Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Further to the explosive incident at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor on 8 June—the same day that Ziggy Switkowski stood aside from the ANSTO board—has the minister been briefed on a further incident at the nuclear reactor at 11 am yesterday? Can the minister confirm that a canister carrying radioactive material was received from the ANSTO cyclotron in Camperdown and an apparent contamination on the outside of the canister vaporised during processing at Lucas Heights? Is the minister aware that radiation alarms in the immediate work area were not activated but that barrier alarms were triggered by the technician who was working with the canister and that the technician was scanned and found to have ingested radioactive iodine 123? In relation to this further incident, what investigation and action has the minister ordered into the cyclotron in Camperdown, the transport of radioactive materials through Sydney and at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor?

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