Other Issues
Australia and Argentina signed an Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation in August 2003, which will permit the construction of a central electric production plant in Australia, and which obligates Argentina to recycle the radioactive waste. While Argentina has stated that the agreement does not oblige the deposit of the radioactive material in Argentine territory, the situation does present as a preoccupation to Chile .
The preceding affects the interests of out nation in that – on the one hand – there are indications that the deposit would occur in the south of the country, just 140km from the Chilean border, and – on the other hand – the plan would increase the frequency of this kind of transport along Cape Horn, and could possibly involve the use of the Strait of Magellan as an alternative to passing through Argentine territory.
The Chilean Government has repeatedly expressed concern for the risks associated with this nature of transport, considering the effects on the health on our population and on the environmental security of antarctic and subantarctic ecosystems in the event of an accident.
On the occasions that this type of material has been transported along our coasts, the Chilean Government has expressed profound concern to the governments involved. Consequently, Chile proposes the reinforcement of juridical norms, especially in respect to those related to the guarantees of non-contamination of the marine environment, the exchange of preliminary information/prior notice, the respect of elected routes, the communication of contingency plans in the case of disaster, obligation to recover lost material in the event of capsizing, and the availability of effective responsibility in the case of nuclear damage.