urg:::Lucas Heights Faulty Faults

[Gavin Mudd]

Posted :Sun, 23 Jun 2002 8:55 AEST

Greens Senator determined to fight Sydney reactor


Greens Senator Bob Brown says he is determined to fight the construction of
Sydney's new nuclear reactor.

An earthquake fault line has been discovered on the site adjacent to the
existing reactor at Lucas Heights in the city's south.

The proponent of the project, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation, insists it will continue construction.

The safety agency ARPANSA, meanwhile, is carrying out testing to determine
whether the project is under threat.

Senator Brown said the federal and state governments would be irresponsible
to allow the project to proceed even if the risk is small.


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Posted :Sat, 22 Jun 2002 6:27 AEST

Nuclear safety body under pressure after fault line discovered


The Federal Government's nuclear safety body is coming under increasing
pressure to review plans for a new nuclear reactor in Sydney's south after
an earthquake fault line was discovered at the site.

The proponent of the reactor has vowed to proceed with construction despite
concerns the site is unstable.

The Opposition, the Democrats and Greens Senator Bob Brown want the reactor
planned for Lucas Heights reviewed and will raise the matter in the Senate
next week.

The proponent, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation,
is insisting, construction will proceed, a view at odds with the safety
agency Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
that is carrying out testing to determine whether the project is under
threat.

The Shadow Minister for Science and Research Kim Carr has called on the
agency to outline the implications of the discovery.

"I want to see them fulfill their legislative responsibilities, we can make
some judgements when we know the facts," Senator Carr said.

The Democrats, Senator Brown and the Sutherland Shire Council argue there is
enough doubt over the safety of the project to warrant its cancellation.


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Reactor on quake fault line

22jun02


OPPONENTS of Australia's only nuclear reactor yesterday demanded the
controversial facility be closed after it was found to be sitting on an
earthquake fault line.

The fault line was discovered during a routine examination as excavation
gets underway at the site of the replacement reactor at Lucas Heights in
Sydney's south.

Don Macnab, director of the regulatory branch of the Federal Government's
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency said the discovery
had only just come to light and more information was needed. "All we have is
we know that it exists," he said.

"Further work needs to be done to find out the extent of it and what its age
is and until that work is done, it's premature to be saying what the
implications are."

ARPANSA granted a construction licence in April for Argentinian company
INVAP to build the replacement reactor despite pleas from environmentalists,
community groups and local councillors to block the plan.

The existing reactor will be decommissioned once the new reactor starts work
in 2005.


© News Limited 2002 - www.theadvertiser.news.com.au

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Earthquake fault line found underneath site of new nuclear reactor

Thu Jun 20, 6:58 AM ET

By EMMA TINKLER, Associated Press Writer


SYDNEY, Australia - Australian nuclear authorities said Thursday that an
earthquake ( news - web sites) fault line has been discovered at the site of
a new nuclear reactor being built in suburban Sydney.

The fault was found by scientists during a routine examination at the
reactor excavation site, said Don Macnab, director of the regulatory branch
of the federal government's Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear
Safety Agency.

"We don't know what the age of it is. There is further work going on to
determine what the significance of that anomaly is," Macnab told The
Associated Press.

No further details of the fault were available.

Sydney has never been struck by a serious earthquake, but a strong 5.6
magnitude quake shook the city of Newcastle, 150 kilometers (90 miles) to
the north, on Dec. 28, 1989, causing widespread damage and killing 13
people.

And as recently as February this year a 3.8 magnitude quake hit Wollongong,
only about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the reactor site and was felt
in southern Sydney. No damage was reported.

The new 300 million Australian dollar (dlrs 168 million) reactor was
approved in April by the federal government, despite protests about safety
from environmentalists and residents living nearby. The site is currently
being excavated and foundations laid.

The reactor will produce radioactive material for use in medicine and
research but will not generate power. It is being built near an aging
reactor at Lucas Heights in southwest Sydney that will be decommissioned
once the new reactor starts work in 2005.

Macnab would not comment Thursday on whether another site may need to be
found for the nuclear reactor until scientists had delivered their final
report on the likely activity of the fault line.

It wasn't clear when the report would be finished, but Macnab said discovery
of the fault was a worrying development.

"Naturally people are concerned about what the implications might be, but
that's the reason for ... carrying out the investigation," Macnab said. "We
will call on our own expertise and engage some expert consultants to assist
us in determining what the implications will be."

But environmentalists called on the Australian Nuclear Science and
Technology Organization, a federal government agency which is responsible
for the Lucas Heights reactor, to rethink its construction plans.

"The reactor project has been troubled all along, whether it's from the
perspective of need, or waste, or security risk or safety risk," said
Stephen Campbell, Greenpeace Australia's nuclear campaigner.

"An increased earthquake risk means that ANSTO should scrap the design and
go back to square one," he added.


Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

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Fri, Jun 21 2002 4:04 PM AEST

Earthquake fault line discovered at nuclear site

- A model of the new Lucas Heights reactor.


An earthquake fault line has been found at the site of Sydney's new nuclear
reactor.

The Federal Government's Nuclear Safety Agency has confirmed the discovery
of the fault and says further studies need to be carried out to determine
whether the project should proceed.

The director of the agency's regulatory branch, Don MacNab, says the fault
line was discovered during the recent excavation of the site.

The nuclear reactor is being built to replace the ageing Lucas Heights
reactor in Sydney's south-west.

Mr MacNab says little is known about the fault line and whether it poses any
danger.

"We've got to examine the fault line to find its extent [and] to find its
age," he said.

"When we get a final report from the organisation doing the work, we'll be
able to make some judgments about the suitability of the site, but it
doesn't automatically mean that the site's not suitable."

Greenpeace is calling for the immediate cancellation of plans to build a new
nuclear reactor.

Greenpeace nuclear spokesman Stephen Campbell says the threat of an
earthquake holds consequences too grave for authorities to even consider
building a nuclear reactor on the site.

"It's really time for the Australian Government to bite the bullet and shut
this project down," he said.


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

--------------------------->

Posted :Fri, 21 Jun 2002 10:33 AEST

Earthquake fault line discovered at nuclear site


An earthquake fault line has been found at the site of Sydney's new nuclear
reactor.

The Federal Government's Nuclear Safety Agency has confirmed the discovery
of the fault and says further studies need to be carried out to determine
whether the project should proceed.

The director of the agency's regulatory branch, Don MacNab, says the fault
line was discovered during the recent excavation of the site.

The nuclear reactor is being built to replace the ageing Lucas Heights
reactor in Sydney's south-west.

Mr MacNab says little is known about the fault line and whether it poses any
danger.

"We've got to examine the fault line to find its extent [and] to find its
age," he said.

"When we get a final report from the organisation doing the work, we'll be
able to make some judgments about the suitability of the site, but it
doesn't automatically mean that the site's not suitable."


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Fault line under n-reactor

21jun02


AN earthquake fault line discovered at the site of Australia's only nuclear
reactor has given its opponents ammunition to demand its closure.

The fault line was discovered during construction work on the replacement
reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney's south this week.

Don Macnab, director of the regulatory branch of the Federal Government's
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), said
the discovery had only come to light and more information was needed.

"We're not sure of what the implications are," Mr Macnab told ABC Radio.

"We need to understand more about the age of the fault and we need to
understand more about the size of the fault and then have a look and see
what the implications are on the design of the facility."

Mr Macnab said it was too early to know whether the site remained suitable
for the new reactor.

But the news has angered environmental groups and local residents who are
demanding work on the site cease immediately.


© News Limited 2002 - www.news.com.au - Breaking News