December 21, 2001

Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
between Australia and Argentina

To Argentine Parliament

Dear Congressmen/Women

We the undersigned Australian Members of Parliament, environment and community organisations, understand the Argentine Parliament is to discuss a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between Australia and Argentina in the week commencing 17th December.

Such an agreement would allow for the construction of a nuclear reactor in Australia opposed by the majority of Australians. We note that this agreement would further allow for the importation, conditioning and storage of Australia¹s radioactive waste arising from such a reactor within Argentina.

We understand that the importation and storage of waste is in direct conflict with Article 41 of the Argentine Constitution:

ŒThe entry to the national territory of waste currently or potentially hazardous, and of those radioactive, is prohibited¹

We further understand that 70 community and environment groups within Argentina have signed a declaration of opposition to such an action.

We urge you in the public interest and environmental protection of both nations to reject this treaty.

Signed,


AUSTRALIAN NGOS

Greenpeace Australia Pacific,
Australian Conservation Foundation,
Friends of the Earth, Australia,
Sydney People Against a New Nuclear Reactor (SPANNR),
Nature Conservation Council of NSW,
Total Environment Centre,
Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition (AABCC),
Omsnotbombs, Sydney NSW,
People for Nuclear Disarmament NSW,
People for Nuclear Disarmament W.A.,
Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament (CICD) Melb,
Australian Peace Committee S.A.,
The Wilderness Society (TWS), Canberra,
Student Environment Activist Network (SEAN),
Nuclear-free Australia,
Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia,
Community Anti-Nuclear Network of Western Australia,
Fremantle Anti-Nuclear Group, (FANG),
Everyone for a Nuclear-Free Future(ENUFF), Brisbane,
Community Information Association (CIA), Brisbane,
Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT), Darwin,
Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia
Wayside Chapel, Potts Point, Sydney


AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS

Tanya Plibersek MHR, ALP Federal Member for Sydney,
Senator Vicky Bourne, Democrats, NSW,
Senator Lyn Alison, Democrats, Victoria,
Senator Bob Brown, Greens, Tasmania,
Lee Rhiannon MLC, Greens, NSW,
Ian Cohen MLC, Greens, NSW,
Giz Watson, MLC, Greens, W.A.,
Dr Christine Sharp, MLC SW Region, Greens, W.A.,
Dee Margetts, MLC Agricultural Region, Greens, W.A.,
Jim Scott, MLC Metropolitan Region, Greens, W.A.,
Robin Chapple, MLC Mining and Pastoral Region, Greens, W.A.,

OVERSEAS NGOS
West Midlands Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Birmingham, UK,
Global Resource Action Centre for the Environment, NY, USA,
Nuclear Information and Resource service, (NIRS), Washington, USA,
Coalition for a Nuclear-free Great Lakes, Michigan, USA,
Don't Waste Michigan, Michingan, USA,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, Calif, USA,
Grandmothers For Peace International, Calif, USA,
Greenpeace New Zealand,
Fundacion Peninsula Rauli, Neuquen, Argentina,
Centro Andina de Desarollo e inv Ambiental, Mendoza, Argentina,
Movimiento por la Paz y el Ambiente Patagonia/Argentina