Bikini Council Rejects N-Waste Proposal

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

  BIKINI COUNCIL REJECTS PROPOSAL TO STORE NUCLEAR WASTE

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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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  BIKINI COUNCIL REJECTS PROPOSAL TO STORE NUCLEAR WASTE

FIJI - May 16, 1995 (GP) Greenpeace today applauded the Bikini
people of the Marshall Islands, for rejecting a proposal to
store nuclear waste on one of their islands contaminated by US
nuclear testing in the 1950s.

After two days of intense discussion and debate the Bikini
Council voted overwhelmingly against pursuing the proposal.
This came only weeks after the Council had directed their
legal counsel to obtain information on nuclear waste disposal
to help inform the Bikini people. In a resolution that
recognised 1996 as the 50th anniversary of the removal of the
people of Bikini from their homeland due to nuclear testing,
they reaffirm their commitment to cleaning up and resettling
their atoll rather than turning it into the world's nuclear
garbage bin.

"This is a vote in favour of a future," said McDiarmid of
Greenpeace. "The Bikini people have already paid a heavy price
from the nuclear testing and have rejected extending this
nuclear mortgage to future generations."

The Marshall Islands government has been promoting the
roposal all over the world and most recently at the Nuclear
Non-
Profiferation Treaty (NPT) meeting in New York.
Representatives from other Pacific countries have offered to
support the
Marshallese in pursuing proper compensation by the US for the
damage done to their people and environment while conducting
nuclear tests there in the 1950s, but added that they would
not support any proposal to build a nuclear waste facility in
the region.

Both the United States and Japan have so far said that they
would not consider participating in the scheme. However it is
reported that representatives from Taiwan are currently in the
Marshall Islands discussing the proposal with the government
and that Rongelap atoll may be under consideration as an
alternative site.

"We urge the Marshall Islands government to listen to the
decision of the Bikini community and to the aspirations of the
wider Pacific community for a nuclear free region and not
sacrifice their islands as nuclear waste dumps - the price is
too high." McDiarmid said.

For more information: Bunny McDiarmid 679 312861