GREENPEACE CONDEMNS PUTIN FOR GIVING GREEN LIGHT TO NUCLEAR WASTE IMPORTS

11 July 2001

Moscow: Greenpeace today slammed the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, for endorsing changes to the country's environmental law which pave the way for vast radioactive waste imports to Russia. Under the Russian constitution, the legal amendments enter into force with today's Presidential signature.

"Greenpeace will oppose every single ounce of nuclear waste that enters Russian territory. It will use all possible non-violent means to protect Russia from this nuclear invasion," said Tobias Muenchmeyer* of Greenpeace.

Putin's signature marks the end of a 10 month decision making process, during which public opposition against the import of radioactive waste has escalated. It has become a main public political issue in Russia. According to a recent opinion poll commissioned by Greenpeace, 79.5 percent of the Russian population wanted President Putin to block nuclear waste imports.

"On becoming President, Putin vowed 'to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the state and to serve the people faithfully'. With this signature Putin has broken his vow. This decision is against the will of the people and allows the import of radioactive waste that will pose a threat to Russians for hundreds and thousands of years to come. Putin is selling Russia and betraying his people," said Vladimir Chuprov, energy expert of Greenpeace in Russia.

Over the last 10 days, Greenpeace in Russia has observed large scale propaganda in the Russian media promoting the import of nuclear waste. Counter arguments and critical voices of environmental experts and organisations appear to have been excluded from the media. "This has all of the hallmarks of the old authoritarian Soviet State, when there was no freedom of opinion. This propaganda shows that the President is afraid of debate and public opinion," added Chuprov.

The scale of potential nuclear waste exports to Russia will depend upon utilities and governments in the so-called 'client' states exporting their nuclear waste as well as on U.S. Government authorisation, as the U.S. controls up to 90 percent of the spent nuclear fuel in the world.

Germany, one of the countries identified by the Nuclear Ministry 'Minatom' as a key customer for Russian nuclear fuel services, has already denounced exporting its radioactive waste to Russia. Last month, Germany's Environmental Minister Juergen Trittin said: "Russia's offer to reprocess nuclear waste from the West and place it in interim storage is an irresponsible gamble with the health and safety of the Russian people."

"Greenpeace urges all nuclear countries to back the German position by taking full responsibility for their nuclear waste and to phase out nuclear power in order to stop the production of more nuclear waste," said Muenchmeyer.

The permission for importing radioactive waste, being promoted by the cash-strapped 'Minatom', will turn Russia into the world's nuclear waste dump. Minatom wants to import up to 20,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Spain over the next ten years - in contracts it claims will be worth up to $21 billion.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tobias Muenchmeyer, Nuclear Campaigner, Greenpeace International in Berlin, Tel: +49 170 86 66 052
Vladimir Chuprov, Greenpeace Russia, Tel: +7 095 257 41 22

*Tobias Muenchmeyer, Greenpeace's expert on Russian nuclear issues, was declared persona non grata by the Russian Foreign Ministry in December 1999 and has been banned from entering Russia ever since. No reason has been given why Muenchmeyer is no longer allowed to enter Russia, except that it "is in the interest of state security" to deny him a visa. Greenpeace is campaigning to overturn this undemocratic decision which strikes at the heart of free speech.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO of victims of radioactive pollution from the Russian nuclear facility 'Mayak' are available from Greenpeace Communications, Lucy Clayton (video) or John Novis (photo) Tel: +31- 20- 524 9580