Greenpeace Gives French Gvmt `Red Card" For Restarting Nuclear T

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

GREENPEACE GIVES FRENCH GOVERNMENT "RED CARD" FOR RESTART OF
NUCLEAR TRANSPORTS

VALOGNES, July 7, 1998 --- Greenpeace protested today against
the French  government's decision to resume controversial
transports of irradiated nuclear fuel after a two months
suspension. 

"We challenge the French government to explain how it can allow
the resumption of  contaminated nuclear transports without
having solved the problem of leakage or prosecuted those
responsible for breaking safety laws," said Greenpeace nuclear
campaigner Yannick Rousselet. The Greenpeace demonstration
occurred at the Valognes rail yard, near Cherbourg, upon the
arrival of a rail wagon of irradiated nuclear fuel from the
reactors at Bugey, near Lyon. 17 Greenpeace activists from the
client coutries of Cogema reprocessing plant (Germany, Belgium,
Switzerland and France) wearing radiation suits and gas masks
surrounded the rail car and held up pairs of handcuffs and signs
saying: "Who is responsible?" and "Who is guilty?". 

"For years, safety authorities and nuclear officials have
secretly conspired to break the law by transporting contaminated
transport casks," said Rousselet. "For two months the public has
awaited a response from government and now we have it: there
have been crimes but no prosecution of criminals; we have
regulations but no regulators to apply them!" 

Documents leaked in April revealed that some one third of French
transports between reactors and the COGEMA reprocessing plant at
La Hague were contaminated beyond legal levels. It was further
revealed that contaminated, illegal transports had occurred for
some ten years with the collusion of industry and government
officials. In response, under pressure from unions and the
general public, the French rail company SNCF ordered the
transports suspended. Although French Prime Minister Lionel
Jospin ordered an investigation into the scandal, safety
authorities provided no substantive information. 

"This transport scandal has lead to a complete cessation of
transports in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland, but
French officials have sought to wait and hope that the scandal
will blow over," Rousselet said. "It seems that the French
regulators and industry have simply decided to allow the
transports to resume without solving the contamination problems
or applying the law," said Rousselet. According to the June 29
issue of nuclear industry periodical "Nuclear Fuel", an
accommodation has been worked out in which industry officials
are to notify the regulators if they intend to make transports
in which the contamination levels are beyond the regulatory
limits. "The government and industry are treating the workers
and general public with complete disdain," said Rousselet of
Greenpeace. "It seems that the Electricite de France and COGEMA
are welcome to break the law as long as they let government know
that they intend to do so."

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