April 3, 2024
3 mins read

‘US, UK could send N-waste to Australia under AUKUS’

The government introduced the Australian naval nuclear power safety bill in November last year….reports Asian Lite News

Australia could become a “poison portal” for international radioactive waste under the Aukus deal, a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear safety legislation has heard.

New laws to establish a safety framework for Australia’s planned nuclear-powered submarines could also allow the US and UK to send waste here, while both of those countries are struggling to deal with their own waste, as no long-term, high-level waste facilities have been created.

The government introduced the Australian naval nuclear power safety bill in November last year. If passed, it will establish a nuclear safety watchdog, allow for naval nuclear propulsion facilities to be created, including for storing or disposing of radioactive waste from Aukus submarines. A second bill to enable the regulator to issue licenses was introduced at the same time.

Both have been referred to a Senate inquiry, which is due to report on 26 April.

Dave Sweeney, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s nuclear free campaigner, said the issue of waste disposal was “highly disturbing” and that the Aukus partners could see Australia as a “a little bit of a radioactive terra nullius”.

“Especially when it’s viewed in the context of the contested and still unresolved issue of domestic intermediate-level waste management, the clear failure of our Aukus partners to manage their own naval waste, the potential for this bill to be a poison portal to international waste and the failure of defence to effectively address existing waste streams, most noticeably PFAS,” he said.

The defence minister, Richard Marles, has previously accused the Greens of “fearmongering” when they raised similar concerns, saying the government would not accept waste from the other nations.

However, the legislation allows for the creation of facilities for “managing, storing or disposing of radioactive waste from an Aukus submarine”, and defines an Aukus submarine as either an Australian or a UK/US submarine, and “includes such a submarine that is not complete (for example, because it is being constructed or disposed of)”.

The Greens defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said HMS Dreadnought, one of the UK’s first nuclear submarines, had been “rusting away” since being decommissioned in 1980.

“You can go on Google Maps and look at them rusting away in real time, can’t you?” Shoebridge asked Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Arpansa) chief regulatory officer, James Scott.

Australia chose Aukus and now it faces the prospect of having no submarine capability for at least a decade

“The UK is pursuing a disposal pathway, and Australia will need to do the same. We are fully aware of this; we are engaging with our own radioactive waste agency, ARWA, on this, and it’s something that needs to be dealt with now, not later.”

The Dreadnought’s nuclear fuel has been removed to be stored safely. This has happened with some but not all of the submarines, but there is still no permanent disposal facility. The US also removes nuclear fuel for temporary storage.

Robin Townsend, an engineer and fellow at the UK-based Royal Institution of Naval Architects, told the inquiry that there was “a very big mountain to climb” to safely store nuclear waste, with the technology “still in its infancy”.

“All countries are struggling to not just decommission the submarines, but also … to deal with the waste. Planning is critical. People who say that you need to plan to store the waste for 100,000 years aren’t wide of the mark,” he said.

“There’s very little progress I think it’s fair to say …. I would strongly advise that you do take it into account as early as possible.”

Other concerns raised at the hearings include a lack of transparency with the Aukus deal and the independence of the watchdog. There is another public hearing on Thursday.

The defence department said the bill would provide “a regulatory framework able to accommodate any future government decisions regarding the management of radioactive waste”.

ALSO READ: France seeking ‘clear message’ from China to Russia   

Previous Story

France introduces Gaza ceasefire resolution at UNSC

Next Story

Biden ‘outraged’ by death of Gaza aid workers in Israeli strike

Latest from -Top News

Pakistan’s Shadow War in Balochistan

At least 50 killed by Pakistan-backed death squads in Balochistan in April, says HRCB — toll expected to rise in May….reports Asian Lite News The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) reported

Russia, Ukraine Resume Talks

The upcoming talks follow a significant hiatus in diplomatic engagement between the two nations, which have been locked in a brutal conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Russia and

UN Pays Tribute to Indian Soldiers

Thursday was observed as the 77th UN Peacekeepers Day, honouring the work of 61,353 peacekeepers, of whom 5,375 hailed from India….reports Asian Lite News Brigadier Amitabh Jha and Havildar Sanjay Singh, who

Modi’s New Warfare Playbook

Modi has upended the old playbook and India and Pakistan are entering dangerous new territory where nuclear deterrence is no longer a guarantee against conventional conflict…writes Collins Chong Yew Keat The India-Pakistan
Go toTop

Don't Miss

UK lawmaker lavishes praises on Modi

Nicholas Stern, or Baron Stern of Brentford, said PM Modi

King joins Wandsworth schoolchildren to celebrate creativity 

His Majesty The King visited Apple’s UK headquarters in Battersea