in a remote area in the desert."

Wilderness Society nuclear spokeswoman Imogen Zethoven says the Federal Government should say where it is planning to dump radioactive waste from the decommissioned site.

"We don't believe that the dismantled reactor should be shifted across Australia, through local communities, past people's homes and put in someone's backyard that doesn't want it," she said.

"We actually think that the reactor, now that it's shut down, should stay where it is and be managed locally."