MEDICAL ASSOCIATION for PREVENTION of WAR
Media Alert
4 August 2000
Overseas experts challenge Australian nuclear waste
disposal plans and radiation standards
The issues:
The government wants to build a national nuclear dump for lower level
radioactive wastes in South Australia. The majority of people in South
Australia are opposed to this plan.
The government wants to build a remote store to take higher-level wastes
from Lucas Heights and spent fuel reprocessing, but has no idea where to put
it.
The government has signed contracts for a new reactor at Lucas Heights that
will produce more wastes over the next 40 years. The local people want the
waste removed.
The government has yet to pass legislation banning a dump for highly
radioactive spent fuel and plutonium from nuclear warheads in Australia. The
majority of Australians oppose this plan.
The government's expansion of the nuclear industry and uranium mining means
more workers and members of the public will be exposed to radiation - yet
Australia's guidelines and standards on radiation and health protection are
not in line with world's best practice. Government agencies have refused to
commit to a public review on these codes that control allowable limits for
radiation exposure for workers and the public.
The experts:
Dr. Frank Barnaby, nuclear physicist, former director of the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute and consultant to the Oxford Research
Group - one of the groups giving advice to the British government on nuclear
waste disposal. He was one of the scientists who observed the nuclear
weapons testing at Maralinga. Dr. Barnaby is in Australia to discuss
national and international plans to dispose of nuclear waste from civil and
military nuclear programs.
Dr. David Richardson, of the School of Public Health, University of North
Carolina, is a specialist on the long-term effect s of low-level ionizing
radiation. He has been involved in studies on the health effects of
radiation exposure of workers at several US nuclear facilities. He is
currently working at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon
in France on a study of cancer among nuclear workers.
Dr. Barnaby and Dr. Richardson will both be presenting papers at Our Nuclear
Responsibilities - a national conference of the Medical Association for
Prevention of War taking place in Canberra from 4 to 6 August.
Both will be in Australia until 14th August and will be meeting with
community groups, unions, regulatory agencies and government officials.
For further details or interviews contact:
Clare Henderson on 0419 266 110 or Jean McSorley on 0417 662 720.
________________________________
NO NUKES!
Clare Henderson
Executive Officer
Medical Association for Prevention of War
PO Box 197
O'Connor ACT 2602 AUSTRALIA
Ph: (02) 6262 9345
Fax: (02) 6262 9346
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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