NSW: State Govt waits in silence as reactor plan approved
SYDNEY, April 5 AAP - The NSW government today declined to support or oppose a newnuclear reactor in Sydney's south until it had more information on safety risks.
Federal Science Minister Peter McGauran today announced a licence had been grantedto build the $300 million reactor at Lucas Heights for medical, scientific and industrialuse.
A spokesman for NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus said the government had asked formore information about the transport and storage of nuclear waste from the replacementreactor.
The commonwealth has not yet announced where it would put the radioactive byproduct.
The state government has refrained from commenting "until we have been properly consultedand had those issues dealt with", the spokeswoman said.
"The NSW government raised a number of concerns in its submission to the EIS (EnvironmentalImpact Statement) process addressing questions of safety, the plan for disposal for nuclearwaste amongst other things," the spokeswoman said.
"We want to see the detail and we haven't seen that as yet."
A spokesman for NSW Treasurer Michael Egan referred inquiries to Mr Debus's office.
Greens NSW MP Lee Rhiannon today condemned the state government's silence over thenuclear facility, saying it was negligent to allow Sydney to be endangered by the newreactor.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) today grantedthe licence to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) forthe facility, to be built by Argentine company INVAP.
AAP gmw/hn/ns/de
KEYWORD: LUCAS DEBUS
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