Nuclear plan threatens food production, government report says   :(
SBS News
July 18 2024
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced the nuclear strategy a month ago, flagging nuclear reactors at coal power stations that have closed or are winding down.

Nuclear energy threatens Australia's food production with more than 11,000 farms near the Opposition's proposed reactor sites, the government says.

The farms are located within an 80km radius of the seven earmarked sites, according to a data analysis released by the federal government on Thursday morning.

Under international standards that radius is classified as an "ingestion exposure pathway" in which people may be exposed to radiation through contaminated food, milk and water after a nuclear leak.



What we know about Australia's only live nuclear reactor

US farmers in those zones must take on preventative measures in an emergency, such as providing livestock with separate feed and water, holding shipments and decontaminating produce.

"Based on international practice, farmers would need to take expensive steps during a nuclear leak and would need to inform their customers that they operate within the fallout zone," Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said in a statement.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt told the Australian Global Food Forum on Wednesday that nuclear power needs more water than coal-fired energy and renewables.
"It's bizarre that the Nationals and Liberals are putting at risk our prime agricultural land like this, especially without the decency to explain it to farmers and consumers how they'd mitigate all the potential impacts."

Senator Watt also told the Australian Global Food Forum on Wednesday that nuclear power needs more water than coal-fired energy and renewables.

"One issue not yet considered in the nuclear debate is the fact that nuclear energy production is a thirsty endeavour," he told the industry crowd in Brisbane.

But Nationals leader David Littleproud said the comments were "scaremongering" and "hypocrisy".
Peter Dutton defends the Coalition's nuclear power plan



Peter Dutton defends the Coalition's nuclear power plan
The Opposition's policy is to use the existing entitlements from coal power plants at each site so water would not be taken from agriculture or communities, Mr Littleproud said.

"For him to talk about water security after this Labor government changed the Murray Darling Basin Plan to include water buybacks, as well as scrapping several new dam projects is hypocrisy of the highest order."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced the nuclear strategy a month ago, flagging nuclear reactors at coal power stations that have closed or are winding down.
READ MORE

Will nuclear lead to cheaper energy prices? Experts weigh in

Loy Yang Power Station in Victoria's Gippsland region, Callide and Tarong in Queensland, Port Augusta in South Australia, Collie in Western Australia, and Mount Piper and Liddell in NSW have all been earmarked.

Nuclear power will be on the agenda as the nation's agriculture ministers meet in Queensland on Thursday.

The ministers last met in March to confirm national priorities in biosecurity, drought, workforce, climate change, First Nations agriculture, trade and animal welfare.

Strange it hasn't impacted food production wherever they have nuclear power. ::)

How is food production around Chernobyl going?

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 12:31pm:

How is food production around Chernobyl going?

You tell us. Chernobyl - so old fashioned, so poorly maintained, and there have been no improvements in the last 30 odd years. You are living in a time warp.

"Radiation surveys suggest that it is now safe to grow food on farmland that has been unused since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but changing its status would face local opposition in Ukraine"

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2435255-farmland-near-chernobyl-nuclear-reactor-is-finally-safe-to-use-again/

Another report by Greenpeace said there was still "unsafe" levels, however they did not give the level at which it was determined to be either "safe" or "unsafe". Knowing Greenpeace they used LNT methodology. ::)

Quote:

You tell us. Chernobyl - so old fashioned, so poorly maintained, and there have been no improvements in the last 30 odd years. You are living in a time warp

So modern nuclear reactors would never fail?

What if they were built on the cheap by an ignorant government who thought they could do it in 5 years starting with a workforce that has no experience building them?

Senator Watt also told the Australian Global Food Forum on Wednesday that nuclear power needs more water than coal-fired energy and renewables.

"One issue not yet considered in the nuclear debate is the fact that nuclear energy production is a thirsty endeavour," he told the industry crowd in Brisbane.   :(

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 2:54pm:

So modern nuclear reactors would never fail?

The Chernobyl design had no containment element.

" Safety measures were ignored, the uranium fuel in the reactor overheated and melted through the protective barriers. RBMK reactors do not have what is known as a containment structure, a concrete and steel dome over the reactor itself designed to keep radiation inside the plant in the event of such an accident."


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 2:54pm:

What if they were built on the cheap by an ignorant government who thought they could do it in 5 years starting with a workforce that has no experience building them?

Wow. You start on Chernobyl and then onto cheap nuclear and a mythical inexperienced workforce, although there are plenty of experienced personnel in the world.

You are so silly. ;D ;D ;D ;D

whiteknight wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 3:00pm:

Senator Watt also told the Australian Global Food Forum on Wednesday that nuclear power needs more water than coal-fired energy and renewables.

Senator Watt has no science.

"Water use in a coal-fired power plant is very similar to a nuclear facility so it is almost certain that the seven locations identified as future nuclear power plant sites could supply a reactor, according to Professor Obbard."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-20/nuclear-power-plant-water-supply-environmental-concerns-nsw/104084348

lee wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 3:06pm:

freediver wrote on Jul 20th, 2024 at 2:54pm: So modern nuclear reactors would never fail? The Chernobyl design had no containment element. " Safety measures were ignored, the uranium fuel in the reactor overheated and melted through the protective barriers. RBMK reactors do not have what is known as a containment structure, a concrete and steel dome over the reactor itself designed to keep radiation inside the plant in the event of such an accident." freediver wrote on Jul 20th, 2024 at 2:54pm: What if they were built on the cheap by an ignorant government who thought they could do it in 5 years starting with a workforce that has no experience building them? Wow. You start on Chernobyl and then onto cheap nuclear and a mythical inexperienced workforce, although there are plenty of experienced personnel in the world. You are so silly. ;D ;D ;D ;D

How many nuclear power plants has the Australian workforce built?

Are you aware of any failures in modern nuclear power plants?

How well thought through do you think the coalition's policy was when they publicly committed to building them and announced they could do it in 5 years?

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 3:11pm:

How many nuclear power plants has the Australian workforce built?

None. But you should know that omniscient one. ;D ;D ;D ;D


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 3:11pm:

Are you aware of any failures in modern nuclear power plants?

How old is MODERN? ::)


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 3:11pm:

How well thought through do you think the coalition's policy was when they publicly committed to building them and announced they could do it in 5 years?

Seeing  as I am not in the inner circle, I wouldn't know. You also only have speculation and incorrect timeline.

"Dutton promises that, if elected, he would make nuclear power a reality within a little over ten years."

https://theconversation.com/no-costing-no-clear-timelines-no-easy-legal-path-deep-scepticism-over-duttons-nuclear-plan-is-warranted-232822

So if you have to half the timeline, I gues you have nothing. ;)

Quote:

None. But you should know that omniscient one.

So why did you disagree with me when I said that the Australian workforce is inexperienced at building them? Or were you just pretending to disagree while mincing your words again?


Quote:

How old is MODERN?

How good are you at tapdancing?


Quote:

Seeing  as I am not in the inner circle, I wouldn't know.

So you cannot figure it out for yourself from the fact that they tried to con the Australian public into believing they could build them in 5 years?


Quote:

"Dutton promises that, if elected, he would make nuclear power a reality within a little over ten years."

See, even Dutton thinks Dutton is an idiot.

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 4:26pm:

So why did you disagree with me when I said that the Australian workforce is inexperienced at building them?

I didn't. There was, initially, no specification for an Australian workforce. ::)


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 4:26pm:

How good are you at tapdancing?

Such a stupid statement. Modern reactors are Generation 3. There are no listed accidents for Gen3. I was seeing how much you knew. But I can see you don't know much. ::)


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 4:26pm:

So you cannot figure it out for yourself from the fact that they tried to con the Australian public into believing they could build them in 5 years?

And yet you haven't cited a source for this vaunted 5 years. ::)


freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 4:26pm:

See, even Dutton thinks Dutton is an idiot.

It means you are the idiot, Idiot. ;D ;D ;D ;D

My bad. That was you.  ::)


lee wrote on Mar 10^th, 2024 at 4:35pm:

Yes. It could be done in five years if they took out all the greentape.

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 5:00pm:

That was you.

Yep. And I am not Dutton.

freediver wrote on Jul 20^th, 2024 at 12:31pm:

How is food production around Chernobyl going?

Chernobyl: Chapter VI. Agricultural and environmental impacts

Quote:

The radionuclide contaminants of most significance in agriculture are those which are relatively highly taken up by crops, have high rates of transfer to animal products such as milk and meat, and have relatively long radiological half-lives. However, the ecological pathways leading to crop contamination and the radioecological behaviour of the radionuclides are complex and are affected not only by the physical and chemical properties of the radionuclides but also by factors which include soil type, cropping system (including tillage), climate, season and, where relevant, biological half-life within animals.