German Plutonium Protest

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GREENPEACE PROTEST IN HANAU:


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GREENPEACE PROTEST IN HANAU:
GERMAN PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION IS A THREAT TO WORLD PEACE
 
HANAU, Germany, March 17, 1995 (GP) Forty Greenpeace activists
set up 250 mock nuclear bombs in front of the main entrance to
the federal plutonium bunker in Hanau this morning. A two by
three meter banner stating "Plutonium is a threat to world peace"
was placed before the main entrance to underline Greenpeace's
demand to stop plutonium production and processing. Activists
holding six long banners with bomb symbols were positioned at the
entrance while stencils of bombs were painted on the entrance-
way.  
 
There are already 2.5 tonnes of plutonium stored in the Hanau
bunker. That's enough to build 250 German nuclear bombs; just 10
kilos of this weapons-usable material are enough for one bomb.
The German Government refuses to disclose any exact information
about the condition of the plutonium stored there. Another 6 to 8
tonnes of German plutonium are in the French reprocessing plant
at La Hague waiting to be returned to Hanau.
 
Every year the amount of plutonium produced just from the civil
use of nuclear energy alone, increases drastically. By 2000,
another 31 tonnes of German plutonium will be produced by
reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. The plutonium glut will increase
to 570 tonnes worldwide by 2000, which will further increase the
risk of
proliferation of this highly dangerous radioactive material.  
"Only a complete stop to plutonium production and secure storage
of plutonium under international control can prevent the
proliferation of nuclear bomb material on a global scale", said
Roland Hipp, Greenpeace nuclear expert. "On April 17,
negotiations on the extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty
will begin in New York. We call for Foreign Minister Kinkel to
announce at the beginning of the Conference that Germany will
take the exemplary initiative of stopping its production and
reprocessing of plutonium."
 
Germany's official policy until now has been to support an
unlimited extension of the NPT. But the treaty has long missed
its goal of limiting the number of nuclear powers to the original
five. Since it was signed, more than 30 states have gained
possession of the fissile material plutonium. In addition to the
original nuclear weapons states of USA, Russia, Great Britain,
France and China, today Israel, India and Pakistan also possess
the bomb.
Theoretically, Germany could also have the nuclear option.
 
Responsible for German plutonium production are the power
utilities; it's their on-going nuclear policy that poses a threat
to world peace. Later today three groups of Greenpeace activists,
equipped with street signs, will each start a journey toward the
respective power utilities headquarters, posting signs along the
way all across Germany that point to the danger of plutonium.
 
ENDS
 
For more information contact Roland Hipp in Hanau:
++49-161-2425173, or Greenpeace expert Inge Lindemann:
++49-40-31186-435, or Susanne Commerell, press officer:
++49-40-31186-142.