Nuclear Weapons: The Final PandemicPreventing Proliferation and Achieving Abolition

Health Implications

of Australia’s Uranium Rush

Bill WilliamsMedical Association for the Prevention of War, Australia

URANIUM & HEALTH IN URANIUM & HEALTH IN AUSTRALIA in the 53AUSTRALIA in the 53rdrd MILLENIUM MILLENIUM • A background to the nuclear A background to the nuclear

ageage• A little health physicsA little health physics• U-mining in Australia – old + U-mining in Australia – old +

newnew• Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts

– Radon Radon – Gamma RadiationGamma Radiation– Water Water – RehabilitationRehabilitation– Environmental IssuesEnvironmental Issues

• Human healthHuman health• Big pictureBig picture

Bill Williams, MBBS, blinkybilly@dart.net.auBill Williams, MBBS, blinkybilly@dart.net.au

His Excellency informed me that we were to proceed to Botany bay, to His Excellency informed me that we were to proceed to Botany bay, to bring away two natives as prisoners; and to put to death ten … we bring away two natives as prisoners; and to put to death ten … we were to cut off and bring in the heads of the slain; for which purpose were to cut off and bring in the heads of the slain; for which purpose hatchets and bags would be furnished … against this tribe he was hatchets and bags would be furnished … against this tribe he was determined to strike a decisive blow, in order at once to convince them determined to strike a decisive blow, in order at once to convince them of our superiority, and to infuse an universal of our superiority, and to infuse an universal terrorterror…”…” Watkin Watkin Tench, Captain of Marines, Sydney Cove,1790Tench, Captain of Marines, Sydney Cove,1790

““these people mixed with ours and all hands these people mixed with ours and all hands danced together”danced together” Lt. William Bradley, 29Lt. William Bradley, 29thth January 1788 January 1788

The fabulous The fabulous fiftiesfifties

““Most of them were well built, and some of them were Most of them were well built, and some of them were outstandingly good specimens… all were well nourished, and outstandingly good specimens… all were well nourished, and their babies were fat…”their babies were fat…”

Dr John Hargrave 1957Dr John Hargrave 1957

• 1540 – Agricola: 1540 – Agricola: ””pestilential air”pestilential air”

• 1789 – Klaproth: 1789 – Klaproth: “uranium”“uranium”

Toxic pathwaysToxic pathways

• underground miners: 3 - 20 underground miners: 3 - 20 mSv/a (av. 4.5 mSv/a)mSv/a (av. 4.5 mSv/a)

• open pit miners: 1 - 5 mSv/a open pit miners: 1 - 5 mSv/a (avg. 1.56 mSv/a) (avg. 1.56 mSv/a)

• overall average: 4.4 mSv/aoverall average: 4.4 mSv/a

• Pre-mining backgroundPre-mining background• Mining: ore dust, ventilation shaftsMining: ore dust, ventilation shafts• Milling Milling • TailingsTailings• Waste rock Waste rock • low grade ore piles low grade ore piles • Few Few actualactual measures of measures of

– processing millsprocessing mills– contaminated areascontaminated areas– water management ponds water management ponds – active minesactive mines

• Little reporting of variablesLittle reporting of variables– PorosityPorosity– moisture content moisture content – radon diffusion coefficients, radon diffusion coefficients, – area / grade radon source.”area / grade radon source.”

Mudd, G M, 2007. Mudd, G M, 2007. Journal of Environmental RadioactivityJournal of Environmental Radioactivity

Radiation exposure sourcesRadiation exposure sources

• RADON RADON – Many deposits have no Many deposits have no pre-miningpre-mining

surface radon expressionsurface radon expression– Some are substantiveSome are substantive– poorly studied and reportedpoorly studied and reported– VariableVariable flux post- rehabilitation flux post- rehabilitation

• GAMMA GAMMA – Some have Some have majormajor pre-miningpre-mining

gamma signatures, eg. Rangergamma signatures, eg. Ranger– Most have Most have nono gamma signature gamma signature

• eg. Olympic Dam, Beverleyeg. Olympic Dam, Beverley

– gamma signatures have gamma signatures have probably probably increased increased due to operationsdue to operations

Radon Fluxes / Gamma Radon Fluxes / Gamma radiationradiation

““... double risk of lung cancer mortality in ... double risk of lung cancer mortality in underground workers with radon daughter underground workers with radon daughter exposures 10-40 WLM, exposures 10-40 WLM,

… … five-fold increase > 40 WLM”five-fold increase > 40 WLM”Radon Daughter Exposures at the Radon Daughter Exposures at the Radium HillRadium Hill Uranium Mine and Uranium Mine and Lung Cancer Rates among Former Workers, 1952-87Lung Cancer Rates among Former Workers, 1952-87 Woodward et alWoodward et al 2001 2001

Australian Uranium MiningAustralian Uranium Mining

• Phase 1. 1906-32 Phase 1. 1906-32 – for radium for radium

• 2. 1950’s-60’s 2. 1950’s-60’s – for nuclear weaponsfor nuclear weapons

• 3. 1970’s-now3. 1970’s-now– for reactors for reactors ----------------------------------------

***Each phase has ***Each phase has improved on improved on environmental environmental management BUT management BUT the the legacy legacy is also is also growinggrowing

• All U deposits constrained by All U deposits constrained by water quantity/quality water quantity/quality

• Degree of impacts variable but Degree of impacts variable but always locally very significantalways locally very significant

• Need for extensive high Need for extensive high quality monitoring data – quality monitoring data – spatially & temporallyspatially & temporally

• Groundwater resources often Groundwater resources often ignored or undervalued ignored or undervalued (especially for ISL)(especially for ISL)

Water is LifeWater is Life

The Rum Jungle Legacy …The Rum Jungle Legacy …

1970's

2000's

Rum Jungle Rum Jungle 2004 …2004 …

Radium Hill Radium Hill 2001 …2001 …

Yeelirrie Yeelirrie 2003 …2003 …

Ranger 2001 Ranger 2001 ……

• Radon Radon

• Gamma Radiation Increases Gamma Radiation Increases

• Erosion Erosion

• Groundwater Groundwater Contamination Contamination – evaporation ponds evaporation ponds – waste rock dump seepage waste rock dump seepage – tailingstailings– open pit lakes open pit lakes – ISL mines ISL mines

• Biological Intrusion Biological Intrusion

REHABILITATIONREHABILITATION ISSUESISSUES

DILEMMASDILEMMAS• ?capacity of ‘sinks’?capacity of ‘sinks’• ?cycling of radio-nuclides?cycling of radio-nuclides• ?bioaccumulation in different ?bioaccumulation in different

climatesclimates• ?‘low-dose, long-term’ exposure?‘low-dose, long-term’ exposure• ?long-term monitoring and ?long-term monitoring and

regulatingregulating• ??cumulativecumulative radiation impacts radiation impacts******rehabilitation is more difficult than rehabilitation is more difficult than

predictedpredicted******

Kakadu Region Social impact Study Kakadu Region Social impact Study 19971997:: “…some of the worst fears of Aboriginal people “…some of the worst fears of Aboriginal people in the 1970’s have come to pass. Key social in the 1970’s have come to pass. Key social indicators like education, health and employment indicators like education, health and employment are as bad as any community in Australia.” are as bad as any community in Australia.”

Ranger Uranium Environment Inquiry, Ranger Uranium Environment Inquiry, 19771977:: “…the traditional owners are opposed to the mining “…the traditional owners are opposed to the mining (and) do not have confidence that their own view will (and) do not have confidence that their own view will prevail…prevail…They feel that having got so far, the white man is not They feel that having got so far, the white man is not likely to stop ... likely to stop ... We have given careful attention to all that has been We have given careful attention to all that has been put before us by them or on their behalf. In the end, put before us by them or on their behalf. In the end, we form the conclusion that their opposition should we form the conclusion that their opposition should not be allowed to prevail.” not be allowed to prevail.”

UraniumUranium politicspolitics

““Although the Although the uranium mining at uranium mining at Ranger is taking place Ranger is taking place on Mirrar country, on Mirrar country, overall we have not overall we have not truly benefited from truly benefited from the mine. Mining and the mine. Mining and millions of dollars in millions of dollars in royalties have not royalties have not improved our quality improved our quality of life” of life”

Yvonne MargarulaYvonne Margarula

• ““Uranium mining has completely upturned our lives… Uranium mining has completely upturned our lives… taken our country away from us and destroyed it — taken our country away from us and destroyed it — billabongs and creeks are gone forever, there are hills of billabongs and creeks are gone forever, there are hills of poisonous rock and great holes in the ground with poisonous rock and great holes in the ground with poisonous mud where there used to be nothing but bush. poisonous mud where there used to be nothing but bush.

• ““Everyone seems to be only concerned with what is Everyone seems to be only concerned with what is happening today or next year, yet no scientist can tell us happening today or next year, yet no scientist can tell us properly what will happen at the mine site in a hundred properly what will happen at the mine site in a hundred years time when they are all gone and no-one cares. years time when they are all gone and no-one cares.

• ““None of the promises last, but the problems always do.”None of the promises last, but the problems always do.”

Health for Health for all?all?

• PopulationPopulation• Year 12 retentionYear 12 retention• PrisonersPrisoners• Unemployment Unemployment

raterate• MortalityMortality

• InfantInfant• MaternalMaternal• 35 – 5435 – 54• totaltotal

• Life expectancyLife expectancy

“…“…the fundamental cause is the fundamental cause is disempowermentdisempowerment…”…”

Royal Australian College of Physicians - 1997Royal Australian College of Physicians - 1997

““Health is more than the Health is more than the absence of disease. It absence of disease. It concerns the scope for concerns the scope for autonomy and the ability to autonomy and the ability to make choices about the make choices about the structure and pattern of structure and pattern of one’s own life. When the one’s own life. When the capacity for self capacity for self determination is eroded, determination is eroded, health is compromised. It is health is compromised. It is too easy for the best of too easy for the best of therapeutic intentions to therapeutic intentions to blind us to our patients’ blind us to our patients’ needs for space and stature” needs for space and stature”

HAEMOCHROMATOSIS BMJ 320, May 2000, HAEMOCHROMATOSIS BMJ 320, May 2000, 13171317

BOOMBOOM economieseconomies

• ““While China has While China has enough uranium enough uranium resources to support its resources to support its nuclear weapons nuclear weapons program, it would need program, it would need to import uranium to to import uranium to meet its power meet its power demands”demands”

• ““Russia Russia is not some is not some kind of a rogue state” kind of a rogue state”

• and India?and India?

www.icanw.orgwww.icanw.org

THE BIGGER THE BIGGER PICTUREPICTURE– nuclear nuclear

weaponsweapons– uranium uranium

miningmining– uranium uranium

weaponsweapons– nuclear nuclear

power power – irresponsible irresponsible

waste waste managemenmanagementt

23 MILLENIA: 23 MILLENIA: AN “ECOLOGICAL” FOOTPRINT?AN “ECOLOGICAL” FOOTPRINT?

““Why on earth can’t people in the Why on earth can’t people in the middle of nowhere have radioactive middle of nowhere have radioactive waste?”  waste?”  

• Radium hillRadium hill• Rum JungleRum Jungle• MaralingaMaralinga• RangerRanger• Roxby DownsRoxby Downs• BeverlyBeverly• HoneymoonHoneymoon• PangeaPangea• Mukati stationMukati station• Silex enrichmentSilex enrichment• GNEPGNEP