Australia's Waste-Scotland's Sorrow

[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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>> Australia's waste - Scotland's sorrow
 
SYDNEY, APRIL 18, 1996 (GP) Greenpeace activists will attempt
to block the shipment of 110 spent nuclear fuel rods from the
CTAL Container Terminal in Port Botany tonight.
 
Local Scottish environment groups will also hold a protest
outside the Australian consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 
Media should meet at the main gate of the CTAL Container
Terminal, Friendship Road, Port Botany, Sydney, from 11pm
tonight. At this stage, Greenpeace expects the MV Condock to
leave the port in the early hours of Friday morning.  
Greenpeace suspects a truck carrying the nuclear cargo will
leave Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation
(ANSTO's) Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, New Illawarra Road,
Lucas Heights, around midnight.  
"It is a travesty that this shipment should go ahead while
safety concerns are unresolved," Greenpeace Nuclear Campaigner
Ben Pearson said. "It is a particularly worrying precedent
given the possibility of a further nine shipments."
 
"The re-reprocessing plant in Dounreay, Scotland, will re-open
to accept this Australian waste. This will lead to further
radioactive pollution of the Scottish environment and

proliferation of weapons usable nuclear materials".  
At approximately 2pm Scottish time (about 10pm our time) on
Thursday 18 April, there will be a demonstration outside the
Australian Consulate in Edinburgh to protest against the
planned shipment of Australian spent nuclear fuel from Sydney
to the Dounreay reprocessing plant in Scotland.
 
The protesters will hand consulate officials a letter calling
for the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Howard, to cancel the
shipment. Opinion polls and a referendum show overwhelming
Scottish opposition to the shipment. A referendum held in
January showed that 65.5% of respondents were opposed to

Dounreay importing foreign spent nuclear fuel. A poll
conducted by Scotland Friends of the Earth (FoE) showed
opposition nearer 80%.
 
For local information call Ben Pearson on 0411 179 478 or
Linda Apps on (02) 211 4066 or mobile 0419 745 547. For more

information from Scotland call Gramma Stein or Kevin Dunion of
Friends of the Earth, Scotland, on 44 131 554 99 77.   

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