Nuclear reaction: Former Miss America told to get in line

A former Miss America winner turned nuclear advocate has been declined a private tour of Sydney’s Lucas Heights reactor on an upcoming tour of Australia.

A former Miss America winner turned nuclear engineer has been declined a private tour of Sydney’s Lucas Heights reactor on an upcoming tour of Australia.

Grace Stanke has been told by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to get in line with the rest of the community when she visits the country for the first time this month.

“ANSTO is a highly secure campus, and for this reason, it upholds the right to decline ad hoc tour requests through its restricted-access areas and facilities, including inside the nuclear research reactor,” an ANSTO spokesman said in a statement.

Stanke, 22, is travelling to Australia as a guest of Nuclear for Australia founder, Will Shackell.

Former Miss America and nuclear engineer Grace Stanke. Picture: Supplied

Nuclear for Australia lodged a request to Lucas Heights for Stanke to “access several highly secure areas and facilities for the purpose of creating social media content.”

Stanke, who was crowned Miss America in 2023, is based in Delaware and works as a nuclear energy advocate for a company called Constellation Energy.

Stanke was crowned Miss America in 2023. Picture: supplied

“I’m there to help educate the general public about nuclear energy and the benefits that it can provide for Australia as a nation as a whole,” Ms Stanke told The Daily Telegraph.

“Ultimately I think it is important to provide the opportunity for people to see into nuclear facilities,” she said.