N-Waste Moved to French Port as US Congress Members Appeal to C

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

JAPANESE NUCLEAR WASTE MOVED TO FRENCH PORT, AS U.S. CONGRESS
MEMBERS APPEAL TO CLINTON

Paris, January 19, (GP) --  Greenpeace today criticised French 
nuclear company Cogema for ignoring growing public and 
political opposition by moving ahead with its plans for
transporting  high level radioactive waste from France to Japan.

Between the hours of 0400 and 0500 Sunday night, three casks of 
waste were transported from the la Hague plutonium reprocessing
plant  to the nearby port of Cherbourg. According to information
from  Cogema, the Pacific Swan will arrive in Cherbourg
tomorrow, Tuesday,  with loading of the casks to take place
during the day. Departure for  Japan is expected on Wednesday
morning. Cogema have stated that they  will make public the
route of the shipment on Thursday, one day after  departure.

Members of the United States Congress have appealed to 
President Clinton to stop the shipment in the interests of
safety and  security. In a letter dated January 15th, the
Congress members  expressed opposition to the use of the Panama
Canal for the shipment,  and criticised the U.S. State
Department for inadequate assurances on  the safety of the
transport.

"Under the cover of darkness Cogema have moved ahead with their
plans  to transport dangerous nuclear waste to Japan. As concern
about  Cogema's nuclear operation reaches President Clinton,
they continue  with their dirty and dangerous plutonium trade," 
said Yannick  Rousselet of Greenpeace.

The three casks to be loaded on the Pacific Swan will make it
the  largest shipment of waste to be sent to Japan under
reprocessing  contracts signed between Japanese electric
utilities and Cogema.

Last week Greenpeace released details of a French government 
confidential memo which stated that  "...on January 23 the ship 
Pacific Swan will depart to Japan via the Panama Canal."  The 
British-flagged vessel is set to carry 60 containers of
vitrified  (glassified) high-level nuclear waste. A shipment in
1995 of 28  containers went to Japan around South America and a
shipment of 40  containers traveled in early 1997 via the South
African route.  

ENDS 

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org

NOTE: 

1- The letter to President Clinton was signed by Congress
members:  Carlos Romero-Barcel (Democrat Puerto-Rico), Neil
Abercrombie (D-  Hawaii), Robert Underwood (D-Guam), Donna
Christian-Gree (U.S. Virgin  Islands) and Eni Faleomavaega (D-
American Samoa). Copies available  upon request from Greenpeace
France, Paris (331 534 38585)