The US and UK can send nuclear waste to Australia through AUKUS

04/02/2024

CANBERRA (Sputnik) – The United States and the United Kingdom could send their radioactive waste to Australia under the OCOs military alliance, made up of the three countries, in 2021, according to a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear safety legislation.

In November last year, the Australian Government introduced the Maritime Nuclear Safety Bill. If passed, the legislation would create a nuclear safety oversight body and allow for the creation of a body Naval nuclear propulsion facilitiesIncluding storing or disposing of radioactive waste from Okos submarines, according to a note published by the British newspaper The Guardian.

The Ministry of Defense said, in a statement reported by British media, that the draft law would provide “a regulatory framework capable of accommodating any future decisions regarding the management of radioactive waste.”

In this regard, the Deputy Director General of the Domestic Nuclear Policy Branch of the Ministry of Defense said, Kim MoiShe reported that it is possible to create nuclear facilities, including high-level waste facilities, but they will be created under regulations that could be rejected by parliaments.

Asked whether these facilities could receive waste from Australian, American or British nuclear-powered submarines, Moi said yes, adding that the bill “allows for the management of radioactive waste.”

“It is a separate question what policies or plans are related to these aspects,” he said.

In this regard, the Australian Conservation Foundation's Nuclear Freedom Defender, Dave SweeneyHe told The Guardian this was a “deeply worrying” issue, as Okos partners could view Australia as “no man’s land”. [tierra de nadie] A little radioactive.”

“Especially when viewed in the context of the controversial and still unresolved issue of national waste management at the meso level, and the apparent failure of our partners at Aukus to manage their marine litter, the potential for this law to be a toxic gateway to international waste and inability to defend,” Sweeney said. “Effectively treat existing waste streams, especially FPAS.”

The outlet also reported that the government has introduced a second draft law to allow the regulator to issue licenses. Both will be referred to a Senate inquiry, which will report on April 26.

On September 15, the presidents of the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, Joe Biden, Scott Morrison, and Boris Johnson, respectively, held a virtual trilateral summit in which they signed New agreement To intensify military cooperation between them: AUKUS.

Thanks to the agreement, the United States will be able to share nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia.

But the agreement Okos Not only provides for Delivery of nuclear submarines And the Infrastructure construction necessary for permanent publication in Australiabut also extensive cooperation in Development of weapons systems More advanced, as well as equipping the Australian Armed Forces with American weapons and introducing standards for combat operations.

on time, British analyst Tom Foday noted The aim of this procedure is to intensify attempts Contain China militarilyAlthough the three countries did not say this directly.

The submarine agreement also meant that Australia suddenly canceled the submarine agreement 43 billion dollars With France To build 12 nuclear submarines. The decision sparked anger among senior French officials, who accused the United States of doing so betrayal.

Photo: © AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau

international

2024-04-02T05:05:00

2024-04-02T05:05:00