Senate debates

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Notices

Japan Natural Disasters

11:14 am

Photo of Scott LudlamScott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi reactor site is progressively deteriorating,

(ii) that Australian uranium was in each of the reactors at Fukushima on 11 March 2011, and

(iii) the nuclear utility TEPCO is embarking on the risky removal of more than 1 500 highly irradiated fuel rods from Unit 4 of the reactor complex; and

(b) calls on the government to:

(i) provide an assessment of the likelihood of success, and consequence of failure, of fuel recovery operations;

(ii) inform the Senate of whether or not it has evaluated the contamination risks to Pacific Ocean ecosystems, fisheries and communities in the event of a fire or other accident during fuel recovery operations, and

(iii) regularly advise the Senate of the progress toward the removal of fuel from Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 and subsequent progress toward reducing the flow of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

Photo of Alan FergusonAlan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Ludlam be agreed to.