Nuclear laws spark waste storage fears.


The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has been given more powers to deal with radioactive material.
The ANSTO Amendment Bill passed the Senate this week, giving the organisation the power to take control of any nuclear material that is in the possession of the Commonwealth.
That includes waste generated by a contractor on behalf of Australia.
The laws are expected to boost ANSTO counter-terrorism capabilities but have also raised concerns about the future of waste storage in Australia.
The Greens and the Democrats are concerned it may also include waste generated from Australian uranium exports.
Greens Senator Christine Milne says the laws pave the way to an expanded role for Australia in the nuclear energy cycle.
"[This is] making way to give effect to [US President] George Bush's nuclear energy partnership, which would see Australia as a nuclear supplier, leasing fuel and taking back waste," she said.
"This is all about the Government positioning itself for a high-level nuclear waste dump."
A nuclear waste dump is yet to be built.
ANSTO chief of operations Dr Ron Cameron says the effect of the powers on waste storage depends on contractual arrangements.
But he says that is not the intention of the new laws.
"I think that's speculation about how words might be twisted," he said.
"Material which is generated by a Commonwealth agency or Commonwealth contractor becomes Commonwealth material.
"So it does tidy up that issue, which had existed for some time, that it needed to make sure that the Commonwealth included contractors of the Commonwealth as well, so it does allow that to happen."
He says there are still questions to be answered about waste storage.
"There may be some requirement to a further package that, before we can send it to a store in the Northern Territory, it also allows us to take waste that's been generated as a result of a radiological incident and we have a request from the emergency agencies to actually deal with that material," he said.
Dr Cameron says Australia's counter-terrorism capabilities have been boosted because ANSTO is now also authorised to deal with any illegal radioactive material found in Australia.
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