Greenpeace Protests Nuclear Power Submarine

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

GREENPEACE PROTESTS NUCLEAR POWERED SUBMARINE

SUVA, Fiji  February 19 -  Greenpeace today boarded the US
nuclear powered attack submarine, "USS Bremerton" anchored in
Suva Harbour and unfurled a banner which read "Nuclear Free
Pacific". Greenpeace is calling on countries in the Pacific to
strengthen the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty by
including a ban on port visits by nuclear powered ships and
submarines. 

Two Greenpeace activists climbed onto the hull of the half-
submerged "Bremerton" to unfurl the banner at lunchtime today.
The Bremerton SSN 698 arrived in Suva, Fiji last weekend for a
five day visit. 

Although the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty does not ban
nuclear powered ships or submarine visits, Vanuatu, the Solomon
Islands and New Zealand banned nuclear powered ships from their
ports in the 1980's in recognition of the environmental and
safety risks associated with the ships. 

Nuclear powered ships contain nuclear reactors, which have no
containment systems, and when brought into city centers are at
their most hazardous and unstable because they are put through
shut down procedures. "Just because you can't see the danger
doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Since the first nuclear powered
vessel was commissioned in the 1950's, vessels have regularly
run aground, sunk, suffered fires, mechanical breakdowns and
collisions with tankers and other warships." Said Tamsin
Vuetilovoni.    

Fiji, like most Pacific countries, has no safety scheme or
emergency plans in place to ensure the safety of civilians in
the case of an accident. "The risk of a serious nuclear accident
is a very real risk and this is unacceptable. The reality is
that Fiji has no assurances from the US on liability should an
accident occur", she said. 

"Many people in the Pacific think that we are safe now that the
nuclear powers have signed the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone
Treaty, but there are still many loopholes in the Treaty. A ban
on port visits by nuclear powered vessels would strengthen the
Treaty by closing a major loophole." Vuetilovoni said.

Ends.

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