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PRESS STATEMENT by the Minister for National Development

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FORMATION OF A DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITHIN  THE AUSTRALIAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

The Minister for National Development, Mr Kevin

Newman, announced today the formation of an Environmental

Science Division by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission

at its Research Establishment, Lucas Heights, N.S.W.

Mr Newman said that the AAEC had always expended

a significant part of its research effort on environmental

studies, involving staff of widely differing disciplines

spread over a number of existing divisions. The new

arrangement emphasised the importance that the’Government

attached to environmental protection, and at the same time,

through rationalisation, would enable these studies to be

brought together and thus provide the most efficient use of

the AAEC1s resources in this area.

Mr Newman added that current work taken up by the

new Division includes meteorological studies relating to the

dispersion of dusts and gases, measurement of potential

radioactive and non-radioactive pollutants, of their movement

in the environment and their impacts on aquatic and terrestrial

ecology. Much of this work is relevant to the uranium

provinces and includes field and laboratory investigations.

The work of the Division will be carried out in close collaboration

with other government agencies, such as the Supervising

Scientist, Department of the Environment, Housing and Community

Development, the Australian Radiation Laboratory and CSIRO.

The Commission also carries out work on a commercial

contract basis to assist the mining industry to establish

environmental baselines for the preparation of environmental

impact statements. These studies will come under the new .

Division of Environmental Science.

Mr Newman said that a number of Divisions at the

AAEC Research Establishment, Lucas Heights were conducting

research on the treatment and disposal of radioactive wastes.

The Commission intended to gradually extend the role of the

Environmental Science Division to cover these topics.

15 November 1978

