Not our problem

JAMES GRAHAM

WITH so many agencies and associations in trucking, it’s easy at Big Rigs to find oneself caught in the middle of clashing agendas when chasing a story.

But it’s safe to say that the missing radioactive capsule scare in WA (see page 2) takes the cake in the buck-passing stakes. I got passed from so many agencies, all claiming it was the next one’s responsibility, that I felt like nuclear safety inspector Homer Simpson - the inspiration for Ryan Lee-Taylor’s brilliant drawing on the right - after one too many Duff beers at Moes.

Then, when I finally did find the right body in charge, the Radiological Council, I got an automatic reply to say it was so swamped that it would take at least two weeks to come back to me. How many missing pieces of radioactive equipment are there gathering dust in the Pilbara? As for the measly fines if found guilty of wrong-doing, it’s no wonder that apologetic mining giant Rio Tinto was reportedly offering to fund the search.