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What is the status of the environmental assessment of the new research
reactor?

After the in-principle decision to construct the reactor was announced by the Government in September 1997, the then Minister for the Environment, Senator Robert Hill, required ANSTO to complete a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project.  Community input was sought as part of this process, which was conducted in accordance with requirements of the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974. 

The EIS was completed in January 1999.  As a result of his assessment of the EIS, Senator Hill subsequently imposed 29 conditions on the project.  These were accepted by the then Minister for Industry, Science and Resources.  ANSTO met all conditions that were within its responsibilities.  ANSTO provided regular status reports to the Minister for the Environment on the progress in having met the conditions.  All of the status reports can be viewed here on the ANSTO website.  The Minister for the Environment and Heritage advised in August 2006 that he regarded the conditions as requiring Ministerial agreement as having been satisfied and that it was no longer necessary for ANSTO to provide six-monthly reports to him.