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Line 27: |
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| the idea of a phase-out in this country dependent on the atomic | | the idea of a phase-out in this country dependent on the atomic |
| threat spreads. However, despite the Fukushima catastrophe the | | threat spreads. However, despite the Fukushima catastrophe the |
− | country still considers the continuation of their nuclear programme. | + | coun |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 0. Outline of the current NukeNews issue #3
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 0. Preface
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− | 1. No uranium mining in Kuusamo!
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− | 2. Explosion at French atomic site
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− | 3. Siemens to quit the atomic business
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− | 4. Corruption: A new Russian Fukushima in the making?
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− | 5. French Nuclear Authority points to "weaknesses" of the EPR
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− | 6. Gorleben: Radiation measurements forged - legal limits exceeded
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− | 7. E.on decided to construct new reactor in Pyhäjoki
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− | 8. Week of actions in Russia
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− | 9. Thousands made the 13th Castor transport the longest in history
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− | 10. I-131 spread over Europe
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− | 11. Radwaste storage at Russian NPPs
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− | 12. Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade 2012
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− | 13. New Castor transport to Ahaus expected
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− | 14. International Network Gathering in Kuusamo
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− | 15. EDF fined £1.3M for spying on Greenpeace
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− | 16. Hinkley out ahead
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− | 17. Upcoming events
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− | 18. About NukeNews
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 1. No uranium mining in Kuusamo!
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | There are plans to build several uranium-gold-mines in Kuusamo,
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− | southeast of Finnish Lapland. Uranium mining causes radioactive
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− | contamination of air, water and soil. The rivers, which have flown
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− | thousands of years with potable water, are in danger of getting
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− | poisoned by radioactive mining waste.
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− |
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− | A petition aims to put pressure to stop the uranium project in
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− | Kuusamo to show that people are not willing to agree to any kind of
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− | mining or building that directly or indirectly are involved in
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− | uranium production within and in the surroundings of Kuusamo.
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− | Such activities are critized to be destructive to Kuusamo people
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− | livelihood, polluting the land and causing health hazards.
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− | Find out more and sign the petion against uranium mining in Kuusamo:
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− | http://www.petitions24.com/no_uranium_mining_in_kuusamo
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 2. Explosion at French atomic site
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | An explosion at the Marcoule site some 30 kilometers north of
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− | Avignon (F) killed one worker and injured four other workers. The
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− | explosion and a following fire occured around 9.45 AM GMT in an oven
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− | of an EDF subsidiary's facility where they burned low level
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− | radioactive waste. While the authorities established a security
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− | cordon outside the facility due to the danger of radiation releases,
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− | officials declared on the very same day the accident to have
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− | been finished and claimed no radiation to be released at all. On the
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− | same site several decommissioned atomic reactors are situated, too,
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− | as well as a factory partially used by the nuclear company Areva for
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− | producing the highly dangerous MOX fuel, a mixture of uranium and
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− | plutonium.
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 3. Siemens to quit the atomic business
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | In the middle of September, the German company Siemens announced
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− | their phase-out of the atomic business. Siemens was the constructor
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− | of all German commercial nuclear reactors and was involved in
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− | building atomic facilities worldwide. In 2009 they decided to leave
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− | an atomic joint venture with the French nuclear giant Areva in favor
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− | of starting a new cooperation with the Russian atomic company Rosatom.
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− | This attempt was breaking a contract with Areva leading to a judge's
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− | decision forbidding Siemens challenging the former French partner on
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− | the nuclear field until 2013. Thus, Siemens' decision to skip the
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− | atomic business is actually just accepting the reality. Although they
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− | say they would not approaching anymore to construct nuclear power
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− | plants anymore, Siemens will probably continue producing relevant
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− | pieces of these facilities.
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 4. Corruption: A new Russian Fukushima in the making?
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | Corruption in the Russian State Nuclear Corporation Rosatom may cause
| |
− | new nuclear accidents in Russia, experts say. The ecological group
| |
− | Ecodefense! believes the risks are high enough to result in another
| |
− | Fukushima, while the National Anti-Corruption Committee (NAC) has
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− | urged Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Prosecutor General Yury Chaika
| |
− | to initiate investigations into the broadly reported violations and
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− | abuses in the nuclear industry, including at new nuclear power plant
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− | (NPP) construction sites.
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− |
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− | http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2011/corruption_rosatom
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 5. French Nuclear Authority points to "weaknesses" of the EPR
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | The construction of the EPR nuclear reactor being built in
| |
− | Flamanville, has many "weaknesses" that put the "final quality" into
| |
− | doubt. This is the conclusion drawn after a thorough inspection
| |
− | conducted on site in May by the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). The
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− | report of this "inspection review", highlighted by Le Canard Enchaine
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− | on August 24, is posted on the site of the ASN. It is a 20 page
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− | letter sent by the ASN on June 24 to EDF, the prime contractor for
| |
− | the 1600 megawatt reactor designed by Areva. The inspection has was
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− | carried out by fifteen experts, including an observer from the
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− | British regulator. The team found deviations from the construction
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− | requirements on essential parts of the reactor: the feed of the steam
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− | generators, water injection filters, the RIS batteries of the cooling
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− | system. "EDF has to make great efforts to show the final quality of
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− | the construction of Flamanville 3", judges the ASN, which points out:
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− | "inconsistencies between the requirements specified in
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− | sub-contracting and the demands mentioned in the preliminary safety
| |
− | report" - that is to say a non-compliance with initial prescriptions.
| |
− | Concerning an essential feature of the steam generators, experts
| |
− | estimate that "the quality of materials taking into account their
| |
− | importance for safety has not been demonstrated and their use in FLA3
| |
− | is not possible". In two cases, they demand from EDF to "not engage
| |
− | in actions that are difficult to reverse before demonstrating"
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− | compliance.
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− |
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− | source: le Monde, 24 August 2011
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 6. Gorleben: Radiation measurements forged - legal limits exceeded
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | The radiation measurements at the Gorleben interim repository for
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− | high level radioactive waste have been forged for many years, a study
| |
− | of a local citizen's initiative found out. The Lower Saxony Ministry
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− | of Environment had alarmed the public after detecting the radiation
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− | levels. An expert group of the local initiative analysed the data of
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− | the measurements of different institutions. They concludede that the
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− | operator and the pro-nuclear experts had falsely calculated the
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− | radiation limits subtracting a wrong value for the so-called "natural
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− | background radiation".
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− |
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− | Instead of using the values of the point of time before atomic waste
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− | was brought to Gorleben, the operator used the much higher radiation
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− | levels measured when there were already dozens of high level
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− | radioactive Castor containers in the repository. Using the real
| |
− | values of the originally detected background radiation shows that the
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− | legal radiation limits were exceeded since many years. The initiative
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− | now submitted a complaint against the operator to the Prosecutor.
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− |
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− | http://www.bi-luechow-dannenberg.de/chronologisch/aktuell/grenzwertu%CC%88berschreitungen-am-zwischenlager-gorleben
| |
− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 7. E.on decided to construct new reactor in Pyhäjoki
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | The German atomic power giant e.on is the main stakeholder of the
| |
− | company Fennovoima in Finland. E.on founded this company after they
| |
− | failed with their attempt to build a new NPP close to the Loviisa
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− | atomic power station. Using the label "Fennovoima" (Scandinavian
| |
− | power) they applied for a license to construct a reactor in northern
| |
− | Finland. In July 2010 the Finnish parliament voted in a "decision in
| |
− | principle" for 2-3 new reactors including the Fennovoima plant. On
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− | October 5, 2011 the company announced their site selection for
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− | Pyhäjoki, a municipalty on the coast of the Bothnian Bay in northern
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− | Finland. It would be the sixth atomic reactor in Finland after
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− | Loviisa 1 and 2 and Olkiluoto 1-3.
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 8. Week of actions in Russia
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | In Russia a week of actions passed against the expensive and dangerous
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− | nuclear power plants - for energy efficiency. It was organized by
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− | representatives of the anti-nuclear organizations and movements from
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− | different parts of the country, who are strongly opposing the funding of
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− | the building of the extremely expensive new nuclear power plants by the
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− | taxpayers.
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− |
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− | From 21 to 25 November various actions were carried out by activists in
| |
− | Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Murom, Yekaterinburg,
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− | Balakovo, Kaliningrad, etc. Within one week of common actions
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− | environmentalists organized pickets and rallies, work with the deputies in
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− | the regions, round tables and so on.
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− |
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− | More information - http://anti-atom.ru
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− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 9. Thousands made the 13th Castor transport the longest in history
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | Originally supposed to start November 24th in Valognes, France, the
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− | 13th Castor transport to Gorleben in Lower Saxony, Germany, had been
| |
− | pushed up by one day as hundreds of anti-nuclear activists were going
| |
− | to gather near the French loading station. However, hundreds of
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− | people were blockading the shipment already in Valognes when it was
| |
− | supposed to start, and actions followed on the route through France
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− | and Germany.
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− |
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− | In the Wendland region around Gorleben, up to 25,500 people protested
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− | the atomic transport and the German nuclear policy not willing to
| |
− | accept the continuation of operation of nine atomic reactors. Up to
| |
− | 5,000 blockaded the tracks by Harlingen, some 1,800 blockaded the
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− | road by Gorleben, and several thousands joined actions along the
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− | railway and road routes. Almost 30 protest camps and info points had
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− | been created, about 150 events spread the word about the atomic
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− | shipment and prepared for actions in Germany and France. A concrete
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− | pyramid closed the railway route and could not be removed by police
| |
− | themselves. A number of additional lock-on actions took place between
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− | Lüneburg and Gorleben delaying the shipment to a total transport time
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− | of almost 126 hours - it never took this much time.
| |
− |
| |
− | http://castor2011.nuclear-heritage.net
| |
− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 10. I-131 spread over Europe
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | News about iodine-131 (I-131) detection in many European countries shocked
| |
− | the public for several days in November. Eventually, the IAEA stated that
| |
− | the source of the I-131 detected in Europe most probably was released from
| |
− | the Institute of Isotopes Ltd., Budapest, that produces radioisotopes.
| |
− | According to the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, the release occurred
| |
− | from September 8 to November 16, 2011. The cause of the release is under
| |
− | investigation.
| |
− |
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− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 11. Radwaste storage at Russian NPPs
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | ANALYSIS: Mountain of waste: New temporary radwaste storage site at
| |
− | Russia’s Novovoronezh NPP threatens to multiply, grow into long-term
| |
− | problem across country.
| |
− |
| |
− | The facility proposed for construction at Novovoronezh NPP is a
| |
− | warehouse where 200-litre barrels holding radioactive waste are to be
| |
− | stacked in tiers, ten tiers in all. The apocalyptic picture painted by
| |
− | ecologists – dozens of thousands of barrels with deadly wastes inside,
| |
− | an unwieldy menace left for future generations to inherit – now seems
| |
− | more real than some would like to believe.
| |
− |
| |
− | Read more:
| |
− | http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2011/novovoronezh_waste
| |
− |
| |
− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 12. Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade 2012
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | For the first time a protest and blockade camp will take place in
| |
− | Finland to challenge the nuclear industry in Finland and globally
| |
− | with direct actions against their EPR model project "Olkiluoto-3".
| |
− | The camp is supposed to start August 6, and aims to prepare the
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− | actions as well as to network for strengthening the anti-nuclear
| |
− | struggle in Finland. On August 11, the Olkiluoto Blockade takes place
| |
− | for the third time, while the camp will end on August 13.
| |
− |
| |
− | You can order flyers to promote the protest camp an actions in
| |
− | several languages. Spread the word using the text provided on our
| |
− | website!
| |
− |
| |
− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Olkiluoto_Blockade_2012
| |
− |
| |
− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 13. New Castor transport to Ahaus expected
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | Several shipments of a total amount of 152 Castor casks are supposed
| |
− | to start in early 2012 from the former Very High Temperature Reactor
| |
− | (VHTR) AVR Jülich to the interim repository Ahaus (D). 288,161
| |
− | spherical fuel elements, called pebbles, will be brought to the
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− | storage site in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The resistance in Ahaus was
| |
− | never as big as in the Gorleben area, but since a couple of years it
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− | is growing.
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− |
| |
− | German anti-nuclear groups are calling out for protests and
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− | blockades. A first start-up rally will take place on December 18th in
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− | Ahaus.
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− |
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− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Nuclear_Waste_Transport_to_Ahaus
| |
− |
| |
− |
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− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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− | 14. International Network Gathering in Kuusamo
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | The next chance for campaigning, discussing strategies, preparing
| |
− | projects and networking will take place in Kuusamo, Finland, from
| |
− | January 11-15, 2012. An additional focus will be on the struggles
| |
− | against uranium mining in Finland and other countries as the local
| |
− | organizers are working hard on this field. You are invited to join
| |
− | this next Network Gathering of the Nuclear Heritage Network.
| |
− |
| |
− | And we would be happy to invite campaigners or activists dealing with
| |
− | uranium issues to contribute to this section of the conference.
| |
− |
| |
− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Kuusamo
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 15. EDF fined £1.3M for spying on Greenpeace
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | Électricité de France was convicted in a court at Nanterre on
| |
− | November 11th on charges of spying on Greenpeace France. The company
| |
− | was fined 1.5M Euros and two of its executives were given gaol
| |
− | sentences. Its head of nuclear safety, Pascal Durieux, was sentenced
| |
− | to three years' gaol, with 2 years suspended, and a 10,000 Euro fine
| |
− | for commissioning the spying operation. His second-in-command,
| |
− | Pierre-Paul François, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with
| |
− | 30 months suspended. The company has also been ordered to pay
| |
− | 500,000 Euros in damages to Greenpeace France. The head of Kargus
| |
− | Consultants, a company that EDF hired to hack into Greenpeace
| |
− | computers was gaoled for three years, two suspended, and a 4,000 Euro
| |
− | fine.
| |
− |
| |
− | The company was charged with complicity in concealing stolen
| |
− | documents and hacking into a computer network.
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 16. Hinkley out ahead
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | On 11th November, the new "Infrastructure Planning Commission" that
| |
− | has been given the job of "commissioning" (examining and approving or
| |
− | not) major infrastructure projects in the UK (replacing the old
| |
− | system of holding public enquiries) issued a list of such projects
| |
− | for which commissioning had been applied for and of others for which
| |
− | such an application was "anticipated". For the latter list an
| |
− | anticipated date of application was also given.
| |
− |
| |
− | Hinkley C was the only newbuild nuclear power station which appears
| |
− | in the list of projects for which commissioning had already been
| |
− | applied - it was listed as having applied in October 2011. Three
| |
− | other newbuild nuclear power stations were on the list as ones for
| |
− | which such an application was anticipated. The anticipated dates for
| |
− | all these are some way in the future: Wylfa B's date is the second
| |
− | half of 2013, Oldbury's the 2nd quarter of 2014, and for Sizewell C
| |
− | no date is specified.
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 17. Upcoming events
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | (just an extract, tell us your events for the next newsletter)
| |
− |
| |
− | 14/08/11-13/08/12: Gorleben 365 blockade campaign (D)
| |
− | 06/12/11-08/12/11: Nuclear Waste and Pollution Conference in Vilnius
| |
− | (LT)
| |
− | Early 2012: Protests against the CASTOR transports from Jülich
| |
− | to Ahaus (D)
| |
− | 11/01/12-15/01/12: International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in
| |
− | Kuusamo (FIN)
| |
− | 14/01/12-15/01/12: Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World
| |
− | in Yokohama (JP)
| |
− | 04/02/12: International Uranium Conference in Münster (D)
| |
− | 11/03/12: Global Fukushima Action Day
| |
− | 30/03/12-01/04/12: Spring conference of the German anti-nuclear
| |
− | movement in Frankfurt/Main (D)
| |
− | 26/04/12: Commemoration of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
| |
− | May/June 2012: 2nd International Uranium Film Festival for a
| |
− | global Nuclear-Free Future in Rio de Janeiro
| |
− | (Brazil)
| |
− | Summer 2012: Walk for a Nuclear Free Future from Minnesota to
| |
− | Buffalo (USA)
| |
− | 30/07/12-03/08/12: International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in
| |
− | Döbeln (D)
| |
− | 06/08/12-13/08/12: Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade (FIN)
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | http://www.gorleben365.de/
| |
− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Nuclear_Waste_and_Pollution_Conference_in_Vilnius_2011
| |
− | http://www.kein-castor-nach-ahaus.de/
| |
− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Kuusamo
| |
− | http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/NuclearFreeWorld_Yokohama20120114-15
| |
− | http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/2nd_Intl_Uranium_Film_Festival_2012
| |
− | http://footprints.footprintsforpeace.net/nffcampaign/NFF2011.htm
| |
− | http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Mannsdorf
| |
− | http://olkiluotoblockade2011.wordpress.com/
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | 18. About NukeNews
| |
− | ---------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
− | The NukeNews are a multilingual newsletter system of the Nuclear
| |
− | Heritage Network and are supposed to reflect the activities, topics
| |
− | and struggles of anti-nuclear activists connected through this
| |
− | international community. The messages are written and translated by
| |
− | activists, additionally to their usual anti-nuclear activities. No
| |
− | one is paid for that work, as we want to provide resources like this
| |
− | information system to the anti-nuclear struggle as independent as
| |
− | possible. The newsletter aims to inform and update as well activists
| |
− | as the interested audience.
| |
− |
| |
− | Your contributions to the next issue of the NukeNews are welcome.
| |
− | Send them via email to news@NukeNews.nuclear-heritage.net . It should
| |
− | be brief information in English of not more than one paragraph,
| |
− | including a concise headline and an optional link to a webpage
| |
− | providing more information. Deadline for the 4th issue of the
| |
− | NukeNews will be 19th of February, 2012.
| |
− |
| |
− | Spread the word and learn more about the NukeNews:
| |
− | http://NukeNews.Nuclear-Heritage.NET
| |
− |
| |
− |
| |
− | [[Category: NukeNews]]
| |
− | [[Category: Materials]]
| |
− | [[Category: Events]]
| |
− | [[Category: Action]]
| |
− | [[Category: France]]
| |
− | [[Category: Russia]]
| |
− | [[Category: Finland]]
| |
− | [[Category: Germany]]
| |
− | [[Category: Russia]]
| |
− | [[Category: Castor]]
| |
− | [[Category: Olkiluoto]]
| |
− | [[Category: Nuclear Waste]]
| |