1. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt
Public Perception versus Radiation Protection Science
Ivan Fetwadjieff
Senior Scientific Officer - Radiation
Resources Safety Division
303 Sevenoaks Street, Cannington WA
phone (08) 9358 8086 email Ivan.Fetwadjieff@dmp.wa.gov.au

2. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Overview of my presentation
1. What is FUD?
2. Examples of FUD
3. Who's Who in the
Uranium debate
4. The Media's role
5. Thorium &
Uranium
6. Claims &
Counter claims
7. Countering FUD
8. Conclusions

3. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Definition

4. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Fear of radiation
Nuclear technology and radiation are perceived to be
extraordinarily dangerous and incomprehensible
Hiroshima - Nagasaki - Chernobyl - Cold War

5. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Uncertainty about the safety
Rusting drums containing low-grade
uranium were buried in the area in 2000 by
officials from the Department of Minerals
and Energy after fears were raised by
Wiluna Aborigines that they were being
exposed to the deadly ore.

6. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Doubts about the science
Low doses are safe No dose is safe
Dr Doug Boreham
Prof Wade Allison
Dr Helen Caldicott
Dr Peter Karamoskos

7. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Federal
Labor Party
Mining
Unions
Federal
Liberal Party
Uranium
Mining
Companies
WA State
Liberal
Party
Who's Who in the uranium safety debate
Media
BUMPGreens
Unions
WA
Public
Health
Association
WA State
Labor Party
Traditional
Owners Public
WA State
Government
Federal
Government
Australian
Uranium
Association
WA Chamber
of Minerals &
Energy
ANAWA
FANG
Medical
Association
Prevention of
War
Conservation
CouncilDoctors for the
Environment
Australia
ANTI-URANIUM MINING
PRO-URANIUM MINING

8. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Inquiry intoMP’s claim ofhigh radiationGREENS MP Robin
Chapple recentlyvisited two sites at
Lake Way, a former
uranium exploration
site about 20kmsouth-east of Wiluna,
where he claims he
recorded high levels
of radiation on aGeiger counter,saying one reading
was 100 times higher
than normal radiation
levels.
Concern overU-plant siteTHE site of the olduranium research plantnear Kalgoorlie-Boulder has comeunder the spotlightafter it was revealedthe secure fencing hadbeen knocked down,possibly exposingcasual motor crossriders to radioactivematerial.
The Media and radiation
Public rally on
uranium
A PUBLIC protest rally
against uranium mining will
be held tomorrow to coincide
with the end of the
Sustainable Mining
Conference in Kalgoorlie-
Boulder.
Community
demands inquiry
THIS morning a
delegation of unions,
Indigenous groups,
health professionals,
environmental
organisations and local
community groups
assembled at the
Australian Uranium
Conference in
Fremantle to voice their
opposition to uranium
mining in WA.
Hot Pepper
YOU don’t need to be
a nuclear scientist to
have been affected
by the nuclear
industry or know
people affected by
the industry.
Have you ever
spoken to a worker
from Ranger or
Olympic Dam
uranium mines and
asked how many of
their old work mates
and bosses are alive
or are now sick with
cancer?
Moore twists the facts on
Lake Way radioactive sites
TODAY’s press release from Norman Moore
regarding radioactive sites at Lake Way indicated
a comprehensive lack of radiation knowledge and
of the Lake Way area, Greens MLC Robin
Chapple said.
Uranium
madness
GERADTON Port
Authority must be
start raving mad if
it believes
residents will ever
be comfortable
with shipping
uranium through
the city.
Baffled
OUR politicians have shelved public
debates, which as we know are highly
emotional, in favour of the rational
scientific advice of professionals, who
unfortunately see the world through the
narrow field of their blinkered, rational
minds.

9. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Public perception of thorium / uranium

10. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Claims and counter claims

11. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Countering FUD – 1. Listen to the public
• Attend public meetings,
rallies, workshops and
forums
• Review Media releases
• Read letters to the Editor
• Review local blogs and
web pages
• Phone calls from public
• Parliamentary questions

12. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Countering FUD – 2. Inform the public
A recent visit by Department of Mines and
Petroleum (DMP) officers to a former
uranium exploration site at Lake Way found
background radiation levels to be within
safe limits.
• Report on investigations
• Media releases with facts
• Talk to Mining Industry,
RSOs and workers
• DMP web page
• Respond to phone calls
from public
• Answer Parliamentary
questions

13. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Countering FUD – 3. Educate the public
• NORM Guidelines
• DMP web site
• DMP Media statements,
fliers, brochures
• DMP staff training
• Exploration inductions
and training
• Public talks & seminars
• Stakeholder meetings

14. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Countering FUD – 4. Regulate uranium mining
• Reform of RSD
• Employ additional staff
• Amend Regulations
• Inter-Agency communication
• Exploration RMPs & RSO
• Export Boswell data to ANRDR
• Uranium Council & Wk Groups
• Independent Expert Panel
• Full Environmental Assessment
and Public Review

15. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and PetroleumGovernment of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum
Conclusions