Dear Friends,
Please find FoE media release.
Please contact Senator Nick Minchin and ANSTO and let them know that you disapprove of their covert waste transportation action.
Senator Nick Minchin
c/o UNIT 2, 247 Milne Rd, Modbury North SA 5092
ANSTO Private Mail Bag1 Menai, NSW 2234
or FAX them on 02 93135097
OR telephone John Mulcair (Public Relations) on 02 9717 3770
Protest actions will occur from 8.30pm outside ANSTO. Please send messages of support People Against Nuclear Reactors at: 02 9545 3077 or panr@ssec.org.au
or write to: PANR PO Box 595 Sutherland 2232
Make your voice heard now. They need your support.
Sincerely,
Daniel Voronoff
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, AUSTRALIA
Media Release 25th November 1999
Attention Chiefs of Staff and Environment Reporters
Environment organisation Friends of the Earth, Australia today joined with other green groups to condemn the secret move by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to begin transportation of radioactive spent fuel waste.
The covert movement of 308 spent fuel rods is set to happen tonight. The trucks carrying the high-level waste will travel through the heartland of suburban Sydney to Port Botany. The waste will be shipped to France to be reprocessed and then returned to be dumped in the proposed radioactive waste repository in South Australia.
“So much for exhaustive community consultation,” commented Daniel Voronoff, spokesperson for the Nuclear Free Ways campaign.
“ANSTO’s covert action is a clear demonstation of their contempt for public health and transparency. It is a duplicitous and shameful undertaking,” added Mr. Voronoff.
“There have been hundreds of accidents involving the transportation of radioactive waste all over the world. There is a legitimate cause for community concern and a reasonable expectation that proper warning should be given to people who live en-route,” continued Mr. Voronoff.
A recent public meeting and expressions of community concern in South Australia has upset plans by the Federal government to dump the reprocessed wastes in the proposed national repository.
“The South Australian Premier has openly challenged plans to dump reprocessed wastes at the proposed repository. Clearly, neither ANSTO nor the Federal government have a credible waste management plan. Apparently, Senator Nick Minchin has given approval for this shipment as an attempt to get the wastes into South Australai via the back door,” commented Bruce Thompson, FoE South Australian nuclear spokesperson.
For further comment contact Daniel Voronoff on 0418 178 053 or Bruce Thompson on 0417 318 368
