Latest: Superphénix definitely closed!
(February 6, 1998) On 2 February the French government confirmed the closure of the Superphénix fastbreeder reactor. In turn they announced the restart of the (small) Phenix FBR at Marcoule, closed for repair. The official decree on Superphénix will be ratified in the second half year of 1998. The government will try to limit the impact of the closure to the local economy and the 2,000 employees of Superphénix.
Gorleben International Peace Team report published. "The World is Watching: Report from an Exploratory International Human Rights Team in the Wendland Region of Germany" has finally been published in two editions: one containing the German translation, and one containing the original English version and the Spanish translation. The Gorleben International Peace Team (GIPT) report is the final product of international human rights observers during the massive anti-CASTOR (nuclear waste) demonstrations that took place in the Wendland, Germany, in March 1997. Its contents include:
- A brief history of the anti-Castor movement in Germany.
- An introduction to the concept of the GIPT.
- An account and analysis of GIPT's observations.
- An evaluation of the team's experiences.
- A discussion on the need for an international observation team in the Wendland.
- Suggestions for potential future GIPT teams.
If you are interested in ordering a copy of the report, or in receiving more information on GIPT, please contact us at the following address: Gorleben International Peace Team, Kirchstr. 14, D-29462 Wustrow, Germany. Tel: +49-5843-507; Fax: +49-5843-1405 Email: 106573.2254@compuserv e.com
Estonia: two locations for radwaste. According to the Baltic Times, the northwestern Estonian town of Paldiski has been suggested by the Estonian Environment Ministry as one of the possible locations for a radioactive waste storage. The ministry will have some consultations with foreign experts on the issue.
"Paldiski and Tammiku in East-Viru County have been suggested as the possible sites for the storage, but such a decision can be taken only after thorough investigations," an Environment Ministry spokeswoman said on January 12. Two experts of the IAEA were at the Environment Ministry then, to look for the right place where Estonia could deposit its radioactive waste for at least 1,000 years. The spokeswoman said the experts would check the suitability of geological conditions at both locations and would have a number of consultations at the ministry and the radiation center. Baltic Times, 15-21 January 1998
Lithuania: The Nuclear Safety Account (NSA) has approved a delay in the licensing process of the Ignalina-1 reactor. As a condition for the ECU 33-million (36 million US$) grant for safety upgrades, the EBRD, administrator of the NSA, first set June 30, 1998, as the date for the review to be completed. Because the safety study on which the licensing review is partly based was delayed for a year, the Lithuanian regulators said they would need time up till May 1999. Nucleonics Week, 15 January 1998
Japan: Power system breaks down; backup system does not function well either . An electrical power system abruptly broke down on January 25 at a nuclear research facility in Tokaimura, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. This was announced by the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., also called Donen. There was no radioactive leak or contamination, a Donen official said. What was alarming, though, is the fact that two backup power systems did not start automatically as expected. The two power systems had to be switched on manually, leaving the ventilation system out of commission for 80 minutes.
This facility at Tokaimura is used to develop technology for fuel reprocessing and high-level radioactive waste treatment for fast breeder reactors. Daily Yomiuri (Japan), 27 January 1998
The nuclear dream goes on . It could be a plan from the 1950s or early 1960s, but actually it dates back to only December 1997:
Japan has completed a study of nuclear ships.
A report commissioned by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute predicts a demand for large, high-speed and environmentally friendly nuclear merchant ships by the 2020s. A prototype travelling at 50 knots and carrying 6000 containers is envisaged. Atoms in Japan, December 1997, cited in UIC Weekly News, 23 January 1998
Cassini news: International Action on June 24, 1998 , one year before the scheduled swingby around Venus to accelerate the Cassini probe toward Earth. The record-speed Earth flyby-- 42,300 mph (65,000 km/h)--with a record amount of plutonium on board--72.3 pounds--is expected to swingby Earth on August 18, 1999. The Action Site to Stop the Cassini Earth Flyby has announced the opening of its website: www.nonviolence.org/noflyby/. We invite you to Visit the NoFlyby Action Site and announce it to friends and in other newsletters.
This website is focusing on coordinating the international action day on June 24, 1998. Your participation in stopping the Cassini Earth flyby could be the pivotal point in the reversal of the trend of nuclear recklessness that threatens the health of our entire world. Source and Contact:NoFlyby Webmaster, E-mail: noflyby@nonviolence.org