Thursday, 26 April, 2007

Australian Conservation Foundation

On the 21st anniversary of the world’s worst civil nuclear accident – and as the Labor Party gathers in Sydney to debate its uranium policy – the Australian Conservation Foundation has called on ALP delegates to remember the continuing suffering and impacts of Chernobyl.

"Chernobyl was, and remains, a major international tragedy that killed, injured and affected many hundreds of thousands of people," said ACF Nuclear Campaigner
Dave Sweeney.

"A UN report has found childhood thyroid cancer rates have increased 60-fold in
Belarus, 40-fold in Ukraine and 20-fold in Russia since Chernobyl.

"The Chernobyl accident continues to extract a massive economic cost through lost
production, disruption, damage, clean-up and diversion of capital. It has caused
severe and continuing environmental impacts.

"The Chernobyl anniversary is a time for sombre reflection, not a time to give the
green light to open slather uranium mining in Australia.

"ALP delegates should be absolutely clear: uranium is the starting point for nuclear power, nuclear waste and nuclear weapons.

"Once Australian uranium leaves our shores, there’s no way of us controlling its use.

"Australia should be driving sustainable energy solutions, not fuelling continuing
risk and contamination,” he said.

"Labor faces serious political fallout if it fails to heed the lessons of Chernobyl."