3/21 GP Appeals to G7 and EU on Nuclear Safety

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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                   GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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GREENPEACE LAUNCHES APPEAL TO G7 AND EUROPEAN UNION STATES
ON NUCLEAR SAFETY IN RUN UP TO MOSCOW MEETING
 
MOSCOW, March 21 1996 -- (GP) Greenpeace released an urgent
appeal today made to the G7 and European Union Heads of
State demanding a commitment to nuclear safety in the run up
to their meeting in Moscow next month.
 
With the tenth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident
imminent, a Nuclear Safety Summit attended by the Heads of
State of the G7 nations (the United States, the United
Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada and France), as well as
the Russian Federation's Boris Yeltsin and
representatives from the European Union, is scheduled to
take place in Moscow on April 19th and 20th. Ukraine's
President Leonid Kuchma is also invited to attend part of
the Summit.
 
In its appeal, Greenpeace strongly criticised the decision
made in December 1995 by the G7 to complete two potentially
dangerous nuclear reactors in Ukraine, while failing to take
advantage of the large potential for energy saving within
the country (1).
 
The G7 Memorandum of Understanding in December 1995
recommended loan financing to assist the completion of the
Soviet-designed Khmelnitski II and Rovno IV nuclear reactors
in Ukraine.  The draft agreement also requests that the
Ukrainian government closes the Chernobyl nuclear power
station by the year 2000.  However, German officials have
reportedly learned that the Chernobyl plant management is
making plans to keep the plant operating until at least
2010. (2)
 
"The Nuclear Safety Summit must ensure the immediate closure
of Chernobyl," said Greenpeace's Oganes Targulian. "Millions
of people were affected by the accident, yet 10 years on the
plant is still operating.  The threat of another accident at
Chernobyl is very real, the G7 and European Union nations
must act now to shut it down and eliminate the threat
forever."
 
Greenpeace has asked the Heads of State to ensure that
funding is not provided for the completion of any new
dangerous reactors in Ukraine, and has called instead for
investment in energy efficiency and renewables.
 
"The nuclear option for Ukraine must be eliminated from the G7
agenda to allow the development of projects that do not
risk nuclear accidents on the scale of Chernobyl. The
Nuclear Safety Summit, if it is to be taken seriously, will
have to act in the interest of the environment, public
health, and sustainable economic development, not the
nuclear industry," said Targulian.
 
Greenpeace has provided details to the Heads of State
that show the potential energy savings in Ukraine that
include for example:
 
* Within a five year period, through Demand Side Management
and Load Management at seven industrial sites, savings of
nearly 4GW (equal to four 1000MWe nuclear reactors) and at a
cost of $US 905 million can be made.(3)

 
* The Ukrainian Institute of Energy Saving Savings Problems
have shown that energy saving can reach 65 percent of total
demand.  Of this 80 percent can be achieved in the
industrial sector with 30 percent of this requiring no or
low cost measures.(3)
 

* A study undertaken for the European Commissions TACIS
programme showed that at almost zero cost, 5-10 percent of
the total power consumption of Ukraine can be achieved in 12
years.
 
"The potential for energy efficiency in Ukraine is clearly
massive.  It is scandalous that the funding of dangerous
nuclear reactors is even under consideration at the Nuclear
Safety Summit" said Targulian.
 
Greenpeace will be releasing briefings and technical
documents during the period up to the Nuclear Safety Summit
(April 19th-20th), and the 10th Anniversary of Chernobyl
(April 26th).
 
Contact:
Oganes Targulian, Greenpeace Russia:  7095 251 9073
Karen Richardson, Greenpeace International in London: 44 171
354 5100
 
Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications : 44 171 833 0600
 
Notes to Editors:
Copies of the Greenpeace letters to Heads of State are
available upon request.
 
1.  In December 1995, the G7 and European Union signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ukraine, which agreed
in principle to the closure of Chernobyl by the year 2000.
This agreement stated that the West would provide
approximately $2.3 billion of energy grants ($500 million)
and loans ($1.8 billion) for the energy sector.
 
2.  Nucleonics Week, February 29th, 1996
 
3.  see Implementing DSM In Ukraine's Restructured Power
Sector.  David Wolcott, Chief of Party, Hagler Bailly
Consulting, INC, Vladimir Dukov, Director National Energy
Efficiency Centre, Ukraine Ministry of Energy and Power,
Presented at the Fourth International Energy Efficiency and
DSM Conference, Berlin, 11th October 1995.
 

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