Five million kilos of radioactive yellow cake uranium are being shipped through New Zealand ports every year. ERMA was unaware this practice has been going on for the last 15 years and only learned of it in 2009, but not to worry, according to John Key’s spokesperson the yellow cake is “Australian dirt, which is essentially harmless”.
So can the Government assure the New Zealand public that none of this “harmless [radioactive uranium concentrate] dirt” is aboard the Rena? Gareth Hughs wants an immediate independent inquiry. If Nuclear Free New Zealand ports are playing host to five million kilos of yellow cake uranium concentrate each year, I want to know more about it. I also want to know what’s on the Rena’s cargo register.
You think oil spills are a problem for our tourism and 100% Pure food exports image? Try a few tonnes of yellow cake washing up on Mt Maunganui and Papamoa – especially when the Tauranga Habourmaster confirms that the Port of Tauranga has no equipment to even detect, let alone contain, radioactive material.
If we get another Rena-like disaster with a yellow cake carrier and it leads to widespread dispersal of the cargo, then kiss good bye to our agricultural exports sector – and with it, pretty much our entire economy as we know it.
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