Submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on our role in nuclear energy

Transcription

1 -----Original Message----- From: Sent: Friday, 13 March :57 PM To: AGD:Submissions Subject: Submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on nuclear energy Please find attached my submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on nuclear energy. Regards Hans-Peter Schnelboegl Lismore NSW 2480 From: Hans-Peter Schnelboegl Lismore NSW 2480 To: Attorney-General's Department Date: 13 th of March 2015 Submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on our role in nuclear energy The draft Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission are heavily leaning in favour of new nuclear ventures rather than investigating the issue impartially: The first paragraph includes supportive phrases like: whether there is any potential for the expansion any circumstances necessary for such an increase opportunities created by expanding the measures that might be required to facilitate and regulate that increase in activity This is balanced by just one cautious phrase: any risks created by expanding The other paragraphs of the draft ToR's show a similar imbalance.

2 I request that the ToR's be expanded to explicitly include Precautionary Principle Intergenerational Equity Long-term Consequences Public and Workers' Health Impacts on Freedom and Democracy Nuclear versus Alternative energy sources comparison of cost and risks The reasons are in short: It is well known that the nuclear industry involves severe dangers from radiation exposure. Radiation can not be perceived by any of the human senses. The health consequences of exposure to radiation are, in most cases, experienced much later when no connection to the exposure is drawn. Furthermore, nuclear ventures are characterised by the potential for severest nuclear accidents and incidents like The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where hundreds of thousands of inhabitants were incinerated in an instant or slowly died from burns, cancers The explosion of a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. Scientists using mainly epidemiological data have shown that by 2004 already 1 million people had died from the consequences of the accident. This number is growing. The meltdown of four Fukushima reactors fuelled by Australian uranium. The resulting contamination of our oceans, especially the Pacific Ocean, is steadily increasing. Uranium mining in Australia has a deadly impact on mine workers, nearby residents and, most of all, on future generations. For decades Australian governments have refused to establish a database for uranium mine workers' health, and the currently partially established database seems skewed like the draft terms of this Royal Commission. It seems mining companies are now using highly sensitive blood tests to detect cancers and weakened defences against cancers early, and then simply terminate employment. Much worse than the impact on mine workers will be the impact on future generations using contaminated groundwater and/or being exposed to radioactive dust storms dispersing the fine radioactive materials in tailings dams. This is compounded by the fact that the hazards of radiation and the proper maintenance of radiation hot spots will be forgotten within a few hundred years. Already today local kids and tourists are swimming in contaminated mining dams of former uranium mines.

3 The Impacts on Freedom and Democracy stem mainly from the strong public opposition to any nuclear industries and the subsequent attempts by governments to quell that opposition. This happened when the French government developed its vast nuclear industry: Widespread opposition and protests were suffocated by horrendous police brutality permanently damaging French democracy. In South Australia, police brutality led to the locking up of peaceful protesters in a shipping container at the Beverley uranium mine site in full sun, for hours without water and toilets. This resulted in a million dollar court verdict against the South Australian government, i.e. the SA taxpayer. Those responsible for ignoring the public's opposition to uranium mining and approving the hazardous mine, for brutally suffocating peaceful protests with methods akin to torture, they were neither jailed nor fined. Another SA example of destructive impacts of nuclear industries on freedom and democracy is the special status of the Olympic Dam mine: A number of public rights have been suspended for the mine. For example FoI: The SA government is not allowed to pass on information from the mine without the consent of the mine. This is highly relevant when it comes to the frequent accidents and incidents at the site. I remember two major fires of very large storage ponds for used process chemicals (kerosene and the like) and numerous pipes resulting in a plum of thick smoke passing over SA. There was very little or no reliable information available about the radioactive contents of the smoke. Further, Aboriginal heritage protection and certain environmental regulations have been suspended for the Olympic Dam uranium mine. And finally, the Royal Commission itself may act in breach of the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act by promoting radioactive waste storage in SA Original Message----- From: future@nor.com.au [mailto:future@nor.com.au] Sent: Friday, 13 March :50 PM To: AGD:Submissions Subject: Submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on nuclear energy From: Hans-Peter Schnelboegl PO Box 1223 Lismore NSW 2480 (02) future@nor.com.au To: Attorney-General's Department submissions@agd.sa.gov.au Date: 13th of March 2015 Submission on draft Terms of Reference to the SA Royal Commission on our role in nuclear energy The draft Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission are heavily leaning in favour of new nuclear ventures rather than investigating the issue impartially: The first paragraph includes supportive phrases like:

4 whether there is any potential for the expansion any circumstances necessary for such an increase opportunities created by expanding the measures that might be required to facilitate and regulate that increase in activity This is balanced by just one cautious phrase: any risks created by expanding The other paragraphs of the draft ToR's show a similar imbalance. I request that the ToR's be expanded to explicitly include Precautionary Principle Intergenerational Equity Long-term Consequences Public and Workers' Health Impacts on Freedom and Democracy Nuclear versus Alternative energy sources comparison of cost and risks The reasons are in short: It is well known that the nuclear industry involves severe dangers from radiation exposure. Radiation can not be perceived by any of the human senses. The health consequences of exposure to radiation are, in most cases, experienced much later when no connection to the exposure is drawn. Furthermore, nuclear ventures are characterised by the potential for severest nuclear accidents and incidents like The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where hundreds of thousands of inhabitants were incinerated in an instant or slowly died from burns, cancers The explosion of a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. Scientists using mainly epidemiological data have shown that by 2004 already 1 million people had died from the consequences of the accident. This number is growing. The meltdown of four Fukushima reactors fuelled by Australian uranium. The resulting contamination of our oceans, especially the Pacific Ocean, is steadily increasing. Uranium mining in Australia has a deadly impact on mine workers, nearby residents and, most of all, on future generations. For decades Australian governments have refused to establish a database for uranium mine workers' health, and the currently partially established database seems skewed like the draft terms of this Royal Commission. It seems mining companies are now using highly sensitive blood tests to detect cancers and weakened defences against cancers early, and then simply terminate employment. Much worse than the impact on mine workers will be the impact on future generations using contaminated groundwater and/or being exposed to radioactive dust storms dispersing the fine radioactive materials in tailings dams. This is compounded by the fact that the hazards of radiation and the proper maintenance of radiation hot spots will be forgotten within a few hundred years. Already today local kids and tourists are swimming in contaminated mining dams. The Impacts on Freedom and Democracy stem mainly from the strong public opposition to any nuclear industries and the subsequent attempts by governments to quell that opposition. This happened when the French government developed its vast nuclear industry: Widespread opposition and protests were suffocated by horrendous police brutality permanently damaging French democracy.

5 In South Australia, police brutality led to the locking up of peaceful protesters in a shipping container at the Beverley uranium mine site in full sun, for hours without water and toilets. This resulted in a million dollar court verdict against the South Australian government, i.e. the SA taxpayer. Those responsible for ignoring the public's opposition to uranium mining and approving the hazardous mine, for brutally suffocating peaceful protests with methods akin to torture, they were neither jailed nor fined. Another SA example of destructive impacts of nuclear industries on freedom and democracy is the special status of the Olympic Dam mine: A number of public rights have been suspended for the mine. For example FoI: The SA government is not allowed to pass on information from the mine without the consent of the mine. This is highly relevant when it comes to the frequent accidents and incidents at the site. I remember two major fires of very large storage ponds for used process chemicals (kerosene and the like) and numerous pipes resulting in a plum of thick smoke passing over SA. There was very little or no reliable information available about the radioactive contents of the smoke. Further, Aboriginal heritage protection and certain environmental regulations have been suspended for the Olympic Dam uranium mine. And finally, the Royal Commission itself may act in breach of the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act by promoting radioactive waste storage in SA.