1. How much radiation comes from a television set?

About 3% of background radiation comes from your television set.

also see Safety

2. How long has uranium been used to generate electricity?

Uranium has been used to generate electricity for over 40 years.

also see What is Uranium Used For?

3. Are there any nuclear power plants in Australia?

No. All uranium oxide concentrate (uranium that has been mined and milled) is exported to other countries. For example, it may be shipped to Germany for conversion, then to the UK for enrichment, then back to Germany for fuel fabrication. There is a nuclear reactor used for research at Lucas Heights, near Sydney.

also see Australia's Uranium

4. Where are the operating uranium mining sites in Australia?

Three of Australia's uranium mining sites are in South Australia. (The only other site in Australia is Ranger in the Northern Territory). The largest operating uranium mine in the world is the copper mine at Olympic Dam near Roxby Downs'. It has 70% copper, 20% uranium and the rest is gold and silver. Another mine is Beverley (near the Flinders Ranges) and there is a proposed mine at Honeymoon near Broken Hill.

also see Uranium Mining and Processing in South Australia

5. How did the accident at Chernobyl occur?

The nuclear reactor Chernobyl - 4 did not meet international safety standards, and its containment tank failed to stop the emission of radioactive material into the atmosphere during a power surge. Thirty workers died as result of the accident.

also see Safety

6. What happened at Three Mile Island?

Although no injuries occurred, a malfunction meant that radioactive material was released into the cooling water and fuel rods were damaged. The reactor was quickly shut down, but speculation of what might have happened caused much stress. Continuous monitoring since the accident has shown no serious health impacts.

also see Safety

7. Is uranium a dangerous substance?

Uranium itself is not very radioactive. It depends how long a person is exposed to the uranium and if the uranium penetrates their body. You are not likely to eat it. The dangers from ionising radiation depend on the type of radiation and how much and how long you are exposed to it.

also see Safety

8. How does uranium produce nuclear electricity?

Energy created from splitting uranium atoms heats water to produce steam. This spins a turbine, to drive a generator, to produce electricity. All this takes place in a nuclear power plant.

also see Electricity

9. How does mining effect the environment?

Australian mine sites employ ecologists, botanists, and physicists to monitor and rehabilitate the flora and fauna of mine sites and surrounding areas. Mining activities are carefully planned and monitored. Research is continually conducted to fully understand the environment. There is also considerable legislation and monitoring to ensure environmental protection.

also see The Environment

10. How does radioactivity benefit the medical industry?

Radioisotopes are widely used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. They are also used to sterilise medical equipment.

also see Health and Medicine

11. Is the uranium mined in South Australia used to make nuclear weapons?

No. Australia only sells to those countries that have signed agreements not to use the uranium for making nuclear weapons and which accept international inspections and audits to check this.

also see What is Uranium Used For?

12. Why are renewable forms of energy (e.g. solar, wind, hydro-electricity and geothermal) that offer greenhouse-friendly alternatives not used more often?

Apart from hydro-electricity, these sources of power still cannot adequately meet our modern lifestyle and industry or base-load demands. Also, despite continuing research, they are still too expensive for current use.

Some also place greater constraints on our environment. For example, a 1000-megawatt nuclear power station would require less than one square kilometre of land to generate power. To produce the same amount of electricity, solar cells would need to cover 50 - 60 square kilometres.

also see Comparison of Different Energy Sources

13. Can nuclear weapons be made from the radioactive waste from power plants?

Yes. However, procedures have been put into place so that there is a closed fuel cycle, (i.e. all waste is accounted for). In the United States of America, the government owns all spent fuel rods and does not allow anyone access to them.

There are also a number of international agreements such as the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Treaty was the result of work initiated by a United Nations agency - the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) set up in 1957. www.uic.com.au

also see What is Uranium Used For?

14. How many people have died as a result of accidents in nuclear power plants?

Officially, thirty-one people died in the accident at Chernobyl. No one died in the accident at Three Mile Island. www.uic.com.au

also see Safety

15. I have heard that in situ leach mining (ISL) is prohibited in the United States of America. Is this true?

This is not correct. ISL mining has been used extensively throughout the USA and there are a number of new ISL operations planned for the future. In many instances, US uranium operations are mining aquifers with water of so high quality that afterwards, it is consumed by humans and animals.

Water in the aquifers at the South Australian uranium mining sites of Beverley and Honeymoon are, on average, half as salty as seawater and therefore are not suitable for consumption by either animals or humans.

also see In Situ Leaching Method

16. Doesn't the building of nuclear reactors (that have a short life of only about 25 years) damage the atmosphere so that any efficiencies from operating the nuclear power plant are wasted?

No, for a start, the typical life of a reactor is 40 years, but many are now being extended to 60 years. This shows that it requires only around 2% of lifetime output energy to construct a nuclear power plant and to generate output energy throughout that lifetime.