JJ.~  ~ ~~~ .' . .-, .. ,.' ". ':J 0 "1 .... ,'.,. :;",,', . :M' ::E ~D .:. 'A" . ... '.... R' :E' L' "E 'A Ã¢Â‘ S E ' . . ".:" ," : . .' ... .' .. :' .. ':, . " :: :'. ~" ' : " ,.' " ::.: ..... :...... ... .'. " Minister For Industry, Science and Technology Sena tor P eter Cook Minister for Primary Industries and Energy Senator Bob Collins 27 October 1995 392/95 Spent nuclcar fuel to lcave Australia The Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Senator Peter Cook, and the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, Senator Bob Collins, today announced decisions to reduce the inventory of spent nuclear fuel from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's H1FAR research reactor . HIT-AR. spent fuel is stored at Lucas Heights in specially constructed facilities, and in confonnity with world best practice. The safeguards arrangements arc monitored by the International Atiomic Energy Agency and the Australian Safeguards Office, and safety is monitored by two independent bodies, the Nuclear Safety Bureau and the Safety Review Committee. Nevertheless, the Government has decided that the present inventory should be reduced in size. Accordingly, the Government intends to make full use of international opportunities to reduce the inventory of research reactor spent fuel. The Government has authorised ANSTO to negotiate terms for shipment of spent fuel of UK origin to Britain for reprocessing, which involves recovery of valuable unused uranium for peaceful, non-military purposes, The UK origirrspent fuel comp~ses about half the current holdings at Lucas Heights. The remaining holdings of spent fuel are of US origin: The US Government is currently considering anÃ¢Â‘ environmental impact statement into resumption of spent research reactor fuel shipments to the United States and is expected to announce the outcome in December 1995. When this process is completed, Australia will pursue the return to the United States of spent fuel of US origin, Senator Cook has designated the proposed transfer under the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act in order to ensure that there is the opportunity for public examination of the proposed arrangements. While shipments such as this have occurred world-wide for over 35 years with no significant impact on the' environment - including shipments from Australia - it is appropriate that the details of the transport arrangements be open to public scrutiny . ' Senator Cook has responsibility for ANSTO and Senator Collins has responsibility for the overall management of nuclear waste. CANBERRA MR473 Russell Faull Senator Cook's Office 06277 7580 Brian Johnstone Senator Collin's Office 06 277 7520

