MARTIN FERGUSON MISLEADS SA ON NUCLEAR DUMP
Federal resources minister Martin Ferguson's mishandling of the contentious plan to truck nuclear waste through SA to a dump site in the NT reached a new low with his misleading comments on ABC Riverland radio this morning.
Mr Ferguson claimed that no decision had been made on a dump site. However he is pushing the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill (NRWMB) through Parliament. The Bill targets Muckaty in the NT as the only site under active consideration for a dump site despite the fact that Muckaty Traditional Owners are challenging the nomination in the Federal Court, and despite NT legislation banning the imposition of a nuclear dump.
Mr Ferguson claimed that an article in this morning's Advertiser is an "ideological beat-up by the greens". In fact, green groups had nothing to do with the article.
Mr Ferguson falsely claimed that the Gillard Government has not commissioned a report on nuclear waste transport options. In fact, the report was commissioned by Mr Ferguson's own department.
Mr Ferguson falsely claimed that the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency will consult communities along potential transport corridors. There is no such obligation on ARPANSA. Mr Ferguson and his department have failed to consult communities along transport corridors – other than reactive visits to councils which have previously spoken to Friends of the Earth's Nuclear Freeways campaign. A growing number of councils are voicing opposition to being used as a transport corridor to a contested and unnecessary nuclear dump. Mr Ferguson has refused countless requests to consult with Traditional Owners opposed to the dump plan.
Mr Ferguson indulged in his usual scare-mongering concerning nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine will in no way be affected by the controversy over Mr Ferguson's dump plans.
Mr Ferguson falsely claimed that SA moves radioactive waste to a dump site at Woomera. In fact, the site at Woomera is a Commonwealth storage site.
Mr Ferguson falsely claimed that the NRWMB makes no reference to nuclear waste transport. In fact the Parliamentary Bills Digest notes: "The Bill retains the existing provisions of the Act that effectively exclude State and Territory laws from operating where they would 'regulate, hinder or prevent' the Commonwealth from doing work to investigate the suitability of potential sites and then the construction and operation of the proposed facility, including the transporting of radioactive materials."
www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2010-11/11bd052.htm
Friends of the Earth's national nuclear campaigner Dr Jim Green said: "Mr Ferguson's handling of this dump issue has been misleading, undemocratic, secretive and in violation of binding Labor Party platform policy. He is treating South Australians with contempt. Prime Minister Gillard should sort out this mess by replacing Mr Ferguson with someone better suited to the task of managing a difficult and contentious issue."
Contact: Jim Green 0417 318 368
More information on the dump plan:
www.beyondnuclearinitiative.com