Category: Archive

Funny business about nuclear company

admin /8 March, 2007

Labor is demanding the Prime Minister reveal if he has had any discussions with a company reportedly planning to build a nuclear plant. It has been reported a group of businessmen including former Liberal Party national treasurer Ron Walker has approached the Federal Government about building a plant in Victoria or South Australia.

A smiling Ron Walker

The company reportedly examining the viability of setting up a nuclear power plant at sites in South Australia and Victoria says it has not put forward any proposal.

Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says he would be happy to meet with members of the company.

In partnership with leading mining industry figures Robert Champion de Crespigny and Hugh Morgan, Mr Walker registered the company, Australian Nuclear Energy, on June 1, just two weeks after Mr Howard first declared his enthusiasm on a nuclear power industry and five days before he announced an inquiry to examine the issue., John Breusch and Mark Phillips wrote in The Australian Financial Review (28/2/2007, p.5).

Walker was chairman of Fairfax Media, publisher of The Australian Financial Review. The company on 27 February issued a statement denying reports it had put forward any proposals to build nuclear power plants in Victoria and South Australia, saying it had been established "to examine potential commercial responses to future energy needs”.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and South Australian premier Mike Rann said they would not allow nuclear power plants in their states. Bracks exploited the issue by introducing legislation for a rare state plebiscite should there be any federal plan to locate a nuclear power station in Victoria. He said the economics of nuclear power were such that it would cost twice as much to provide as conventional coal-fired electricity.

Oil insurance firm: how to manage climate change

admin /8 March, 2007

Speaking at the opening of the Marsh National Oil Company conference in Dubai on 1 March, Brian Storms, Chairman and CEO of Marsh Inc, said: "The world’s desire for environmentally-friendly energy sources appears to be rising faster than global temperatures."

Address growing risk strategically: "This is a growing risk to all energy producers – one that goes well beyond a fire at a plant, or a tanker that runs aground. What’s important for you as large producers of hydrocarbons is to view this risk honestly and address it strategically."

Risks can be competitive advantages: "The normal tendency would be a bias for action, where you might jump to a tactical, defensive position. But there is a ‘new world’ view of risk – specifically, how to find opportunity in the kind of global changes we’re seeing… where risks and potential liabilities can be turned into a competitive advantage over those companies that don’t move to address them." In his speech, Storms cited the example of a major energy client, with significant assets in the northern hemisphere, which undertook a comprehensive risk assessment and prioritization exercise.

Potential impact of climate change – new risks: While previously the subject of climate risk had only been an abstraction, the review found that potential impact of climate change represented massive exposures. With many facilities situated either on areas of permafrost or in proximity to the arctic ice shelf, a potential thawing induced by climate change would present significant new risk. Understanding this risk and prioritizing its potential impact, allowed the client to take measures to address it.

Other potential risks: Storms also cited other potential risks faced by national oil companies including the potential for a terrorist act to halt distribution, the effects of a major natural disaster on production, the concentration of supply chains – especially due to the threat of avian flu as well as a variety of operational risks, reputation risks, strategic risks and financial risks.

Uninsurable risks require value chain analysis: Storms added: "Frankly, insurable risks, while frequently complex, are the easiest to plan for. Uninsurable risks – climate change, for example – require far more foresight and creative solutions. Among the most vital elements of this risk identification process is the analysis of the value chain. That requires mapping and dissecting supply and distribution networks to understand every potential point of failure. We have the capability to deliver value to a company that goes beyond the pure placement of insurance."

Heat melts weather bureau records

admin /7 March, 2007

Western Australia has started the autumn season with searing temperatures that have broken several weather bureau records. Click here for more details

Poison DUst

admin /7 March, 2007

Poison DUst tells the story of young soldiers who thought they came home safely from the war, but didn’t. Of a veteran’s young daughter whose birth defect is strikingly similar to birth defects suffered by many Iraqi children. Of thousands of young vets who are suffering from the symptoms of uranium poisoning, and the thousands Continue Reading →

Kakadu’s flooded uranium mine causes alarm

admin /7 March, 2007

At the Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, the issue was not too little water but too much. After several days of record-breaking monsoonal rainfall, the mine’s operator, Rio Tinto’s subsidiary Energy Resources Australia stopped mining on Tuesday. The processing plant was closed a day later. Widespread flooding was also making it difficult to get into or out of the mine and the nearby town of Jabiru, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (03/03/2007, p.28).

As the Federal Government described it in 2005, “the operation of a uranium mine and mill in a region which is World Heritage listed, subject to seasonal extremes in rainfall typical of monsoonal climates and which represents at least 40,000 years of habitation by the Aboriginal people, provides many environmental challenges”.

Water (mis)management a critical issue: The Ranger lease covered 7860 hectares, of which about 500 hectares were directly disturbed by mining. “Water management at Ranger is seen as an intractable and growing problem,” says the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Dave Sweeney. “The area around the stockpiles, the processing facilities and the tailings corridor [where slurry is piped from the mill to the tailings dam] is a restricted-release zone and all the water that falls in those areas has to be managed because it becomes contaminated,” Sweeney says.

Rain, a greater risk than radiation: Much of the mine operator’s time and energy was expended coping with the large amount of water onsite and driving in heavy rain represented a higher risk to workers than exposure to radiation. But Buckley said the company had invested heavily in water infrastructure and the mine operated under the toughest regulations in Australia.

Heat melts weather bureau records

admin /7 March, 2007

Western Australia has started the autumn season with searing temperatures that have broken several weather bureau records. Carnarvon experienced its hottest day on record yesterday at 47.8 degrees, which also equalled the Australian record for the hottest day in March. Geraldton broke its record for the hottest March day yesterday with 45.2 degrees and Perth Continue Reading →