One has to wonder why Senator Scott Ludlam makes no mention of the great contribution nuclear science and technology has made to human welfare. Special mention can made to such diverse disciplines as medicine and health science; the pursuit of the physical, biological and earth sciences; the generation of clean power; multiple engineering and industrial applications such as radiation gauges, gamma sterilisation; neutron beam analysis of materials and much more.

Nuclear medicine uses radio nuclides both for the clinical diagnosis and treatment certain diseases. Pathologists use radio isotopes in some assay systems. Medical researchers in many sub disciplines have found radioactive techniques indispensible for the elucidation of biological process for the express purpose of the alleviation of human and veterinary suffering. So when the Senator writes of “the deadly poison of radiation,” he is indulging in meaningless hyperbole.

If the good Senator would take the trouble to consult “The World Nuclear Association” website he would learn that there are well accepted techniques for disposal of radioactive waste, from reprocessing of spent fuel to under ground storage. He would also learn that many countries have a very active program in this regard. By the way, some two million years ago the geological conditions were appropriate of a natural reactor to operate at Oklo, located in Gabon, a country on the Atlantic coast of equatorial Arica. Nature has shown that the radio active bye products can be safely contained.

A finally point, the phrase “radioactive migraine” is totally meaningless. A brief Google search indicates that the phrase only appears in the anti-nuclear rants of the Green movement.

I think that the NT and indigenous communities could do rather well out of nuclear waste disposal. If I recall the traditional owners of Muckaty Station negotiated a $12m fee for that purpose. I suspect that yellowcake transhipment from SA greatly helps the viability of the Adelaide-Darwin railway.

My understanding is the the Lucas Heights heavy water seepage was from an inner container to an outer container. Apparently cows shouldn't drink heavy water due to its chemistry, plus it's expensive. Perhaps the Greens can explain how to wean Australia off coal at a cost of under $100bn and without squandering our natural gas reserves that we'll need long run for minor things like fertiliser.

I agree anti-green and Tas

I can imagine the Greens were mortified when Federal Labor saw sense on gaining office and didn't reverse waste dump intentions.

Most major countries like China and India are building nuclear reactors partially as an effective way to reduce greenhouse emissions. This should be applauded by Greens.

Would the Greens prefer nuclear waste be retained in unstable earthquake and flood regions putting peasants at risk or would it be better to place the waste in stable containment sites in our less populated deserts?

When the Greens insist that there are no safe waste management options and then want to open the issue up to electoral debate I suspect Greens may hope for a scare campaign to boost their Party's image.

Pete

Once again hysteria being shown by the Greens, a real chicken little outfit screaming from the sidelines that it is all too hard.
Mankind has dealt with all types of toxic substances including the likes of mercury and asbestos (both will last forever) for many many years.
Once the problem is identified it is an engineering exercise to remove the risk.
Personally I would build a thorium based reactor to convert the high level waste and the medium to low level waste could go the Woodlawn bio-reactor outside Tarago.
This bio reactor is already "watertight" so there would be no leaching of material from the site.
No person would bother to retrieve a little bit of radioactive material from many millions of tonnes of waste from Sydney.
The industrial process to do so would be just too hard and very easy to recognise.

A trip down the nuke lane - Ozzie style:

1. 1976: Dr Sabine - NSW physicist recommends a nuke dump 1600 kms west of Alice Springs.

Note: Right in the middle of the iron ore rich Pilbara region!

2. 1977: Professor H Arndt Economist ANU believes Australia should offer the rest of the world a part of the Gibson Desert for a nuke dump.

3. 1984: Kalgoorlie Mayor Ray Finlayson says the Goldfields and the outback ideal nuke dumping ground - develop inland by nuke explosions. Wot!

4. 1986: Sir Ernest Titterton (UWA) says all the nuke generated in the world could be safely stored down an old mine shaft. Hmmm....I trust he wasn't referring to the ones the Kalgoorlie Super Pit has now swallowed.

5. 1988: Rhoune Poulenc releases details on proposal to transport 7,000 tonnes of thorium hydroxide in plastic bags to be buried on the WA Goldfields for 25 years. Hmmmm again!

6. 1988: CSIRO chair Neville Wran says Australia should dispose of the US and Soviet's nuke warheads. Huh?

7. 1991: Health Dept releases EMP proposed waste for WA's unmanned Mt Walton intractable LL radioactive waste dump, up to Item No. 462. Includes 2 items of plutonium.

8. 1993: Health Dept's final report up to No. 802 which now includes 4 items of plutonium

9. 1994: Xtalite Corp a subsidiary of Multiplex Constructions said disused mine shafts on WA's goldfields could be used to store toxic waste from Asia. Really? Funny that since our mining companies can't even contain their cyanide and mercury spills.

10. 1994: As a result of court action brought against ANSTO by the Sutherland Shire Council NSW, about 10,000 drums of radioactive waste were transported by road to Woomera in December 1994. The CSIRO waste was considered to be dry, but during transport liquid was found to be leaking from one of the drums.

11. 2007: Mr Swiztowski advises Australia requires 25 nuke reactors. Assuming they take about 15 years to construct - let's see. Worst case scenario - one every 15 years multiplied by 25. Yep mission completed in circa 2383!

Whenever I see an article on this subject, I am reminded of Konrad Henlein's immortal words, which have been the basis for a wonderful careers and superb retirement for all sorts of fringe politicians.

He said:

"We must make demands that cannot be satisfied."

Need I say more?

Yes indeed Perdsus

A minor correction to your post though - "fringed" should read "unfringed!"

This month, Germany has been engulfed in a discussion over how to best handle nuclear waste, after it surfaced that several leaks threaten security at a dumping site in Lower Saxony state.

"German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel did not beat around the bush. The dumping site in the Asse mountain range in northern Germany is "the most problematic nuclear facility in all of Europe," he said last week, after a report drawn up by Lower Saxony's Environment Ministry highlighted the rapidly deteriorating security at a site that holds some 125,000 rusty barrels of nuclear waste.

"According to the report, the site's operator, the Helmholtz Center, a Munich-based research organization, for years has dumped radioactive waste into the site, neglecting its deteriorating security. Over the past decades, some 3,170 gallons of salty base have been flushing into the site each day, and barrels with waste have leaked, adding to the problem.

"Engineers predict that Asse, a former salt mine, will endure no more than seven years before it could collapse. Asse already has "as many holes as Swiss cheese," Gabriel told the German mass-selling daily newspaper Bild.

"In Germany, where opposition to nuclear energy is strong, the blame game is now in full swing. Gabriel has blamed the Helmholtz Center and Lower Saxony's state mining office for not adhering "to the required regulations for radioactive protection."

"The violations surrounding Asse are so outrageous that state prosecutors in the city of Braunschweig have decided to launch a criminal investigation into the matter."

So let's not dwell on the "unfringed" misfits of the '40s Plerdsus.

Enter the 21st century Plerdsus, where the scientifically "enlightened" developed countries' nuclear programmes are being controlled by "unfringed" lunatic politicians and their sidekicks, who continue to "make demands that cannot be satisfied!"

And we have not yet touched on the G8 countries' commitment of millions of dollars to clean up (smile) Russia's nuclear trash whilst poor old Australia fiddles away and can't even get one reactor to work!

"Scare campaign" Pete?

Huh?

What a yawn! There are many far more dangerous toxins and harmful substances on the planet - asbestos, arsenic, cyanide, strychnine - none of which decay over time, yet we have no trouble finding safe and secure waste disposal processes and localities for these materials. Why? Because politicians like Ludlam prefer to win a few votes from people who respond to scare stories rather than accept that nuclear energy is just another tool that should be used wisely and safely like any other tool available to humanity.

Bernie Masters

Why have you chosen to ignore the evidence in the previous post and continue dumbing down the hard facts?:

"There are many far more dangerous toxins and harmful substances on the planet - asbestos, arsenic, cyanide, strychnine - none of which decay over time, yet we have no trouble finding safe and secure waste disposal processes and localities for these materials."

Safe and secure waste disposal processes Bernie Masters?

There remains an ignominious documented history of irresponsibility in the handling of those chemicals.

I remind you of the cyanide spill in Romania in 2000 which contaminated four rivers where the toxic effects were found in Hungary, Serbia Bulgaria etc. 100,000 cubic metres containing 100 tonnes of cyanide and Hungarian officials claimed that all animal life in the Hungarian section of the River Szamos were wiped out. Strange you haven't mentioned that since Esmeralda, the mine owners were West Australian.

One truck transporting 120 tonnes of cyanide lost its load last year in the NT - the second spill in five years.

There has also been some 30 cyanide spills in the last five years, causing havoc in water systems across the world.

I recall a huge arsenic spill in a bay in Cuba where officials stated it would take ten years of natural cleansing before the bay was safe.

Wesfarmers in WA were also prosecuted for dumping 1032 kilograms of arsenic into Cockburn Sound.

So you believe the "safe and secure" practice of river dumping is a mere "bagatel" Bernie Masters? You would be well aware that Perth's major rivers are now constantly on life support and marine life has depleted at a rapid rate.

Asbestos? Need I say more on the disgraceful history in Australia and the subsequent deaths of workers, used as cannon fodder?

The history of Australia's handling of radioactive waste is recorded under "spills, leaks and breaches" but you would also be aware of that and no doubt on the Maralinga "clean-up."

I deal in documented facts Bernie Masters and facts are what the Australian people seek - not obfuscations from the industry's masters-of-spin.

Excellent post Dickie.

Which really underscores the need for cleaning up our act in every facet of industry - in fact the focus on nuclear waste while of grave importance, has taken the aim off other polluting practices.

Smoke and mirrors, yes?

Dear dickie and Fractelle,
You give the impression that, with 6 billion people on the planet, we should be somehow living in a state of absolute perfection, never making a mistake. It may be time for you to wake up and realise that we all live in a world full of imperfections where, with luck, we won't make any monumental stuff-ups like having a nuclear war or destroying our planet's currently hospitable atmosphere.
The examples you gave, dickie, of problems with arsenic and a few other substances are, while serious at the local level, need to be viewed at the global level, where they can be seen to be regrettable (and hopefully not to be repeated) but relatively unimportant. While this may sound a bit callous, we should view them as learning experiences that will ultimately lead us to a position where we either never need to use these materials again or where we really do know how to handle them safely.
The problem with Ludlam's article remains that he deliberately fails to look at the global picture and instead (like many Greens) tries to scare us into making emotional decisions that are devoid of sound science in the hope that his political party will get a few extra votes.

Bernie Masters

I am well aware that we do not or will not live in a "state of absolute perfection." In addition most researched posters would disagree when you allude to "our planet's currently hospitable atmosphere." Have you yet been advised of anthropogenic climate change?

Furthermore, I assure you my criticisms are raised at a global level.

You are suggesting that the mining and management of a nuclear industry in this country can be conducted in a responsible fashion. Alas, I do not agree.

Australian owned and/or Australian based mining companies are internationally recognised as opportunistic thugs, pillaging the lands of others and leaving a big mess:

Currently abounding, are litigations and investigations around the world, against Australian companies:

1. Villagers in Papua New Guinea are suing BHP Billiton for $5 billion:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/villagers-sue-bhp-billiton-for-5bn/2007/01/19/1169095978975.html

2. Alcoa is being investigated for fraud in Bahrain:

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidDN20080228000013

3. Barrick, AngloGold and Newmont are held responsible for trashing the lands of Africa:

"Cyanide and mercury contamination of the groundwater had led to cases of paralysis, blindess and numerous miscarriages:"

http://www.terradaily.com/2007/071009154249.xytavr0w.html

4. In the Philippines, "some 500 villagers from Rapu-Rapu had set up camp in front of the Albay Provincial Capitol demanding that the Australian-owned Lafayette Mining Ltd be closed down permanently. Likewise, the protesters are demanding compensation for mining-affected communities:"

http://bicoltoday.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/protest-against-lafayette-mining-heats-up/

5. Again in the Philippines, "OceanaGold has caused widespread community displacement, human rights violations, economic dislocation, environmental devastation and social disputes in the indigenous people (IP) communities in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya as illustrated by the following violations of economic, social, cultural, and human rights:"

http://www.kalikasan.org/kalikasan-cms-new/

I do recall providing you with the following link in a previous thread. Why do you resist acknowledging the details?:

6. http://protestbarrick.net/downloads/barrick_report.pdf

There are several more links I can provide, at your request.

Please now provide me with a sensible reason why the people of Australia should place their trust in the "Big" Australians (and their sycophantic and collusive regulators) in the safe management of a nuclear waste dump.

Bernie

NO system is ever perfect, however your attempt to cast aspersions on a reasonable practices in handling toxic waste is a very poor attempt to side track the debate.

Fortunately there are many of the 6 billion people on this planet who can and do aspire towards sustainable practices. I remain ever optimistic in spite of people who fear change so much, they prefer "business as usual".

Bernie there is even action you can take yourself:]

Top-10-E-waste-Facts:

1. Australians discard more than 10,000 tonnes of used batteries every year
2. 75 per cent of the 3 million computers bought in Australia every year will end up in landfill
3. Electronic waste is responsible for 70 per cent of the toxics chemicals such as lead, cadmium and mercury found in landfill
4. Business accounts for 50 per cent of annual computer sales in Australia
5. More than 7 million mobile phones are sold in Australia every year
6. The average life of a mobile phone is two years
7. Less than 5 per cent of mobile phones are recycled
8. Electronic waste is one of the top five priority items under extended producer responsibility
9. E-waste is being sent to landfill at three times the rate of general waste
10. Manufacturing of a standard desktop uses 1.8 tonnes of materials, including at least 240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of chemicals and 1.500 litres of water (Source: True green at work: 100 ways to make the environment your business)

9-Tips-for-reducing-business e-waste:

1. Buy good quality, repairable office equipment
2. Print double-sided
3. Buy equipment for producers that undertake to collect and recycle at the end of life
4. Donate your mobile phone to Clean Up Australia
5. Join an industry group; learn what works from one another
6. Switch from printed publications to interactive-electronic formats
7. Buy five-star white goods for your office
8. Use rechargeable batteries
9. Donate old office equipment to schools, charities/organisations that refurbish or reuse them

http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/aid;52

That's very interesting data you have provided Fractelle.

And we have not yet touched on the hazardous waste industry where governments continue to permit this mob to establish hazardous waste processing plants in close proximity to residential areas.

These self-regulated plants handle some of the most hazardous wastes known to man - dioxins, biological, clinical and pharmaceutical wastes, radioactive fly-ash, perchlorates, pesticides, solvents, chromium, cyanide, mercury, copper, hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acids, contaminated soils etc. etc.

In WA, a competent committee was established by former Premier Geoff Gallop, to find proper and ethical methods in the management of hazardous waste. The committee comprised of scientists, union reps, community and shire reps, haz waste reps and so on.

After almost three years of dedicated research the committee's recommendations to cabinet, if approved and legislated, would have seen an efficient, legislated and safe industry treating these wastes 3-6 kilometres from any community. The hazardous waste industry would have been compelled to wear the additional transport costs and the construction of new facilities.

Alas, to the amazement of all, environment minister, Mark McGowan, sacked the committee without explanation.

The multi-national hazardous waste industry is extremely influential and what better strategies to employ than Julian Grill (ex politician, ex WA Inc and business partner to Brian Burke) as a lobbyist to manipulate their mouthpieces in our houses of parliament? Grill is currently the subject of an enquiry by the Crime and Corruption Committee.

In the meantime, community outrage continues and the hazardous waste industry is happy in their work!

Dickie, I must be getting old but I can't remember the names of the co-chairs of the waste management committee you mention in your post. One was from the Chamber of Commerce but the other was chair of ACE - Alliance for a Clean Environment or something like that. A friend heard him talk to a group of students at Murdoch University some years back and he unashamedly told them that their protests against the pre-Gallop Liberal government were orchestrated to deliver maximum media coverage in the lead-up to a state election. So, while I'm not able to question your motives, there's no doubt that this guys motives were political and that his protestations about waste management were largely contrived.
I'm grateful to Fractelle for his or her lists of suggested actions, but the problem is that all of these eminently desirable actions aren't being implemented by the bulk of our Australian community. Less than 10% of older houses have ceiling insulation and less than 20% of all houses have solar hot water systems.
Dickie, there must be tens of thousands of mining operations around the world and the fact that 10 or 20 of them are causing or have caused problems doesn't cause me to paint them all with the same brush. Their actions may be unacceptable but I don't condemn an entire industry just on the basis of a few bad examples.
The bottom line is that we have the technology but not the political will to solve almost all of our waste problems, including disposal of radioactive waste.

Bernie Masters

Mary Askey (Chamber of Commerce) and Lee Bell were Co-chairs of the Core Consultative Committee on Hazardous Waste.

Bell's expert criticisms have been directed at both major parties.

Richard Court was Premier of WA from '93 to 2001. During the Liberal Party's reign, a time-bomb was ticking.

On 15/02/2001, it blew up. The Bellevue hazardous waste plant exploded - the largest chemical fire in Australia's history - exploding drums of unknown substances dropped from the skies over the unsuspecting community.

In 2000, your parliamentary colleague, Cheryl Edwards, proudly opened a hazardous waste plant in Kalgoorlie - 500 metres from a restaurant and a fuel depot.

Around 2001/2, residents were becoming ill from being force-fed toxic emissions at the Brookdale hazardous waste plant - located 400 metres from a primary school. In fact, resident, Lee Bell's son had such a high reading of lead they were forced to abandon the family home.

Such was the community outrage that the Labor government dumped the hazardous waste at Total Waste Management in Kalgoorlie where the toxic emissions continued to choke the life from residents. As a result, a protest march of over 400 Goldfields' citizens occurred - to no avail.

In the matter of the Core Consultative Committee's majority consensus on the management of hazardous waste, the lobbying efforts of Julian Grill and a scathing attack on the CCC, by the Chamber of Commerce to Cabinet, sealed its fate.

However, the corrupt Labor Party did not win government until 10 February 2001, therefore, you as a former Liberal MP, in the Court government, must also accept responsibility for the poisoning of WA.

"The bottom line is that we have the technology but not the political will to solve almost all of our waste problems, including disposal of radioactive waste."

Waste problems will not disappear by political will alone Bernie Masters but from the industry's will to develop a culture of altruism and ethical practice and a higher regard for its victims rather than the status quo - corrupt management (and corrupt bureaucrats) and a maniacal zest for maximum profits!

dickie, I was a member of the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the Bellevue fire and I visited the Forrestfield treatment plant a couple of times so I know a bit about these issues. The high lead reading you mention wasn't due to anything the treatment plant was doing - lead wasn't being processed - so Paddy Cullen and his friends were simply beating up an issue to win votes, not to protect the environment. There were no reports of any health problems as a result of the Kalgoorlie waste treatment plant.
You'll have to do better than these examples to convince me that 'poisoning of WA' was anything more than a figment of some environmentalists' imagination.

Bernie Masters

I apologise for attributing the high lead levels to Brookdale. My memory over several years, since reading the reports, failed me. The lead levels were in fact a result of yet another disastrous blunder in the management of hazardous waste in Bellevue – the Omex waste oil site. Your then Liberal Health Minister, Peter Foss described Lee Bell as “an absolute bullduster” despite the fact that taxpayers footed a bill of some $6.9 million to clean up this disgraceful site (See Oztoxic – Page 2:)

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:hKr49DaY2fQJ:www.oztoxics.org/cmwg/library/documents_1/env%2520justice%2520in%2520Aust.pdf+omex+disaster+bellevue+clean-up+costs&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&lr=lang_en

As for the lead levels in Brookdale, let's see how the Department of Environment squirmed their way out of that:

http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,/gid,1812/task,doc_details/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=1812&Itemid=99999999

And why should we accept any findings from these crooks when I have, through Freedom of Information, an in-house email distributed by then senior bureaucrat, Phillip Hines over community concerns with Brookdale. It was subsequently published in the West or Sunday Times and went something like this:

“Oh dioxin – oops there goes my breast milk. I feel another cancer coming on. There’s another dioxin!”

We are agreed on one thing – that Paddy Cullen’s appraisal of Brookdale was a bit of a beat-up, however, do you at least know what chemicals Brookdale were treating?

“There were no reports of any health problems as a result of the Kalgoorlie waste treatment plant.”

No Bernie Masters. That’s because none have been performed. In fact hardly any resident new the waste plant existed prior to the dumping of Brookdale’s waste. In addition, the people of the Goldfields have been gagged since the odours have been reduced – a result of the plant owners utilising yet another chemical to mask the odours from their evaporation ponds.

If you understood environmental toxicology you would realise that masking odours does not mitigate the emissions of hazardous chemicals over the community. Chemicals which are odourless, invisible and silent!

As a result of the Bellevue chemical fire, a large underground hazardous plume is now heading for the Helena River which also feeds into the Swan River:

contd....

Mr Robert "RAtkins" Director of the Department of Environment and Conservation says research has uncovered a concentrated plume of toxins directly under the original site of the fire and another larger plume from years of chemicals leaching into the ground from the Waste Control site....He admits if the plume reaches the river it could have dire consequences.

“Many of them are highly toxic chemicals that are toxic to wildlife. It will really depend on what concentration they are by the time they get to the river” he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/wa/content/2006/s1671815.htm

Bernie, you were on the Bellevue Fire parliamentary committee but have obfuscated the findings:

Finding 11

The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Minerals and Energy continued to licence Waste Control despite consistent non- compliance with licence conditions.

Finding 18

The Cabinet approved loan of $100,000 to remove the 1999 backlog of drums from the Waste Control premises was ineffective in dealing with the long-term regulatory and operational failures.

Finding 23

Despite evidence of Waste Control’s:

repeated breaches of its licence conditions;

its lack of funds to comply with upgrades/rectification of breaches;

and:

general poor management of the site,

the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Minerals and Energy continued to issue operational licences with conditions, with only minor improvements in Waste Control’s performance.

Finding 42

There was a systemic breakdown in standards and mechanisms intended to protect human and environmental health and safety.

Mr Mitchell representing the Crown stated:

In 1999, approximately 2000 205-litre drums of waste dating back up to 10 years were held on the premises. The manner of storage of much of this waste did not comply with the requirements of the Dangerous Goods Act and the Explosives and Dangerous Goods Handling and Storage Regulations 1992.34

http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/commit.nsf/(Report+Lookup+by+Com+ID)/90472DFBF80F6C1A48256BE5002D604E/$file/BellevueFinalReport2.pdf

During all these catastrophes, I was naively, a paid up member of the Liberal Party!

Tut tut Bernie Masters - free trader - though free for whom? You'll have to do better than these examples to convince me that the 'poisoning of WA' was merely a figment of some environmentalists' imagination.

2.6 million square kilometres of land in WA and you can only come up with 3 or 4 significantly polluted sites. An objective person would conclude that we've done pretty well to date in managing our wastes and to claim that we've 'poisoned WA' is simply untrue.
Bellevue was a disaster waiting to happen because there was no overall plan for managing the wastes from dry cleaners. No govt official or minister was found to have acted contrary to the interests of the state, even though there were 3 Labor members on the 5 person committee and the fire happened a few days after the change of govt in 2001, giving the new govt every opportunity to bag Cheryl Edwardes, but they didn't because she didn't do anything wrong.
dickie, I look at the 2,599,990 square kilometres of WA that aren't seriously polluted and congratulate the bureaucrats and past govts who have done a good job under difficult circumstances.

Bernie Masters

Again, you appear unaware that Australia is the largest polluter per capita in the world. In addition, you need to understand the nature of emissions where many industrial chemicals are transboundary and capable of travelling many miles from the source.

Apart from the science on anthropogenic emissions, the NEPC during 1998, estimated there were 80,000 contaminated sites in this country –a large proportion was a result of unremediated mine sites, therefore, industry, bureaucrats and politicians have performed appallingly.

Of course when you have lawyers, bankers and candlestick makers in charge of the Environment and Mining portfolios, what can one expect?

In fairness to your party, I congratulate Dr Kim Hames (Acting Chairman of the Inquiry into the Esperance Lead scandal) who, in the following preamble, exposed the criminal intent of yet another mining company (and other cockroaches:)

“Firstly it amazes me that, in this day and age of modern methods of mining, transport, monitoring and assessment, it takes the death of native birds, like the canaries of old, to alert the people of the Town of Esperance to the poisoning of their community.

“.........The Committee has done its absolute best to elucidate these failures – with a feeling of disbelief and outrage, on behalf of the Esperance Community.

“The Committee has identified major failings in DEC’s industry regulation function and shortcomings in other regulatory agencies.

"The Committee believes that these regulatory failures combined with the irresponsible and possibly unlawful conduct of the Esperance Port Authority, Magellan Metals and BIS Industrial Logistics, exposed workers and the community to unacceptable and avoidable health and environmental risks.”

Alas, no allusions to the failings of the colluding Ministers for the Environment and Mining, whose determinations are final!

So whilst we’re on the subject of crooks, cronies and cash cows, coupled with a sensation of deja vu, I provide you with an historical account on the past shenanigans of the Uranium Club:

http://www.foe.org.au/resources/chain-reaction/chain-reaction-editions/chain-reaction-100/famous-moments-in-foe-history-exposing-the-uranium-cartel-in-1976