> ÃÂ¯

P R E S S  R E L E A S E

P.R.  No. 8 4 /6 3

SYDNEY

12 A p r i l , 1984

THE SENATE

AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR WEAPON POSSIBLE

The A u s t r a lia n  Dem ocrats today c a l l e d  on th e  Hawke governm ent to

s to p  work a t  Lucas H eig h ts w h ich c o u ld  le a d  t o  th e  m anufacture o f

w eapon-grade uranium .

The Democrat D ep u ty-L ead er, S e n a to r  C o lin  Mason, s a id  he was d e e p ly

concern ed a t  r e p l i e s  to  h i s  q u e s t io n s  from th e  R esou rces and Energy

M in is t e r , S e n a to r  W alsh, t h a t  work on an e x p e r im e n ta l uranium

enrichm ent f a c i l i t y  would c o n tin u e  a t  th e  Atom ic Energy E s t a b lis h Â­

ment f o r  a n o th e r  tw e lv e  m onth s.

" U n til r e c e n t ly  thp v e r y  e x is t e n c e  o f  t h i s  en rich m en t exp erim en t

was k ep t s e c r e t ,"  S e n a to r  Mason s a id . "A lready i t  has produced

sm a ll b u t s i g n i f i c a n t  q u a n t i t i e s  o f  uranium  e n r ic h e d  t o  4’i  p e r  c e n t

U235. T h is i s  a good d e a l h ig h e r  th an  r e a c to r -g r a d e  f u e l ,  and c o u ld

be u se d  in  a n u c le a r  weapon. T hat n u c le a r  weapon w ould p rob ab ly

have an u n r e lia b le  y i e l d ,  b u t i t  w ould w ork. I t  w ould a l s o  be a

d i r t y ,  h i g h - f a l l o u t  ty p e o f  weapon.

S e n a to r  Mason, who p e r s i s t e d  w ith  q u e s t io n s  on th e  s u b j e c t  through

th e  l a s t  s i t t i n g s  o f  P a r lia m e n t, s a id  t h a t  w h ile  th e  M in is te r  s a id

"Not more than h a l f  a kilogram " o f  e n r ic h e d  uranium now e x i s t e d  in

A u s t r a lia  a s a p rod u ct o f  th e  p l a n t , t h a t  s i t u a t i o n  c o u ld  change

o v e r  a p e r io d  o f  tim e . He s a id  a sm a ll n u c le a r  bomb w ould need about

>  f i v e  k ilo g ra m s o f  e n r ic h e d  uranium .

" I t  w ould a l s o  be p o s s i b l e  to  ad ap t t h i s  e x p e r im e n ta l p la n t  t o  even

h ig h e r  e n r ic h m e n t, w hich w ould c l e a r l y  be in  th e  weapons r a n g e,"

S e n a to r  Mason s a id . ,rWe c a l l  on th e  governm ent t o  c l o s e  down t h i s

dangerous exp erim en t im m ed ia tely  and t o  c e a s e  i t s  m ed dling in  what

i s  c l e a r l y  a n u c le a r  weapons t e c h n o lo g y ."

He s a id  th e  Dem ocrats were a b s o l u t e l y  opposed t o  th e  m ining and

e x p o r t o f  A u s tr a lia n  uranium , b e c a u se  th e y  saw a c l e a r  and i n e v it a b l e

a s s o c i a t i o n  betw een n u c le a r  power and n u c le a r  w eapon s.

. 2 .

" U n til r e c e n t ly  we th o u g h t t h i s  was a s i t u a t i o n  t h a t  e x i s t e d  o n ly

o v e r s e a s ,"  S e n a to r  Mason s a i d , "But th e r e  i s  no doubt we are

e n t e r in g  t h a t  p h ase o u r s e lv e s  w ith  t h i s  exp erim en t a t  Lucas

H e ig h ts ."

S en a to r Mason s a id  m ost n u c le a r  a s p e c t s  o f  th e  Lucas H e ig h ts

o p e r a tio n  s h o u ld  be c lo s e d  down b e c a u se  o f  t h e i r  e x p e n s e , danger

and t o t a l  ir r e le v a n c e  t o  A u s t r a li a , and th e  e s ta b lis h m e n t sh o u ld

be tu rn ed  in t o  an Energy Agency t o  r e se a r c h  e f f e c t i v e l y  new and

s a f e r  form s o f  renew able e n e r g y .

"We do how ever, c o n s id e r  t h a t  m ed ic a l and i n d u s t r i a l  t r a c e r  is o t o p e s

are v a lu a b le  t o o l s ,  and t h a t  t h a t  a s p e c t  o f  th e  work ou gh t t o

p r o c e e d ,"  he s a i d .

FURTHER INFORMATION: SENATOR COLIN MASON

OFFICE ( 0 2 ) 239 3488

HOME ( 0 2 ) 358 6136

