Organisations representing over 350,000 emergency services workers have today called on Peter Dutton and the Coalition to drop their nuclear energy plan.

The letter, signed by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, Climate Action Nurses, Climate and Health Alliance, Doctors for the Environment Australia, and the United Firefighters Union of Australia highlights the collective expertise of frontline responders in assessing the risks posed by nuclear energy, and declares that Australia’s current emergency services do not have the support or resources to respond to nuclear disasters.

Annie Butler, Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said:

“We are concerned for the impact that the proposed nuclear plants will have on the health of all people, but particularly nurses, midwives and carers.

What we are still yet to see are detailed health risk assessments including how the health of nurses, midwives, carers and the community will be protected. This is crucial before any nuclear energy developments proceed.”

Michelle Isles, CEO of Climate and Health Alliance said: 

"For too long the costs to health have been hidden in discussions about energy in Australia. Australian health workers are overwhelmed by the burden of illness and premature death from community exposure to coal fired power pollutants. Australia does not have the safeguards in place to address the health risks posed by nuclear power".

Greg Mullins, former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales, and founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action said:

"The Coalition's nuclear scheme gives rise to far more questions than answers, and in the unlikely event it is ever actually delivered, will result in massive amounts of dangerous, additional climate pollution. Firefighters and other first responders will be expected to deal with situations for which they have no training, equipment or experience, and like in Chernobyl, possibly lose their lives.

Costs for protection from nuclear accidents were not factored into the Coalition's vague modelling, and nobody should be fooled - this is nothing more than a ruse to continue generating profits for the fossil fuel industry who are funding the Coalition's election campaign."

Greg McConville, National Secretary of the United Firefighters Union of Australia said: 

“Much has been said about the cost of living in this election, but we should not forget the cost of lives. People who live near nuclear reactors have heightened cancer risk, as do firefighters, and we cannot condone an even greater risk to whole communities when there are safer alternatives to nuclear power.”

Read the joint letter

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