Whatever next?

"China has asked the federal government if it can conduct uranium exploration and mining operations in Australia.

Confidential diplomatic cables obtained by The Age newspaper show the Chinese told Australian officials of their interest in uranium mining and exploration in Australia at a meeting in Beijing in February, Fairfax newspapers said.

The deputy director-general of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Wang Jun, had asked Australian officials: "Would Australia permit Chinese involvement?"

The director-general of the Australian Nuclear Safeguards Office, John Carlson, told Mr Wang there would be no restrictions at the federal level, but warned that state and territory governments - responsible for licensing mining and exploration - opposed further uranium mining and exploration." see http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=61801 for the full article

Pete's Points:

Say NO! Uranium is better buried in the ground and unrefined so that it cannot be turned either into nuclear weapons or into potential death traps in the way that the accident at Chernobyl signifies.