tipz Posted December 4, 2011 The following is an email i had sent to me. I found it be an important topic so thought i would share. I would have thought The state of the current nuclear industry would have made the thought of ths absurd but then again.... this IS a Corporatocracy that rules us Will Olympic Dam Doom us all?Lately there’s been a lot of hype and positive spin towards the proposed expansion of Olympic Dam with little acknowledgement in the mainstream media of the lasting hazards generated. With no mention of Radon Gas or Radioactive tailings dust. (Perhaps this is due to the amount of advertising revenue the mining sector creates). It comes down to a few key points:- -“No level of Radiation exposure is safe” to quote Dr Rosalie Bertell (leader of an International investigative team into Chernobyl. -A lot of money will be generated. However South Australia will receive only 3.5% of the mining royalties per year. The SA Tax payers will also be footing a 70 million dollar diesel rebate bill per annum -Hugh amounts of Radon gas will be released in the mining of Uranium. This is a dense highly radioactive, alpha emitting gas which stays close to the ground. With a 10km/hr breeze blowing over Olympic Dam that radon can travel 240km per day, making Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney well within striking distance. There will be a significant rise in cancers and birth defects. -South Australia will become the home of the world’s largest toxic radioactive tailings dam, which will eventually leach into ground water systems and make the Hills industry site look benign in comparison. By BHP’s own estimates over 4000 migrating birds will be killed each year when exposed to the dam (Including pelicans travelling to and from Lake Ayre). -The man made mountain of radioactive tailings will be 150 meters high and up to 8 kms long (to put this into perspective the state bank building is only 131 meters high) The mining site is only 600kms away. We are living down wind and will be expected to tolerate radioactive dust storms any time there is a strong northerly. The dust storms in Sydney earlier this year originated as far away as Broken Hill. Once contamination occurs it stays with us for thousands of years, contaminating everyone and everything for generation to come. -every 50 to 100 years the area Roxby Downs occupies becomes a flood plan, there doesn’t seem to be a contingency that deals with toxic waste being washed into the gulf. There is no mention of this in the government assessment -the US power companies give their depleted nuclear fuel to arms manufacturers who use it to coat bullets, armour plating and create dirty bombs, selling their wares to 29 foreign countries. There has been a spate of horrendous birth defects in Afghanistan and Iraqi civilians due to this practice. Children of US soldiers have also been affected. A significant amount of the uranium used in the U.S is Australian in origin. - Another key consumer of S.A uranium is China, a country renowned for its human rights violations. -Now the Labour Goverment also want to export to India, a country which is not a signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty -42 million litres of water will be consumed and irradiated per day. -25% of South Australia’s annual power use will be consumed by Olympic Dam. -BHP Billiton is 75% owned off shore (what do those people care about negative impact on relatively remote South Australia?) -It seems BHP will be the only party monitoring air and ground contamination. Hardly an unbiased assessment of their work practices. -Uranium waste products can take hundreds of thousands of years to become half as toxic, how can this waste be safely stored for this time when Pyramids are the oldest manmade structures and are only around 5000 years old Instead of being known as the Festival State SA will become “the Nuclear State”. How will that affect the tourism industry? Who will want to by S.A’s produce when grown (or perceived to be grown) in contaminated soil? It doesn’t matter how good the wine is no one will want it when infused with radioactive isotopes. What will happen to land value and who will want to live here? Even with best intentions and best practice people and companies make mistakes, when it’s with something the size of Olympic Dam and involves some of the most hazardous materials known to man, the risks are too high. Once the damage is done there is no way of going back. If the proposal mine was for the world’s largest asbestos mine, people would be up in arms. Instead there seems to be a lack of awareness or perhaps its apathy. This is a time that anyone who cares about their family and friends and is aware enough to understand that the Olympic Dam expansion is a bad decision with potentially catastrophic results has to voice their objection and make others aware this situation. According to Dr Gavin Mudd of Monash University “Australia could be the leader in renewable energy technology and we could live at the same level of material comfort, consuming a 10th of resources & a quarter of the energy, using technology that exists and is economically viable today.” Jay Weatherill and Isobel Redmond’s respective parties are in a position to determine the future of us all. It’s probably too much an ask to leave the large deposits of gold and copper in the ground at Olympic Dam, however they must leave the uranium alone (water and energy consumption of the mine would thereby be halved) and look at other options other than a monstrous open pit to secure this wealth.how will future generations view our legacy if their home becomes unliveable? Yuri Poetzl Glenelg SA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunChaser Posted December 4, 2011 Well either way, Labour has made up their mind to sell uranium to India. So I suppose there going to need to dig more of it up. Just wait till Pakistan cut all ties with the US. Then the nuclear stand off against India and Pakistan will come to a head and it will be the beginning of world war 3. We are all now living our wealthy privileged lives off the blood of millions of people. I really think the current economic & political climate is starting to indicate some dark days in 2012, how ironic. Peace http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-04/alp-to-consider-uranium-sale-to-india/3711610 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foo Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) -Now the Labour Goverment also want to export to India, a country which is not a signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty Not exactly on topic, but that treaty is a piece of shit. India's internal policy and goals regarding nuclear weapons is light years ahead of most NPT signatories edit: wtf does regardy mean, oops? Just wait till Pakistan cut all ties with the US. Then the nuclear stand off against India and Pakistan will come to a head and it will be the beginning of world war 3. We are all now living our wealthy privileged lives off the blood of millions of people. Neither country is heavily armed in terms of nukes (in a global sceme), but India's conventional supremacy should be enough to keep the Paki's in there box. (or so i reckon) -Uranium waste products can take hundreds of thousands of years to become half as toxic, how can this waste be safely stored for this time when Pyramids are the oldest manmade structures and are only around 5000 years old The oldest Nuclear waste is about 1.7 Billion years old? It is still radioactive, but contained Edited December 4, 2011 by eatfoo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunChaser Posted December 5, 2011 Neither country is heavily armed in terms of nukes (in a global sceme), but India's conventional supremacy should be enough to keep the Paki's in there box. (or so i reckon) That sounds a little complacent to me dude. I mean it only took the US two nuclear bombs to murder hundreds of thousands of people and seriously injure many more in japan. Anyway, India will soon be more powerful than the US (economically), so what makes you think they won’t be bullies like america too? Nuclear energy is a completely outdated technology and is also incrediblly dangerous, we should all be investing in renewables. The uranium should stay in the ground where it belongs. Digging it up is a huge mistake. Peace 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foo Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) so what makes you think they won’t be bullies like america too? I kinda hope they will ... Edited December 5, 2011 by eatfoo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) I am reading a book called " Maralinga " by Alan Parkinson atm . Appalled to learn that Britain has detonated 12 BIG nukes on Australian territory , and more on Christmas Island . Apparently there is serious contamination , including plutonium , and ONE plutonium mg inhaled or ingested is lethal . The plutonium contam is reported to have a half- life of of 24,000 years .The half lie of U 238 is 4,470,000,000 years. I have not yet finished reading the book , but what I have read so far is terrifying . Edited December 5, 2011 by Major Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tipz Posted December 5, 2011 It IS terrifying.... Not to mention the toxic effects of depleted uranium, fukishima, gulf of mexico, chernobyl and the list goes on ( im sure it will grow too ) equating to millions upon millions of cancers... what we are seeing here is unprecedented ! And stopping a mine in south australia is not going to halt the machine... but what will ? It all comes down to the power of corporatism doesn't it ??? Im all for positve thinking but if what im lead to believe is anywhere near the mark then the infamous dial is closer to midnight than it has ever been. I see all this going on around me... but is there anything we can "really" do to change things ? Or is this all necessary for the evolution of.... ? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted December 5, 2011 I believe that uranium mining for any purpose is utter madness , leading to possible extinction of all life on this planet . The final few lines of the last verse of the Old Testament [ Malachi 4 ] I believe are a prudent warning for us all : or has it all occurred before in the distant past ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunChaser Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) I am reading a book called " Maralinga " by Alan Parkinson atm . Appalled to learn that Britain has detonated 12 BIG nukes on Australian territory , and more on Christmas Island. SBS had a documentary on a few years ago, which was about how there were still aboriginals living in the area. Can't remember the name though and can’t find it on the SBS website. Either way, it was absolutely disgraceful. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/stories/s2716335.htm Peace Edited December 5, 2011 by jabez Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) sorry , I erred quoting half-life timespan , and have edited the post . Actually , it is even worse - Pu 239 has a half - life of 24 ,000 years ; U 238 has a half life of 4,470,000,000 years . . . Maralinga is contaminated with U 238 ; U 239 ; Pu 239 ; Pu 240 ; Pu 241 ; Am 241 . there is also contam from depleted uranium . On the ABC news tonight they reported that now Pakistan want to buy Australian uranium Because India now has access to it, the Pakis believe they are entitled to it also.The arms race insanity continues ... Edited December 5, 2011 by Major Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dundee Posted December 5, 2011 don't forget all the depleted uranium ammunition used by some countries in places like iraq, afghanistan, balkans, libya.....the list goes on, also they use the stuff on their own soil when testing munitions, tonnes and tonnes of depleted uranium has been used all over the world, no one wins in a war. I do agree that nuclear energy is old school, new technology exists to replace it, labour seems to to what they wish, government for the people is dead in this country Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
