Govt nuclear dump plan 'one-sided'
Anti-nuclear campaigners say traditional owners need to hear both sides of the argument about building a nuclear dump at Muckaty station, near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.
The Federal Government is considering the site for a nuclear waste facility and the Northern Land Council supports the site's selection, saying traditional Ngapa landowners also welcome it.
But anti-nuclear campaigners say they will be trying to give the public access to information about the waste dump proposal at a meeting in Tennant Creek today.
The Arid Lands Environment Centre says the Federal Government and the Northern Land Council have presented a one-sided proposal to Muckaty's traditional owners.
Nuclear campaigner Dr Jim Green says their request to hold a public debate was denied, so they will be presenting their concerns this afternoon at Tennant Creek Training Centre.
"The main reasons for that concern are the Government's track record of mismanaging nuclear projects and the worst example of that is the Maralinga nuclear test site in South Australia," he said.
"There is literally tonnes of plutonium-contaminated debris buried in shallow unlined pits in totally unsuitable geology."
A spokesman for Federal Science Minister Julie Bishop says the site assessment process will be completed by early next year.
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/08/2084916.htm