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Pelindaba Working Group Re-activated
Basil Green, chairman: Pelindaba
Safety Information Forum writes:
As one of these concerned citizens
living within the 5km emergency planning radius of NECSA I feel
compelled to point out that the entire area around the Dam was
declared a non-development area by the then peri-urban authority
since then more than 11 years ago, a group of us residents
approached the AEC (Atomic Energy Corporation) with our concerns and
were warmly welcomed by the CEO of the organisation who was
instrumental in organising a forum called the PCF (Pelindaba
Communication Forum).
At this forum all our concerns were addressed by experts in their
field, in such a way that has left no doubt that we were being
treated in a fair and truthful manner which removed all of our
doubts and worries concerning the activities of the nuclear
industry, especially in our back yard. I am happy to say that the
people who attended the PCF meetings were the DG’s or the high
ranking officials of the various government departments i.e.
Minerals and Energy, the NNR (National Nuclear Regulator), Water
Affairs, Tourism, etc. and a cross section of the residents of the
area including the local authorities. We were addressed by invited
experts and guest speakers and are satisfied that nothing was kept
from us. In fact NECSA worked hard to become our good neighbours
supplying fire protection and an ambulance service to us at its own
expense. We also achieved mention at an international meeting of the
AIEI of how public participation in the nuclear industry should
work.
The current govern-ment took the forum to an even higher level by
making it a law and so the Pelindaba Safety Information Forum was
born and opened its doors to all who want to attend. The forum meets
once every quarter on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. I welcome the
Pelindaba Working Group and would like to them make their inputs
with us and learn like those of us who have been at the coal face
for more than 10 years.
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The Pelindaba Working Group Press
Release published on 15 November refers
D. Vorster writes:
I wonder if any of the members of the
Pelindaba Working Group (PWG) have ever been inside the NECSA
installations, or visited Koeberg. I feel that is the least they
should have done before launching such an unfounded attack on South
Africa’s Nuclear Industry.
As an ex-NECSA employee I would like to say that we worked under the
strictest safety regulations and surveillance at all times, to
ensure the safety of ourselves the surrounding communities and the
environment. Since the admission of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in 1994, safety measures and regulations have become
even stricter.
The South African Government has in fact created a powerful public
protector, specifically to ensure the public’s safety from ionizing
radiation – the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). No nuclear
operating license of any kind is granted by the NNR if the applicant
does not meet all the required safety and operational requirements
of both the South African Government and the IAEA in advance.
The PWG makes several irresponsible claims such as the grossly
inflated projections regarding our ability to produce energy using
“renewable energy” technologies without the necessary parallel
comparison of environmental impact (yes!) development and
maintenance costs. It is a pity that the PWG also omitted the
lengths that NECSA (and all the other nuclear license holders such
as Koeberg, the mines and others) goes to, specifically to ensure
the health and well-being of employees and surrounding communities.
Yet the PWG quotes the blatantly unscrupulous “recent reports”
originating from radical sources which do not have the nation’s
interests at heart.
I agree wholeheartedly that – as with any modern technology – the
utmost care and responsibility is called for in the nuclear
industry. If South Africa is to continue to grow, we have massive
affordable energy requirements to meet. We can only be proud of the
new rainbow generation of South African technologists who have
developed the PBMR concept to a point where it is a superbly safe,
economically viable option we can implement immediately while we
continue to develop and refine the technologies required to apply
renewable energy resources in those areas where they are
economically viable.
So, please do as the PWG asks and do something about it! Read up on
the PBMR and our technologists’ excellent achievements, visit the
NNR website and get informed!!
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Latter day risks in town
Johan Henning from Hartbeespoort
writes:
I am normally not the type of person
that can take up the pen and write an article. Sadly the latter has
now prompted me to take up the pen.
I have been a ‘ma-dammer’ since June 1979. I remember the days when
the only thing that could go wrong in our community is that the
dominee’s shoes were not polished for Sunday’s sermon. We could take
the streets after dark and walk for miles and miles and smell fresh
air and count the stars in heaven. The only things we were scared of
is the foxterrier’s prowling the streets…….Those were the days when
we respected a uniform, whether it is that of a Police- or a Traffic
Officer. These were also the days when the enforcers of law and
peace travelled the streets by day and night, and we felt safe…
Now-a-days it is risky to walk in the car park from your car to the
shopping centre, a police officer is only seen when you visit the
local police station and find them half asleep behind the charge
office’s counter, a traffic officer is only seen having breakfast or
lunch at a well known take-away restaurant inside a fuel depot, or
when they man speed traps on the way to Brits.
Now-a-days we find well-known celebrities, which are perceived to be
respected members of the community, travelling the streets of Ifafi
on 4 wheeler motorcycles WITH their kids (definitely not licensed
yet) WITHOUT the required helmets and also completely disrespecting
traffic signs… YES Mr Celebrity, a STOP sign means that even your
unlicensed children must STOP, not accelerate, look around, and
smile at me whilst speeding off…
Now-a-days we find that a company responsible for safety and
security in our community that claims it has a very wide customer
base in Hartbeespoort makes it’s own rules………vehicles with rear
lights not working at all, some vehicles driving at night with only
one headlight working, indicators not working or not used,
completely disregarding various road rules and driving as if all
employed by this company are trained motor racers……….
Now-a-days we find people travelling the streets before 06h00 are
ignoring stop-streets completely. A green Golf nearly collided with
me in the intersection adjacent to the Total Garage during the very
early hours of the morning of 26 November. (±03h00) The youngsters
in the car must have been on their way home after an evening out.
The driver of this green Golf, which is a youngster, very nearly
killed me, my stepson with me in the car, plus all the youngsters
travelling with him had it not be for my decision not to drive of
after I stopped at this very intersection...
Now-a-days we find an alarming high quantity of unlicensed children
driving vehicles of all sorts in and around Hartbeespoort, or find
them in well known pub’s drinking alcohol; smoking and misbehaving
and then bragging about it afterwards as if it is some national
sport… WHERE are the parents?
Shall we blame all this on Apartheid…??
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29 November 2006 |
