Northern Territory Moves to Clarify Oil/Gas Industry Obligations on Nuclear Waste

摘要

The Northern Territory has passed the Nuclear Waste Transport Storage and Disposal (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, providing the offshore oil and gas industry with a blueprint of their obligations around the management of nuclear waste. The nuclear waste covered by the Bill included naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) that could be incidentally generated from offshore oil and gas activities and subsequently brought into the Northern Territory, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Eva Lawler said. "The Bill demonstrates the Northern Territory government's commitment to protecting the Territory's environment, while listening to and responding to concerns raised by the offshore oil and gas industry about the ambiguities in the regulatory environment. "The Amendment Bill addresses ambiguities in exemptions for nuclear waste, including NORMs that may be created as a by-product of industry activities." NORMs are widespread in sands, clay, soils and rocks and many ores and minerals, commodities, products and by-products.