By Noel Wauchope

The tangled nuclear web of lies and half-truths – can we believe that Australia will refuse to take USA toxic wastes?

Today comes one of those amazing bits of news that a national government, in this case, Australia it seems, has actually listened and responded to the many voices of peace and environment activists who are shocked at the proposed Naval Nuclear Propulsion Treaty. This Treaty would benefit the USA, but not Australia, and would make Australia responsible for high level nuclear wastes from U.S/UK nuclear submarines.

If we can believe the Labor government – they are going to stand up to the USA and the UK, and refuse to accept high level toxic radioactive trash from USA.

The latest information on Australia getting nuclear submarines is that as early as 2027, the United States will begin rotational presence in the Western Australia facility. Ultimately, there will be up to four U.S. Virginia-class submarines and one United Kingdom Astute-class submarine at HMAS Stirling.

So these nuclear submarines will be stationed in Australia, but owned by the USA and UK, not by Australia.

Well, here are a couple of clauses from this jargon-filled proposed Treaty:

Article IV – D

Australia shall be responsible for the management, disposition, storage, and disposal of any spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste resulting from the operation of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plants transferred pursuant to this Article, including radioactive waste generated through submarine operations, maintenance, decommissioning, and disposal.

Annex B: Section 1 – Special Nuclear Material

Such Power Units shall contain highly enriched uranium and, only with respect to irradiated fuel, may contain plutonium.

Friends of the Earth are among the many who have sounded the warning:

“Minister for Defence Richard Marles has stated that Australia would not accept radioactive waste from overseas, but this has not been explicitly ruled out in the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023 currently before Parliament. The words of an under-pressure defence minister in 2024 are unlikely to count for much decades hence if Australian legislation and the Agreement between Australia, the UK and the US do not prohibit the acceptance of foreign spent nuclear fuel.”

It is important to acknowledge Australia’s poor history regarding radioactive waste disposal facilities.

How is the Australian government going to twist their way around THIS ONE!

I’d really like to believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who once was a noble opponent of the military-industrial-nuclear complex.

PM Albanese has been adroit at making himself a “small target” for both the Opposition nuclear enthusiasts, and for his own Labor Party members who deplore the AUKUS nuclear deal. No doubt he will rely on the mealy-mouthed USA-sycophant defence Minister Richard Marles to spin the story on this.