1 May 2000           00/124

MARALINGA IS SAFE

The traditional owners at Maralinga will be able to safely return to their land following the Maralinga clean-up, the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, said today.

Senator Minchin's comments were made while releasing a response to recent allegations regarding the Maralinga Rehabilitation Project made on Radio National's Background Briefing.

"The future of the Maralinga Tjarutja people is inextricably tied to the health of their lands," Senator Minchin said.

"I can understand the concern of the Maralinga Tjarutja people with any allegation that the clean-up has not been completed successfully. Such allegations put into doubt their ability to return to their land and to potentially use the Maralinga facilities for education and eco-tourism.

"I have therefore considered these allegations seriously. I am confident that the allegation that the clean-up has not been conducted safely is wrong.

"The paper I have released today sets out clearly the four reasons why the South Australian community can be assured that the clean-up is safe:

We have at all times been guided by the advice of Australian, British and American experts with experience in atomic test site remediation. 1.

The project has been oversighted by the independent nuclear regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. 2.

The Project has been conducted in a manner consistent with both international guidelines and domestic codes of practice. 3.

There has been consultation with the Maralinga Tjarutja and South Australian Government. 4.

"As the primary risk from plutonium is inhalation, all these groups have agreed that deep burial of plutonium is a safe way of handling this waste.

"Allegations by the Australian Democrats that Aboriginal people will be exposed to higher rates of cancer are completely wrong and are based on a total misunderstanding of the nature of radiation.

"Aboriginal people living a semi-traditional lifestyle on the land will be exposed on average to less than 1 millisievert of radiation - this is less than the 5 millisieverts used

to guide the clean-up and is less than the 2.3 millisieverts which is the average annual dose an Australian will receive from natural background radiation and medical exposure. No Aboriginal person will be exposed to any dangerous dose of radiation.

"Another allegation made by Background Briefing was that the in situ vitrification technique should not have been terminated.

"However, following an explosion on 21 March 1999, the expert advisory group and ARPANSA both agreed that terminating ISV and resuming burial of waste was a safe solution.

"And contrary to allegations made by the Labor Party, both the South Australian Government and Maralinga Tjarutja were consulted about this decision.

"The atomic tests at Maralinga and the subsequent clean-up are emotive issues for South Australia. It is easy for politicians to get a cheap headline trying to scare people about the consequences of radiation.

"I trust that a detailed reading of the response that I have issued today will allay any concerns that may still exist in the public mind about the safety of the rehabilitation project," concluded Senator Minchin.

The response can be viewed at: http://www.isr.gov.au/media/2000/may/response.pdf

Copies are also available from: Steve Ronson, Senator Minchin's office, 08 8237 7190

CMR171-00

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