The Alice Springs Angela Pamela (ASAP) Collective formed in opposition to the Cameco/Paladin application to explore for uranium 25 km South of Alice Springs. The collective is currently organising a public meeting and other events to raise awareness about and directly challenge the progress of the proposal.

The campaign launch this Saturday, April 26, coincides with the 22nd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine, in which explosions destroyed a reactor core at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

 ASAP is concerned about the potential effects that uranium mining at the Angela- Pamela deposits may have on local, regional and global communities.

 Dr Tom Keaney of the ASAP Collective stated “ASAP is concerned about the proximity of the proposed mine to Alice Springs. The site is just 25 kilometres south of the town. The Angela Pamela deposits lie close to existing and proposed bore fields supplying Alice Springs water and are within the water catchment boundary. Uranium mining in this region poses an unacceptable risk of contamination to Alice Springs’ water supply”.

 “Uranium mining must be considered in a global context” added Dr Keaney.  “The 22nd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is a poignant reminder of the dangers associated with the nuclear cycle. The death of thousands of people, a greatly increased incidence of cancer, environmental contamination, mass relocation of the population surrounding the Chernobyl reactor, and ongoing social and economic disruption has all been described by The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as a result of the Chernobyl disaster.”

 Dr Keaney continued “The potential economic benefits of uranium mining can not be divorced from the risks of local contamination from radioactive materials, the catastrophic effects of nuclear reactor dysfunction, the production of radioactive waste or the potential for reprocessed Alice Springs uranium to end up in a nuclear warhead. These risks have clear local, regional and global implications”.

 “The ASAP collective encourages investment in the renewable energy industry, and the economic benefits and jobs that accompany such investment. Potential health effects, worker safety, impacts on tourism, and Alice Springs’ clean Solar City image are all matters of significant community concern regarding this proposal” added Jimmy Cocking, coordinator of the Arid Lands Environment Centre.

 The ASAP collective will launch their campaign on April 26, on the Flynn Church Lawns in the Todd Mall, at 10:30am. There will be speakers, and information regarding the Angela Pamela proposal and the public meeting on May 7.