NUCLEAR WASTE SITUATION IN THE EU IS ALARMING
NGOs warn against the solution ‘BACK TO THE USSR’?
(Budapest,June 23, 2004) - Today the NGO coalition Nuclear Waste Watch
informed the public about the alarming situation of nuclear waste in
the European Union: no solutions, no common policy. The participants
called upon the health and environment ministers gathering in
Budapest at the Fourth Ministerial Conference
on Environment and Health to give much higher attention to the
unsolved problem of nuclear waste. “We strongly oppose any plans
to export nuclear waste to Russia from any EU member states.”
Nuclear waste will be the longest lasting and most outstanding environmental
problem our generation will leave to our kids. For the past two years
the European Commission has tried to push through a common nuclear
waste directive, but this has been rejected by member states, NGOs
and even by the nuclear industry. Under these circumstances, it is
completely irresponsible to support the construction of any nuclear
power plant.
Antonia Wenisch of the Austrian Institute for Applied Ecology outlined
the EU strategy for solving the waste issue: ‘Under the slogan of
“reducing the amount of high level waste” the EC funds research
on new technologies e.g. “transmutation” for a new fuel cycle and
new reactors. Besides this long-term programme, the EC is financing
research on the possibility of getting rid of the problem fast and
painless – by exporting it to Russia.’
Ada Ámon, director of the Hungarian NGO Energy Club,
pointed out that just one day before Hungary became a full member of
the EU, the government announced that an agreement had been signed
with Russia that allows Hungary to transport to and store spent
nuclear fuel in Russian facilities. “It seems that Hungary is the
pioneer on this dirty route.”
Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the well-known Russian environmental
organisation, Ecodefense stresses that despite mass opposition
al over in Russia the government pushed through the law which allows
the import of nuclear waste. 'Chelyabinsk is still one of the most polluted regions of the world, mainly
because of accidents and constant leaks from the spent fuel
reprocessing facilities. We expect from the EU, which claims to be
environmentally responsible and aware of human rights, to refrain
from sending their nuclear garbage to us.’ He added that the
Russian nuclear waste facilities are in bad condition, the security
is very low, so there is a high risk that the material ends up in the
hands of terrorists and can be used for weapons of mass destruction.
Antonia Wenisch, Austrian Institute for Applied Ecology,
wenisch@ecology.at,
www.ecology.at
Vladimir Slivyak, Ecodefense, e-mail: ecodefense@online.ru,
http://www.antiatom.ru
download the presentations held at the workshop:
Antonia Wenisch: nuclear waste management: policy and research in the EU
Ada Amon, nuclear waste from Hungary to Russia ?
Antonia Wenisch: nuclear waste management: policy and research in the EU
Ada Amon, nuclear waste from Hungary to Russia ?
