Revised Discharge Permits At La Hague Nuclear Reprocessing Facility Submitted by Greenpeace International to the Joint Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR 97) Brussels, 2-5 September, 1997 On 17 June 1997, Madame Dominique Voynet, France´s Minister for the Environment and Territorial Management, announced that "a review of the Ministerial Acts defining the discharge norms at [La Hague nuclear reprocessing( facility will be undertaken, in consultation with all concerned actors, leading to a public inquiry next autumn at the latest" (see Annex 1, below, Press Release from Madame Voynet, 17 June, 1997). Shortly thereafter, Monsieur Bernard Kouchner, France´s State Secretary for Health, reminded us that "the precautionary principle applied to public health matters must also apply to the environment". Mr. Kouchner asked the French Office for radioprotection (OPRI) "to proceed as fast as possible to a verification of contamination levels around the La Hague installation, and to propose the measures that are necessary" (see Annex 2(3), below). Greenpeace International trusts that the French delegation will provide OSPAR 97 (certainly a "concerned actor", as Madame Voynet puts it) with all relevant information. We also trust that France will now act - at minimum - in accordance with PARCOM Recommendation 93/5, namely: (i) to adopt further measures, including the application of BAT for the reduction or elimination of inputs of radioactive substances to the maritime area; (ii) that a new or revised discharge authorisation for radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing installations should only be issued by national authorities if special consideration is given to: (a) information on the need for spent fuel reprocessing and on other options; a full environmental impact assessment; (b) the demonstration that the planned discharges are based upon the use of the Best Available Techniques and observe the precautionary principle, and (c) a consultation with the Paris Commission on the basis of a, b, and c above. France and the UK are the only Contracting Parties with outstanding reservations on PARCOM Recommendation 93/5. We trust that the new political climate in France and the recent events which have led the French government to modify its position with regard to nuclear reprocessing discharges and emissions, will prompt the announcement, prior to OSPAR 97, that France no longer has a reservation on this legitimate recommendation. We also trust that within its review of the discharge permits, France will act in accordance with Section III "Priorities and Objectives for Future Work" of the Final Declaration of the 1992 Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission, whereby "the need to reduce radioactive discharges from nuclear installations to the marine environment" was recognised unanimously. New developments at and around La Hague in the last few months demonstrate that those Contracting Parties who viewed the continued routine discharges and emissions of radioactive wastes from nuclear reprocessing facilities as inconsistent with >>>>>>>>MISSING TEXT as set out in Article 2.1(a) of the OSPAR Convention. ANNEX 1: Press Release (17 June, 1997) from French Environment Minister Mrs. Dominique Voynet, announcing a review of the discharge permits and a public inquiry in the autumn of 1997. ANNEX 2: ABSTRACTS FROM "LE MONDE", 30 MAY-11 JULY: (1) Friday 30 May, 1997: "GREENPEACE CRITICISE THE MARINE DISCHARGE NORMS OF THE RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS AT LA HAGUE. The independent Research and Information Commission on Radioactivity confirms the under-estimation of the quantities of Iodine-129 released by the nuclear waste reprocessing facility, and of their effects on the environment." (2) Sunday 1 June, 1997: "LIVELY CONTROVERSY OVER THE CALCULATION METHODS OF RADIOACTIVE IODINE DISCHARGED AT LA HAGUE. COGEMA criticise CRII-RAD´s independent study." (3) Wednesday 18 June, 1997: "[HEALTH MINISTER( BERNARD KOUCHNER CALLS FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE CONTAMINATION LEVEL AT LA HAGUE. A multi-disciplinary scientific committee confirms the existence of a leukaemia "cluster"." (4) Thursday 19 June, 1997: "AN OFFICIAL LABORATORY CONFIRMS THE RADIOACTIVITY REVEALED BY GREENPEACE OFF LA HAGUE. Mrs. Voynet orders independent measures on the COGEMA installation´s discharges." (5) Thursday 19 June, 1997: Editorial: "NUCLEAR: THE END OF INNOCENCE." (6) Saturday 21 June, 1997: " AT LA HAGUE, SEA WATER IS POLLUTED, ACCORDING TO GREENPEACE." (7) Thursday 26 June, 1997: Editorial: "NUCLEAR INDUSTRY: THE TIME OF CHOICE." (8) Wednesday 2 July, 1997: "LA HAGUE: THE SOULEAU REPORT DOES NOT ARBITRATE BETWEEN GREENPEACE AND COGEMA." (9) Saturday 12 July, 1997: "THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES AT LA HAGUE STARTS AGAIN. After Mrs. Voynet´s decision to prohibit "in emergency" public access to the maritime area around the installation, the administration minimises the risks outlined by Greenpeace, but reinforces controls."