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The 4.8 magnitude earthquake in the NSW Hunter Valley on Friday, August 23 raises serious questions about the Liberal National Party’s plans for nuclear reactors in the region, Solutions for Climate Australia said.
The earthquake’s epicentre was very close to the Liddell power station where the Liberal National Party aims to build at least one nuclear reactor. Solutions for Climate Australia Senior Campaigner Elly Baxter said the Liberal Nationals needed to answer serious questions about safety, emergency response, radioactive waste and water availability at the site.
“The Liberal Nationals need to tell local residents how an emergency at a nuclear reactor would be handled and who would handle it,” Baxter said.
“Even without the added risk of a local nuclear reactor, school children had to be evacuated in Muswellbrook today. What would happen with a nuclear reactor nearby?
“Would local firefighting volunteers handle the nuclear material? What training would local firefighting volunteers receive in handling nuclear radiation? Who would train them? Would the army come in to help?
“How would iodine tablets be distributed to locals to try to reduce cancer risk? What would be the fallout zone and where would the local emergency staging area be? Where would nuclear refugees be accommodated?
“Would the Federal Government be responsible for the emergency management given under the Liberal National policy, the Federal Government would own the nuclear reactor?
“What would happen to the radioactive waste and who would be responsible for that? Where would the enormous volume of water come from to deal with the toxic, radioactive emergency?
“These safety issues only compound our concerns that nuclear reactors will take too long to build to protect Australians from the worst impacts of climate change.
“We need to have a mature conversation about the safety and security of nuclear reactors. The risk of a nuclear meltdown due to an earthquake is real and the consequences would be very serious for local families and children.”
