Lucas Heights to stay closed 'til 2008

The operator of Australia's nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, in south-west Sydney, says it will be shut down until next year, for much longer than first thought.

In July, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) said it could take up to eight weeks to fix a leak and problems with the uranium fuel plates that power the reactor.

It said the worst-case scenario was a six-month closure. More: ABC news, 25/10/07.

Fact:
This new nuclear reactor is not required for cutting edge nuclear medicine and research but does remain a recognised terrorism and safety risk. See: 'A New Clear Direction' by the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW).

"This reactor has gone from fizz to flop in what must be record time. It has never produced medical isotopes, and was never needed. No patient has suffered as a result; most doctors using medical isotopes are not even aware the reactor is closed," said MAPW spokesperson Associate Professor Tilman Ruff.

"This reactor is a dangerous white elephant. When the reactor operating license was granted, the regulator acknowledged in his report our position that the reactor was not needed to supply medical isotopes."


We urge Australian voters to see our scorecard for a nuclear-free future and vote accordingly this election: www.VoteNuclearFree.net