Secret Nuclear Waste Shipment in Tasman Sea

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

NUCLEAR WASTE SHIP IN TASMAN SEA


Auckland, Tuesday 25th February 1997 -- After pressure from
Greenpeace and opposition MPs, the New Zealand Government
announced the Pacific Teal's location in Parliament today, as
350 nautical miles due east of Sydney, at 35 degrees, 36
minutes South by 158 degrees, 18 minutes East, 350 nautical
miles due east of Sydney, Australia, heading north.

The ship is carrying its load of highly radioactive waste
through the Tasman Sea towards Japan.

Greenpeace has called on the New Zealand and Australian
Governments to send observer aircraft to confirm the location
of the ship because assurances given to the South African
Government about its location had previously been broken. The
Pacific Teal's British owners said that the ship would not
travel inside South Africa's 200 mile zone. However, two weeks
ago it was found 100 miles inside the zone by the South
African Navy and a Greenpeace spotter plane.

"The New Zealand and Australian Governments needs to take the
initiative to monitor this ship and verify that its position
is as reported," said Greenpeace Campaign Director Stephanie
Mills.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs officials had told representatives
from Greenpeace and the U.S. Nuclear Control Institute earlier
in the day that the ship was approximately 600 nautical miles
west of Taranaki, New Zealand. This was inaccurate and has
been corrected by the Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Simon Upton.

GREENPEACE WILL HOLD A BRIEFING FOR JOURNALISTS ABOUT THE
SHIPMENT TODAY AT 6pm IN THE DOIDGE ROOM, PRESS GALLERY,
PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY BUILDING. THE BRIEFING WILL INCLUDE PAUL
LEVENTHAL, DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR CONTROL INSTITUTE; TOM
CLEMENTS & DUNCAN CURRIE, GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL; STEPHANIE
MILLS, GREENPEACE NEW ZEALAND.

For more information call Stephanie Mills on (025) 790 817 in
Wellington or Glyn Walters on (09) 630 6317 or 025 931 363 in
Auckland