BRIEFING: Storing nuclear waste in Australia

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Monday 23 June 2008 (Updated Thu 26 June at 12pm AEST) **AUDIO FILES AVAILABLE BELOW

ONLINE BACKGROUND BRIEFING:

Storing nuclear waste in Australia

DATE: Thursday 26 June 2008
START TIME: 10am AEST
VENUE: online
DURATION: 40 minutes

Australia has approximately 4,020 cubic metres of low level and short-lived intermediate level radioactive waste - but remains undecided on where to put it. The previous government proposed the construction of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Facility (a purpose built facility to manage Australia’s radioactive waste) and four sites in the Northern Territory are currently being assessed. With the site evaluations due out at the end of this month, Kevin Rudd has said the final decision will be based on science. But what is the science?

Join this briefing to hear from leading experts in the field of radiation safety prior to the release of these site evaluations. Issues discussed included:

• What is the scale of the problem?
• What makes a site suitable for a nuclear waste dump?
• Is there a ‘scientifically’ ideal location?
• What is the difference between a repository, a store and a dump?
• Is this just a stop gap measure?

SPEAKERS:
• Professor Peter Johnston - Applied Physics, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Peter is a member of the Radiation Heath and Safety Advisory Committee and the Nuclear Safety Committee (both established under the ARPANS Act). Peter was part of the Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review (UMPNER) and is the Senior Scientific Adviser to the traditional owners of the former nuclear weapons test sites at Maralinga and Emu, South Australia. Peter has also provided advice to traditional landowners about the consequences of the National Radioactive Waste Repository. | Listen to Peter (mp3) | Peter's PowerPoint presentation (pdf)

• Dr Gerald Laurence - Visiting Lecturer at Adelaide University and Radiation Safety Consultant to Adelaide University and Flinders University.
Gerald was a member of the Australian Ionizing Radiation Council from 1990-95 and is a member of the South Australian Radiation Protection Committee. Gerald was part of the National Store Advisory Committee, an independent, expert committee which advised the government on locating a storage facility for long-lived intermediate level radioactive waste in 2001. | Listen to Gerald (mp3) | Gerald's PowerPoint presentation (pdf)

Watch the full presentation by clicking here

For further information, please contact the AusSMC on 08 8207 7415 or email us.

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