Re: Uranium remains an important energy source

["Tsurikov, Nick" <ntsuriko@rgc.com.au>]

Dear friends,

I would like to attract your attention to the cover story in the
magazine of The Institution of Engineers Australia, Vol.70, No.7, July
1998 received by me today.  The title of the article is: "Uranium
Remains an Important Energy Source".  Just a couple of quotes from it:

"The federal government has decided to allow uranium mining at Jabiluka
in the Northern Territory, despite objections from traditional land
owners and some conservation organisations.

"Senator Chapman, the committee [Senate Select Committee on uranium
mining and milling] chairman, has harshly dismissed the anti-uranium
lobby: 'The report and the consequent government response represent a
significant failure for the anti-uranium lobby, and that was reflected
right through the conduct of this inquiry.  They were very complacent
and they failed to provide rigorous analysis of the evidence, and that
was because they were significantly out of date'.

"He [Senator Chapman] said uranium mining in Australia has built up a
favourable credit ledger with regard to economic gains for Australia and
with regard to the fact that mining and milling have been conducted with
minimal impact on the environment.

"The Jabiluka project seems to have become a test case for both, those
for and those against uranium mining in Australia.  Its approval may
herald the development, in Australia, of a range of activities relating
to nuclear power, including several more uranium mining projects, as
well as establishment of a modern research reactor to replace the vastly
outdated Lucas Heights reactor.

"Present use of nuclear energy avoids the emission of 2.3 billion tonnes
of carbon dioxide per year.  Every 25t of uranium used avoids the
emission of 1 Mt of carbon dioxide, relative to coal.

"As it stands at present, nuclear power is the only viable alternative
to burning fossil fuels for driving today's industrial juggernauts."

I am also interested in obtaining some additional information about the
following:

"Some advanced reactors have been proposed such as energy amplifier,
which combines an accelerator with a reactor.  A proton beam is directed
at thorium fuel mixed with actinide waste to produce heat and
electricity and burn the waste.  Molten lead is used as a coolant...
A company has been set up in Spain to build a small prototype.
According to Ansto [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation] it is claimed that five energy amplifiers could, within
about 35 years, eliminate Spain's high- and intermediate-level
radioactive waste and thus the need for a geological repository"

Any links, references etc. will be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Nick Tsurikov
Radiation Safety Officer
RGC Mineral Sands Limited
P.O. Box 47, Eneabba, WA, 6518
ntsuriko@rgc.com.au