Jim Green's article demonstrates indeed the paradox of Australia's federal governments' insistence on the need for a central repositary for radioactive trash, while in reality, passing off the problem of existing radioactive wastes as a responsibility of the States.

Jim Green makes the most sensible suggestion - for the government to seriously face up to the question of radioactive trash management, by setting up an independent Commission of Inquiry.

Other questions arise from facing up to this issue. We know that Australia is legally bound to take back the Lucas Heights high level wastes that were processed overseas.

But why continue to produce this radioactive trash?

Medical isotopes can be made in other ways, not requiring a nuclear reactor. That might cost more, in the short run. But looking at the experience overseas - it's clear that in the long run, dealing with radioactive wastes from nuclear reactors is heinously expensive.

Anyway, the production of radiopharmaceuticals at Lucas Heights is very much a secondary function there - tacked on to give it respectability.
Australia has a great opportunity - to shut down its one nuclear reactor, and remain firmly in line with the great majority of world nations - as a nuclear-free country, exporting clean agricultural products.

What a great ideas.

Well a great idea if you think we need yet another multi million dollar commission, staffed by a bunch of idiot academics, green activists, & lawyers.

Even better would be the new Quango it would recommend to control nuclear waste. That should provide lots of jobs for do nothing academics, & have a billion dollar or so budget.

You can't skimp on these talk fests you know.

Jim Green asking for an independent review? The same Jim Green who rejects anything that does not agree with the Friends of the Earth storyline? The one who cites his own unreviewed on-line postings in order to add a veneer of fake respectability to his subsequent writings?

An independent review satisfactory to Jim Green would be one where he would first hand pick the reviewers and then hand pick the facts.

I don't see the problem, encase it all in concrete and drop it to the ocean floor at the subduction borders, it will eventually be absorbed into the mantle beneath, putting it well beyond any possible threat to humanity.

In reply to Hasbeen and JohnBennetts
First - I am surprised that anyone would see it as such a trivial matter that radioactive trash management does not need a serious independent inquiry - seeing that successive governments over several years have tried to put a radioactive dump on Aboriginal land, and wasted much time, energy and tax-payer money in that effort.

Secondly, if JohnBennetts is so confident of this "deep ocean" radioactive waste solution, - it's also surprising that USA, UK, Japan, Finland, Sweden have all rejected this idea.
So far, Russia is the one country that has used the ocean dumping plan, and in this has brought on a whole heap of problems in the Arctic Ocean.

Thirdly, it seems that JohnBennetts, unable to answer the quite conservative and reasoned argument by Jim Green, has resorted to the time honoured tactic of the pro nuclear lobby, of denigrating him, rather than attempting to assess his argument.

Sorry it was not JohnBennetts, but G'dayBruce who put up the "deep ocean radioactive dumping" idea.