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Australian Border Force clamps down on amateur scientist
Posted: 22 Mar 2025, 11:00
by Sesselmann
A friend brought this article in the Guardian.
Amateur scientist and element collector orders a small amount of Plutonium online and ABF turns it into a spectacle.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... ium-ntwnfb
Re: Australian Border Force clamps down on amateur scientist
Posted: 26 Mar 2025, 08:43
by sgt_bear
That's really a shame for the guy and I hope he can make a good deal, but the problem with laws might be overwhelming or complex to most hobbyists, also the regulations can be quite confusing and hard to understand.
I did quite the read and asked officials a few questions to understand the laws in my country (Switzerland), here is one example of the fuss:
I can legally own theoretically own 27uCi of Cs-137, but I'm only allowed to import, transport or sell only 0.27uCi without any special paperwork. The legal limit for disposal into regular waste is 0.027uCi, so if I don't need the source anymore, I have to ship it to a nuclear disposal company. If the source gets lost, I have to report it.
So the answer for "what is allowed" is quite complex