GREENPEACE REVEALS PLUTONIUM COMPANY'S FLAWED EFFORTS TO CAPTURE RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES

3 July 1998

Greenpeace revealed that Cogema, the operator of the state-owned La Hague reprocessing plant, has installed inadequate equipment off the plant's discharge pipe, 30 metres under the sea, in a flawed attempt to prevent the routine discharge of radioactive particles into the ocean. Levels of radiation on the outside of the two steel chambers are so high (up to 500 micro-sieverts each hour) that a no-dive zone was self imposed by Greenpeace's radio-protection officer.

Press Release

Unusually low tides have left exposed a highly radioactive discharge pipe on a public beach near the la Hague plutonium reprocessing plant on France's northwest coast. Greenpeace has warned that the pipe and its discharges pose unacceptable hazards to the environment and public health and has called on the French government to stop pumping radioactive waste into the sea.

Graphic representation of the end of Cogema's radioactive waste discharge pipe on the sea bed off the Normandy coast, France, as witnessed by Greenpeace divers during operations in September 1997. Depicted are barrels of nuclear waste, and a filtering system for containing the scrap material removed during Cogema's cleaning operation. Since July, Cogema have been attempting to remove the radioactive crust from within their waste pipe. Greenpeace had called upon French authorities for a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment prior to any operation. This was not conducted, and during the operation hundreds of kilograms of waste material escaped into the ocean.

Greenpeace are calling for a halt to all radioactive waste discharges from Cogema's reprocessing facilities at Cap la Hague.

ILLEGAL RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES DISCOVERED IN COGEMA'S LIQUID WASTE DISCHARGE; GREENPEACE SEEKS IMMEDIATE COURT ACTION TO HALT CONTAMINATION

Greenpeace revealed today that nuclear particles larger than 63 microns were captured during a scientific sampling FROM Cogema's discharge pipe, while the Discharge Authorization from 1980 states that no particle larger than 25 microns can be discharged by the reprocessing plant.

Press Release

14 September 1997

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JAPANESE HIGH LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE CARGO HEADING TO TROUBLED EUROPEAN REPROCESSING FACTORIES OF LA HAGUE AND SELLAFIELD

7 August 1997

Greenpeace has revealed that a new Japanese shipment of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel, bound for European reprocessing factories, is scheduled to enter the Panama Canal on the afternoon of Friday, August 8. The shipment of four spent fuel containers is due to arrive in Europe in approximately two weeks time. The containers are destined for the La Hague (operated by COGEMA, France) and Sellafield (operated by British Nuclear Fuel , BNFL, United Kingdom) reprocessing factories.

Press Release

GREENPEACE ACCUSES COGEMA OF ARMED ROBBERY

17 June 1997

Greenpeace has revealed that the state-owned plutonium company COGEMA has used divers and armed men to illegally remove sampling equipment installed by the international environmental group. Greenpeace is in the process of filing legal papers with the public prosecutor in Cherbourg calling for an investigation of the crime and the return of the sampling equipment. Greenpeace has vowed not to be deterred by COGEMA "thuggery" and promises to continue its monitoring of the company's radioactive pollution.

Press Release

GREENPEACE SHIP ARRIVES TO SUPPORT PLUTONIUM FACTORY DISCHARGE

15 June 1997

The Rainbow C has been brought to France following Greenpeace's publication yesterday of new data showing severe radioactive contamination of the ocean floor and around the pipe. The ship, equipped with a laboratory and decontamination equipment, will help the environmental organisation to provide the public with real information about the nature and extent of COGEMA's contamination of the marine environment.

Press Release

COGEMA'S RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES MAKE SEA-BED NUCLEAR DUMP

13 June 1997

Radioactive discharges from the La Hague plutonium plant have severely contaminated the ocean floor, said Greenpeace today. Preliminary analysis of sediment from the ocean floor around the plant's discharge pipe has been found to be higher than the lev els set by the European Community for controlled nuclear waste.

Press Release

Press Release:   24 June 1997: DUTCH POWER PLANT REFUSES TO TAKE BACK ITS OWN NUCLEAR WASTE DUMPED IN FRANCE

Press Release:   20 June 1997: GREENPEACE REVEALS THAT COGEMA PUMPS NUCLEAR WASTE INTO OCEAN; DISCHARGES ARE OVER 17 MILLION TIMES MORE RADIOACTIVE THAN SEA

Press Release:   18 June 1997: GOVERNMENT STUDY CONFIRMS LEUKEMIA AROUND LA HAGUE; GREENPEACE CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE END TO REPROCESSING/RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES