The Bush administration is pushing a massive expansion of
the nuclear power industry as the "best" solution to global
warming. Last year, Bush won from the US Congress a host of
"incentives" for the nuclear power industry, including tax
breaks and insurance against regulatory and legal delays in
constructing new plants. On May 22, the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission announced that 16 US corporations had
expressed interest in building 25 nuclear reactors in the
US.
Bush has also proposed that Australia and Canada - the
world's major uranium exporting countries - join with the US
to form a marketing cartel, the Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership (GNEP). They would enrich the uranium, then
"rent" their nuclear fuel rods out to user countries and
take back the waste.
Original source URL:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/671/671p3.htm
Howard pushes for uranium enrichment
Doug Lorimer
On June 6, PM John Howard announced the appointment of former Telstra
CEO Ziggy Switkowski, who is also a board member of the Australian
Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), to head a
six-member task force to "review" Australia's uranium mining industry
and the possibility of building nuclear power plants in Australia.
Australia's current involvement in the nuclear industry is limited to
the mining and export of "yellowcake" (powderised uranium ore) and
the operation of a small research reactor at Lucas Heights in
southern Sydney. However, Australia has 40% of the world's known
low-cost recoverable uranium reserves.
While promising that the task force would carry out an "objective,
scientific and comprehensive" review, Howard argued that the
establishment of nuclear power plants would be good for Australia's
economy. "Energy prices and energy security are key considerations
for future economic growth in a lower [carbon dioxide] emissions
future", he said.
The review will begin this month, with a draft report planned for
public consultation by November and the final report due by the end
of the year.
The corporate media has focused on Howard's remarks since returning
from Washington on May 19 about nuclear power being the solution to
climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired
power stations. The government is most keen on massively expanding
exports of Australian uranium, and adding value by turning the
yellowcake into nuclear fuel rods. To do this, however, would require
building a uranium enrichment plant.
"It doesn't seem to me to make a lot of sense to favour the export of
uranium without looking at enrichment", Howard told ABC TV's June 3
Insiders program. "There is significant potential for Australia to
increase and add value to our uranium extraction and exports", he
repeated on June 6. He also noted that recent developments in global
energy markets have renewed international interest in nuclear power
as a technology that "can help meet growing demand for electricity
without the fuel and environmental costs associated with oil and gas".
Australian Greens energy and climate change spokesperson Senator
Christine Milne said that everything about Howard's announcement
"points to enrichment of uranium as the prime minister's real agenda
... During his recent visit to the United States, Prime Minister
Howard had talks in Washington with President [George] Bush about the
president's desire to set up new nuclear fuel supply centres around
the world with a view to having these supply centres enrich uranium
and lease it with an agreement to take back the spent fuel rods."
The Bush administration is pushing a massive expansion of the nuclear
power industry as the "best" solution to global warming. Last year,
Bush won from the US Congress a host of "incentives" for the nuclear
power industry, including tax breaks and insurance against regulatory
and legal delays in constructing new plants. On May 22, the US
Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that 16 US corporations had
expressed interest in building 25 nuclear reactors in the US.
Bush has also proposed that Australia and Canada - the world's major
uranium exporting countries - join with the US to form a marketing
cartel, the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). They would
enrich the uranium, then "rent" their nuclear fuel rods out to user
countries and take back the waste.
According to the June 6 Australian Financial Review, before and
during his visit to Washington, Howard was briefed by US officials
about the role they expect Australia to play in the GNEP. This would
involve "mining and enriching uranium at Olympic Dam in South
Australia, exporting it to India and China via the Adelaide-Darwin
rail line and re-importing the waste the same way for storage at the
former nuclear test site at Maralinga ... The GNEP could create
immediate profits for any private firm building an enrichment plant
at or near the Olympic Dam uranium mine."
The Olympic Dam mine, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, holds the
world's largest known uranium ore deposit, with about 66% of
Australia's proven reserves. Under the Bush plan, Maralinga would
become the world's principal site for dumping used nuclear fuel rods.
From Green Left Weekly, June 14, 2006.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.
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