Of all the nouns attached to the term nuclear, 'dump' is not the most offensive or emotive and 'energy' barely registers alongside consideration of the words 'weapon' or 'accident'. 'Contamination' is fairly ugly and today Bob Carr used the word 'nuclear' in conjunction with 'terrorist attack'. All the peer reviewed journal articles and specialist jargon in the world won't change people's minds while the word 'nuclear' is so easily graspable in negative terms.

Taanstasfl's post reveals only his ignorance. An alpha particle is a nucleus of helium minus its "orbiting" electrons. I did not say an alpha particle is a heavy metal; I said plutonium is. And while it's true that alpha particles are very short range, that's no help if the emitter is already inside one's body. Alpha particles are massive (compared to betas [electrons] and gammas [zero mass high energy photons]) and do a lot of damage to molecules they impact in their short journeys. This is why alpha emitters are dangerous. And of course plutomium is chemically toxic as well even were it not radioactive at all.

Anti-Green,

CHERNOBYL

I do believe that the rate of leukemia and other cancers near this nuclear power generation facility were definately above the median rate in the ukraine, and remain so.

Sorry, could not help myself.

However,

I am in favour of Uranium mining, what i have significant issues with is the control of the fuel after use. I feel that Australia should act to take charge of as much of this potentially fissile material, and also assorted non-fissile material, all of which is capable of being used to make weapons (non-fissile radioactive waste would probably make fairly effeicient dirty bombs).

The required installation will be in the Northern Territory, and the Norhtern Land Council has already suggested that it is willing to provide the site, in return for long-term (seriously) job creation, for local residents, and traditional owners. This will solve a global problem, and provide serious economic benefit for the long tern economic prosperity of both Aboriginal Native Title owners, and the Northern Territory, with the added benefit of co-operation being the ability to provide a culturally appropriate site for the storage facility.

Ironically, the employment and economic benefits from the storage of uranim and other radioactive material will replace those that will be lost when the Ranger mine winds up in the near future. i like it, replacing radioactive material, with radioactive material, and getting paid double for the privelege.

NICE