Australia has about one third of the known uranium reserves in the world but is only the third largest supplier of uranium oxide concentrate to the world energy market. Currently, there are only three uranium mines in Australia with almost all of the uranium mined being exported to Australia. Australia does not use nuclear power and only has a few research reactors. All of the uranium oxide exported from Australia is intended for use in power reactors or research reactors.
Since the 1950s, Dourneay on the North West coast of Scotland near Caithness has been the site of U.K. nuclear research. There are five nuclear reactors located there. A great deal of work was done on the development of fast breeder reactors as well as nuclear reactors for propelling submarines. Most of these reactors and other facilities have been shut down and are in the process of decommissioning. A commercial operation to reprocess nuclear fuel was shut down in 1998.
The Dounreay Waste Substitution Policy of 2012 provides for the reprocessing of nuclear waste from reactors in Australia, Belgium, Germany and Italy before it is returned to its country of origin. The reprocessing lowers the radioactivity and danger the spent nuclear fuel before it is permanently disposed in its home country.
Under the terms of the Waste Substitution Policy, the small amount of waste from Australia can be swapped for other waste that is radiologically equivalent to the Australian waste. This waste will come from the nuclear facilities at Sellafield in Cumbria in northern England. The shipment of the substituted waste is scheduled to take place in 2020. When it arrives in Australia, it will be stored temporarily at Sydney before being shipped to the final disposal site.
Wallerberdina, about three hundred miles north of Adelaide in southeast Australia, is a priceless Aboriginal heritage site rich in archaeological treasures including burial mounds, fossilized bones and stone tools. The Adnyamathanha Aboriginal tribe has a protected site at Wallerberdina where they have the right to hunt.
Now Wallerberdina has been selected as a possible location for the first permanent nuclear waste disposal site in Australia. There have been protests against the selection of Wallerberdina to store nuclear waste. The waste disposal site would be right next to the Aboriginal hunting grounds. Gary Cushway, a man with dual British/Australia citizenship, wrote a letter to the leader of Scotland requesting that the selection of Wallerberdina as a possible permanent nuclear waste disposal site be reviewed by the Scottish government.
In response to the letter, the Scottish government radioactive waste and nuclear decommissioning policy advisor said that “developing an understanding of the issues will help the Scottish Government as we seek assurances from the U.K. government that human rights of indigenous peoples are understood by all parties and addressed before any final decision is taken to transport the Australian produced radioactive waste to Australia. Your correspondence to the Scottish Government highlighted important human rights concerns and international obligations in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples. My colleagues and I would like to offer you a meeting to discuss the human rights issues in more detail to ensure we fully understand your concerns as well as those expressed by Ms McKenzie and other indigenous peoples groups in Australia. A meeting would be an opportunity to discuss Scotland’s devolved responsibilities in relation to both human rights and radioactive waste management.”
Cushway appreciated the response from the Scottish government and said, “In terms of how important this is, on a recent visit to one of the proposed sites I met with local Adnyamathanha people opposed to the dump who expressed enormous gratitude that a international government had acknowledged traditional owners concerns and hoped that their ongoing stewardship of their country would be fully recognized and respected as a key part of these proposals."
Dourneay nuclear facilities in Scotland:
