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MEDIAÃ¢Â‘ RELEASE  REMOVAL OF URANIUM OXIDE FROM LUCAS hEIGHTS

The Minister for Finance, Mr Kim Beazle'6 announced today that the uranium oxide stockpile  stored by the Commonwealth at Lucas Heights in Sydney has been sold and will be shipped  shortly to the United States.

Mr Beazley said "With the successful sale, this shipment means that there will be no more of  the Commonwealth's uranium oxide stockpile at Lucas Heights".

The packing of the 239 tonnes of uranium oxide is being handled by the Australian Nuclear  Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) at Lucas Heights and the transportation by an  international transport specialist contracted by the Commonwealth .

International and national authorities regard uranium oxide as a safe product to handle and  transport . Some 4,000 tonnes of uranium oxide passes through Adelaide and Darwin each  year for shipment overseas.

The NSW authorities are cooperating to ensure the material is moved without causing  disruption to local traffic, and in a manner consistent with all safe transport provisions .

The Commonwealth is consulting local Councils, environmental and community groups and  the relevant unions prior to the move to outline the processes involved in the transport of the  material and to address any concerns that might arise.

The material, which originally came from the Rum Jungle mine in the Northern Territory, will  ultimately be used for electricity generation in the US . It was earmarked for sale by the  Federal Government, as part of the Commonwealth Asset Sales Program as outlined in the  Budget Papers.

12. July 1994

Contact: Carmel McCauley, Minister's Office, (06)277 7400 or (015)29 6613

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BACKGROUND

Uranium Oxide is a coarse heavy powder that has a low level of  radioactivity; eg

At a distance of one metre from a drum of uranium oxide the  radiation is about the same level a person is exposed to from  cosmic rays during a commercial jet flight between Australian  capital cities .

If spilled, uranium oxide can be swept up, redrummed and the area  hosed down with little or no risk to anyone. For example, if  uranium oxide dust gets on the skin, soap and water will safely  remove it.

Uranium Oxide is a non-enriched material, being formed simply by  separating impurities from the natural uranium ore.

The material is sealed in 200 litre steel drums which are loaded for  transport into standard shipping containers that in tum, are sealed to meet  the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency code of practice  for the transport of radioactive material.

The 239 tonnes of material (plus packing) occupies 21 containers  securely packed by ANSTO . Inside the containers the uranium oxide is  sealed in plastic bags inside the 200 litre drums which are braced with  timber struts to ensure no movement during transportation . The drums are  then wrapped in plastic before the containers are sealed.

The current spot price for uranium oxide is around $US9 .35 per lb,  putting the value of the Lucas Heights material at around US $5.0 million.  (A$6.7 million) .

