Spent N-Fuel Derailment in Europe Wake-up Call on Hazards of US

["Greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL DERAILMENT IN EUROPE IS WAKE-UP CALL 
ON THE HAZARDS OF U.S. NUCLEAR WASTE SHIPMENTS, GREENPEACE WARNS 

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 4, 1997 (GP) -  This morning's derailment
at the Fran= co-German border of a train carrying highly
radioactive spent nuclear fuel=  is a wake-up call for the
United States as it considers its own nuclear w= aste crisis,
Greenpeace said today.  The Senate Energy and Natural Resourc=
es Committee is preparing for a possible February 12 vote on the
Nuclear W= aste Policy Act of 1997 (S. 104).  The bill would
create a "temporary" cen= tralized high-level nuclear waste
storage facility at the Nevada Test Site=  and would pave the
way for regular nuclear waste shipments through 43 sta= tes.

"The U.S. Senate is now considering a =91Mobile Chernobyl' bill
that would=  launch the largest nuclear shipping campaign ever,"
said Greenpeace Nucle= ar Disarmament campaigner Bruce Hall. 
"These nuclear transport accidents = in Europe sound a warning
for some 50 million Americans faced with the pro= spect of
nuclear waste moving within a half-mile of their communities
over=  the next 30 years."

Three railway cars loaded with spent nuclear fuel from the
Lingen nuclear = power plant in Germany derailed in Apach
(France) this morning. Each railc= ar was carrying one shipping
cask, which in turn contained six spent fuel = elements. The
accident happened while the train was changing tracks at low= 
speed.  Greenpeace noted however that rail transports in Europe
of highly=  radioactive materials often reach 100 kilometers per
hour. 

"A derailment occurring at a higher speed or a possible
collision with oth= er trains transporting dangerous materials
could lead to the catastrophic = release of radioactivity," said
Dr. Helmut Hirsch, Greenpeace nuclear expe= rt based in Hamburg,
Germany.   "This morning's derailment shows that such= 
accidents are possible at any time. The only lesson we can take
from this=  near-catastrophe is that nuclear transports must
stop."

Irradiated nuclear fuel is sent from Germany to France and
Britain where w= eapons-usable plutonium is separated from the
other radioactive materials = in the fuel.  This controversial
"reprocessing" of irradiated nuclear fuel=  is leading to the
dramatic commerce in and stockpiling of tons of weapons= -usable
plutonium.

On January 15, a railcar carrying a nuclear fuel cask derailed
during a tr= ack change in front of the Kruemmel nuclear power
plant near Hamburg. Gree= npeace protested for one week at the
Kruemmel nuclear power plant against = the transport of spent
nuclear fuel to Britain's Sellafield reprocessing p= lant.
 
###

For further information:
Contact: Greenpeace Nuclear Disarmament Campaigner Bruce Hall -
(202) 319-= 2514, Deborah Rephan at the Greenpeace Newsdesk -
(202) 319-2492, or Ruedi= ger Rosenthal, Greenpeace Germany
Press Officer ++49-40-30618342