OCTOBER 11, 2007 | No. 661 MAFIA CLAN CONNECTED WITH TRAFFICKING NUCLEAR WASTE Authorities in Italy are investigating a mafia clan for alleged illegal

trafficking in nuclear waste and "clandestine production of MAFIA CLAN CONNECTED WITH plutonium". Eight former managers of the country's energy agency TRAFFICKING NUCLEAR WASTE 1 Enea were accused of connections with the Silician mafia Cosa URENCO'S RUSH TO DUMP Nostra and the Calabrian mafia 'Ndrangheta. The accusation came URANIUM WASTE IN RUSSIA 2 after a 12-yyear inquiry into Mafia involvement in nuclear waste disposal. EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK BACKING NUKES AGAIN? 3 (661.5832) Laka Foundation - Magistrate the northern port of Livorno, 100 drums Francesco Basentini in the city of were secretly buried somewhere in the COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PUBLIC Potenza, in southern Italy, began the southern Italian region of Basilicata. INVOLVEMENT IN RADIOACTIVE investigation after a confession of an Investigators have yet to locate these WASTE MANAGEMENT 4 'Ndrangheta “turncoat,” detailing his role radioactive drums. NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY - in the alleged waste-dumping. Basentini CAPSIZING EUROPE 6 said that two of the Calabrian clan's The 500 drums were buried in Somalia members are being investigated, along after buying off local politicians. 30 YEAR PRIOR TO CHERNOBYL: with eight former employees of the state Shipments to Somalia continued into the MAYAK 8 energy research agency Enea. 1990s, including radioactive hospital THE NUCLEAR-FFREE FUTURE waste, and sending them to the sea bed AWARD 10 The 'Ndrangheta mafia, which gained off the Calabrian coast, the turncoat told notoriety in August for its blood feud investigators. Although he made no LET'S GET AUSTRIA OUT OF killings of six men in Germany, has been mention of attempted plutonium EURATOM! 11 accused by investigators of building on production, Il Giornale newspaper wrote its origins as a kidnapping gang to that the mobsters may have planned to IN BRIEF 14 become Europe's top cocaine importer, sell it to foreign governments. thanks to ties to Colombian cartels. But the nuclear accusation, if true, would "The 'Ndrangheta has no morals and, if take it into another league. there is money in an activity, it will have no problem getting involved, even The eight Enea managers are suspected nuclear waste," said Nicola Gratteri, the of paying the mobsters to get rid of 600 anti-mafia magistrate investigating the drums of toxic and radioactive waste shooting in Germany in August of six from Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italians - the most recent episode of a and the US, with Somalia as the blood feud between clans in the destination lined up by the traffickers. Calabrian village of San Luca, which cast These activities took place in the 1980s the spotlight on the 'Ndrangheta's global and 1990s. At the time the eight were trafficking and drug-dealing business based at the Enea facility in Rotondella, worth up US$50 billion (euro 35 billion) a a town in Basilicata province in the toe year. According to the turncoat, the plan of Italy, which today treats "special" and to enter the radioactive waste business "hazardous" waste. At other facilities, also started in San Luca, hatched by its Enea studies nuclear fusion and fission then boss, Giuseppe Nirta. technologies. Because there was only room for 500 drums on a ship waiting at Rumors on the alleged illegal trafficking of radioactive and toxic waste are gigantic proportions, amounting to Somali coasts, have been damaged by lingering on for many decades. more than seven billion dollars in Italy the tsunami," UNEP spokesman Nick According to an Italian parliamentary alone," Massimo Scalia, the chairman Nuttall said. According to Nuttall UN study on illegal waste-trafficking issued of an investigative commission set up agencies working in the north of in November 2000 the mafia controls by the Italian parliament, told Inter- Somalia are mentioning more and more about 30 percent of Italy's rubbish Press Service in May 2001. The Italian symptoms of poisoning among the disposal companies. The so-called justice system is investigating population. Messages like "The "ecomafia" ran companies dealing with particularly African countries like inhabitants bleed from the mouth, gets about 35 million tons of refuse a year, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Algeria and intestine bleedings, show unusual skin raking in at least US$ 6.66bn. The Mozambique. It was found that two of rashes or respiration problems" are report said: "Radioactive waste from the methods for getting rid of such common. Italy dumped in Somalia may have waste are dumping it into the sea in affected Italian soldiers based there special metal containers designed to Sources: The Guardian, 9 October 2007 with a United Nations force in the mid- sink to the bottom, or purposely sinking / The Times, 9 October 2007 / Reuters 1990s." the ship carrying the waste, and News Service, 8 November 2000 / reporting it as an accident. Inter-Press Service, 7 May 2001 / Het The developing South has become the Laatste Nieuws (Belgium), 4 March dump for hundreds of thousands of These activities explain the poisoning 2005 / After The Tsunami - Rapid tons of radioactive waste from the of Somali's coastline after the tsunami Environmental Assessment, UNEP, world's rich countries, a colossal disaster of late December 2004. The 2005 business which is linked to money tidal-waves caused leaks in the Contact: Laka Foundation, laundering and gunrunning, say containers with chemical and Ketelhuisplein 43, 1054 RD Amsterdam, lawmakers and activists in Italy. "The radioactive compounds. "There are The Netherlands. trafficking of radioactive waste, a large indications that containers with Tel: +31 20 6168294 part of which goes to countries of the hazardous chemical and radioactive Email: [email protected] South, constitutes a business of waste, which were stored in front of the Web: www.laka.org URENCO'S RUSH TO DUMP URANIUM WASTE IN RUSSIA A German anti-nnuclear group says the world's biggest supplier of enriched uranium, Urenco, is frantically seeking German and Dutch transport licenses to send waste to an open-aair dump in Russia before Russia stops the dumping at the latest in 2009. Among its worldwide activities, the Anglo- Dutch-GGerman corporation runs enrichment plants at Gronau, near Münster, in Germany and not far away across the border in Holland at Almelo. (661.5833) SOFA - The SOFA Münster uranium enrichment. North-Rhine Westphalia approved group has information that the Gronau Urenco is putting on a lot of pressure expansion plans for the Gronau plant, owned largely by German power because of the increasing public anger enrichment plant - when Steinbrück companies, and the Dutch plant at in Russia, The Netherlands and was premier of the state. The then Almelo currently have no new permits Germany the Russian atomic energy atomic energy minister Horstmann is for further nuclear waste transports to authority Rosatom has announced an now lobbyist in North-Rhine Westphalia Russia. "That is why Urenco is end to the uranium waste transports by for EnBW [the third-largest utilities frantically trying to get new licenses 2009 at the latest. "Until then Urenco company in Germany]. Just as 'cute' is from the German finance and wants to tip as much uranium waste as that the original export permit was environment ministries and the Dutch possible at the Ural and in Siberia on issued under the then federal minister government." open air paddocks for 'final storage'," for the environment, Angela Merkel SOFA writes. [now chancellor of Germany]. "In other The latest uranium waste transport that words, the federal government is left Gronau and Almelo under protest In Germany the permits are issued by stuffed full of loyal Urenco fans." SOFA early October is expected in St. agencies of the finance ministry subject writes. Petersburg (Russia) on October 11. But to approval by the environment ministry. "Export of uranium waste is a purely authorities in St. Petersburg have Both ministries are also responsible for political decision, because if the waste banned a demonstration against the the superordinate general export stayed in Germany the government arrival in the Russian port planned for permit. That means the two 'end itself would have to see to final storage that day. This year alone Urenco sent nuclear' ministers, Gabriel [environment] - and that is known to be impossible five consignments from Gronau and and Steinbrück (finance) have been anywhere, least of all in [the German Almelo to Russia, which amounts to responsible for the transports to Russia dump sites] Ahaus, Gorleben, Schacht almost 10,000 tons of depleted uranium since 2005. Konrad, Asse, Morsleben, Greifswald hexafluoride (c. 7,000 t of depleted Spicy note in the margin: in etc. "So it makes a lot of sense for the uranium) which is created as waste in February 2005 the state government of federal government to allow Urenco to

2 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 export to Russia." publication of protests against secret immediate stop to the uranium waste But international resistance is transports show that Urenco is slowly transports. Only public pressure will growing constantly. The international but surely going on the defensive. "In a achieve anything!" uranium conference at the end of cyber action 700 mails from Russia September (attended by some 100 arrived in the Dutch environment Source and contact: SOFA Muenster. people from 5 countries) and constant ministry a few days ago demanding an Email: [email protected] EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK BACKING NUKES AGAIN? On September 24, the European Investment Bank, under the wildly euphemistic title "EIB invests in diversification of energy sources" announced that it had signed a Euro 200 million (US$ 280 million) with Urenco Ltd for the expansion of two uranium enrichment plants in the UK and the Netherlands(1), heralding an interest in nuclear not seen in the EIB for years. (661.5834) CEE Bankwatch - The supposed to follow EU policy, the EIB's environmentally and financially viable" European Investment Bank financed role in following the "Energy policy for projects that the EIB has financed in the nuclear electricity generation for about Europe" which ensures full respect for past are the bankrupt Channel Tunnel two decades up to the mid-1980s. Member States' choice of energy mix, and London Underground PPP, as well Projects related to the nuclear fuel cycle is ambiguous. During the summer the as a host of environmentally damaging were financed up to the early 1990s. EIB published two new documents on projects such as new motorways, Putting aside its consultancy work for its energy policy during the summer - airport expansions, oil pipelines and Euratom, the last loan the EIB itself "EIB and financing of nuclear energy"(2) incinerators. gave for the nuclear sector was to and "Clean energy for Europe - a Slovenia in 2002 for decommissioning reinforced EIB contribution"(3), both of The EIB has not yet been approached the former uranium mine at Zirovski Vrh. which indicated benefits but also large to finance any new nuclear power Financing of nuclear generation has problems with nuclear but indicated a plants, but it is surely watching the followed the general trend in nuclear potential interest by the EIB in financing public reaction to the Urenco loan investments in the Member States, nuclear projects. carefully to see what it can get away which reached a peak by around the with in the future. second oil crisis and declined In "Clean energy for Europe", the EIB substantially by the mid-1980s. The indicates clear interest in supporting the 1- http://www.eib.org/projects/news/ Bank's action has been in line with the ITER nuclear fusion research project, eib-invests-in-diversification-of-energy- above Community policy. Most of the and research into nuclear waste and sources.htm projects financed by the Bank were safety. Concerning new nuclear plants, located in France, Germany, Belgium, its position is more ambiguous: The 2- http://www.eib.org/about/ the UK and Italy. In all, the Bank has "EIB and financing of nuclear energy", publications/eib-and-financing-of- lent EUR 6.6 billion for investments in states that: nuclear-energy.htm the sector, including nuclear power "The Bank ensures that all the projects stations, experimental nuclear power that it finances are economically, 3- http://www.eib.org/about/ facilities, and facilities related to the technically, environmentally and publications/clean-energy-for- nuclear fuel cycle. financially viable, and that they comply europe.htm The EIB's interest in financing new with EU and national law as well as EU nuclear plants had rapidly dwindled policies." Source: CEE Bankwatch Network after Chernobyl, but it seems the bank Contact: Pippa Gallop may be buying into the hype of nuclear By any reasonable assessment one or as a solution to climate change. would expect this to clearly exclude Desislava Stoyanova: new nuclear power plants, however As the EU's house bank, which is among the "economically, technically, Web: www.bankwatch.org

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 3 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT The concluding seminar in the Swedish CARL Project, which has analyzed and compared decision- making processes concerning radioactive waste management in Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden and the U.K.(*) was held 25-227 September in Oskarshamn, one of two designated host communities for Sweden's high level waste repository.

(661.5835) WISE-SStockholm - In the 'governance'. that include important social choices" space of two-and-a-half intensive days, (p 18). They urge the processes to four teams of social scientists, who Ambivalence "identify the social in the technical" and have studied the respective national A certain ambivalence was notable not to be afraid to broadly discuss processes over the past three years, among the scholars and the actors in technical issues as social choices. summarized their findings. The meeting the respective processes alike. Is the also included three working group prime objective of opening the process There is inevitably some degree of sessions in which mixed groups of to public or stakeholder involvement trade-off between efficiency and participants - nuclear industry people, (SI) to enhance the legitimacy of the democracy in participatory processes. regulators and representatives of process? To facilitate consensus, to oil In a discussion of the presumptive site communities and the wheels of the process? Or, is it to representativeness of the stakeholder NGOs - discussed the information broaden and enrich the basis for groups the CARL group comment: presented in the light of their decision-making? Most would agree "...[E]xperience in both Slovenia and the experience. that it is all three, but the emphasis on U.K. has shown that attempts to involve the former motives surfaced, especially critics can be difficult and that the The four countries contrast in many when issues relating to NGO process runs much more smoothly respects. Whilst the process is nearing involvement were raised. when they leave. This result may seem completion in Sweden, it is only starting desirable but in any specific case there in Slovenia; whereas local government In this connection several of the is a need to consider whether the loss has the right of veto in Sweden and researchers discuss how participatory of critical voices ... could in any way Slovenia, the national government has processes can be used to mask undermine the longer term effectiveness final authority in Belgium and the U.K. essentially technocratic decision- or legitimacy of the process" (p 30). Whereas the participatory process in making. In the words of one team(**): the U.K. has gone back and revisited "... [U]nder the surface of formally 'Trust' - how to 'build' it, how to 'first principles', in Sweden most of the accepted participative approaches 'earn' it? basic parameters were decided in technocratic paternalism remains 'Trust' was another recurrent topic. The earlier, less participatory phases of the strong. There are even indications that choice of verb raises the question: Can process. The countries' political it is growing again" (p 5). Another team: trust actually be 'built', orchestrated? Is structures differ, as does the strength of "... [I]t has been clear that the new it not something that arises out of less the respective non-governmental culture of transparency and openness goal-oriented factors like mutual infrastructures, so-called 'civil society'. requires commitment at the most senior respect? One prerequisite, the CARL levels and continuing effort if it is to be group note, is a willingness to engage Sweden is unique in that the tasks of maintained. ... We have witnessed in non-confrontational discussions. developing a storage method and tokenistic use of public and stakeholder designating a site have been left to the engagement by the nuclear industry" (p The scope of participation has nuclear power industry; in the other 7). And a third: "In fact, a strong broadened over the course of all four countries a public body of some sort is separation between technical actors processes. Speaking of the most in charge. The Swedish project is also and all the rest is maintained, however participative models, the CoRWM unique among the countries in that it disguised by talk and activities framed project in the U.K and a similar project includes irradiated nuclear fuel. as stakeholder and public involvement" in Canada., the team note: "[The (p 20) consultations] may not have led to full All four countries have one thing in public empowerment, genuine common, however: the more or less Similarly, the studies reveal how upstream framing of issues or co- participatory processes represent ostensibly technical decisions and determination of decisions. They did second attempts after technocratic, preferences often contain elements that however raise opportunities for top-down efforts to site nuclear waste are essentially social, but that it is not peripheral actors to have some form of repositories in the 1970s and 1980s made transparent. The authors write: input in the decision-making process" had failed. In the terminology of the "Examples show that partnership is no (p 12f). Indeed, in no way does broader project the study focused on the guarantee for avoiding a situation where participation guarantee the transition from 'government' to technical experts take care of issues redistribution of power. Genuine power-

4 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 sharing or instances of 'co- the only country where the project The overall purpose of the CARL governance', found in studies of other includes high-level waste, is the most project (Citizens-Agencies (RWM)- processes, were not observed in any of radical proponent of divorcing method Research organisations-Licensing and the radioactive waste management from site. The reason, the authors point regulatory bodies) was to try to identify (RWM) cases, the scholars note. out, is that SKB hopes to principles that seem to foster progress commercialize and export their KBS-3 and good results of participatory Voluntarism: pro and con scheme as a 'global brand' (p 25). processes. One of the general The issue of 'voluntarism' - that conclusions of the project, however, is political willingness of local National vs. local that there can be no general rules; t is communities assumes greater In addition to the tension between necessary to enter into each process importance than geological and other governmental authority at local and with an open mind and to adapt the technical criteria in the siting decision - national level - "the communities process to the situation at hand. was another recurrent topic. In all four discuss, the national governments countries the siting process ultimately decide" - the CARL project notes a The results of the CARL project, too, has settled on so-called 'nuclear difference in orientation of the decision are dependent on the "situation at communities', that is, communities that processes at the respective levels. hand", i.e., the countries studied. As already host a nuclear power plant or Discussions at national level are policy- one researcher put it, "We might have and/or intermediate waste storage oriented, whereas the process at local arrived at a very different set of facility. This, whether the result of a level tends to be more project-oriented, variables, had Germany or France been process of self-selection or designation as one researcher put it. included." on the part of national authorities. Several participants from such This last observation struck a chord in The studies presented in Oskarshamn communities felt they really had no this reporter, who has represented seem to be solid social science. choice. Although not necessarily national NGOs from time to time at Anyone who is or may be involved in coerced, the social and economic local consultation sessions here in this kind of process will find something pressures within the community, Sweden. The mismatch between of value in the findings. Check coupled with benefits that can be orientations has been a source of great www.CARL-research.org for country gained in negotiations with the national frustration. Had we NGOs a choice, we reports and the final report, which is government, rendered the choice would naturally prefer to take part in expected to appear in the next few inevitable. Particularly communities that policy discussions in regional and months. already have an intermediate repository national consultations, but we have felt they had no choice. If they said No been denied access to those arenas. *) The researchers: Anne Bergmans, and the government could find no By and large, public participation in the University of Antwerp; Drago Kos and willing alternative site, the waste would industry-administered RWM process in Marko Polic, University of Ljublana; remain anyway - and the community Sweden seems to have been much Mark Elam and Göran Sundqvist, would have foregone the opportunity to more authentic in the candidate Göteborg University; and John Walls bargain for favours. communities than at national level. and Peter Simmons, University of East Anglia. Voluntarism also has some more One serious pitfall that participative **) The quotes in this report are taken broader implications. In a report from processes must avoid is the frustration from a draft entitled, "CARL Thematic 2005 the Swedish CARL team write: caused when participants' expectations Reports: Summary of Key Findings and "Voluntarism has served to lock the of the process are not fulfilled. "Careful Lessons Learned" (September 2007; 31 siting process into established nuclear management of the process can pp), circulated at the meeting. communities in Sweden. ... Physical minimize the problem," the CARL geology has only assumed a dominant researchers write. In the next breath, Source and contact: Charly Hultén, role in the siting of KBS-3 after the however, they recognize that WISE-Stockholm commencement of site investigations in "'managing expectations' can come 2002. Up until the choice of very close to presetting the terms of Oskarshamn and Östhammar as sites the process and allowing little scope for WISE AMSTERDAM/NIRS for site investigations political geology stakeholders to exercise influence" (p ISSN: 1570-4629 was the dominant factor." 28). Those responsible for the processes tread a narrow path. Reproduction of this material is encouraged. Please give credit Voluntarism also presumes that the 'Manipulation' is an ugly word; it lured when reprinting. "how"-question can be divorced from for the most part offstage at Editorial team: Dirk Bannink and Peer de Rijk. the "where"-question, i.e., that the Oskarshamn, but most of the CARL reliability of the storage method is researchers seemed mindful of the With contributions from WISE Amsterdam, NIRS, PLAGE, WISE Stockholm, Ecodefense, Doerte independent of its physical ever-present risk. One team offer a Foquet, SOFA Muenster and surroundings. Judgments on this point radically simple remedy: "Discuss what Laka Foundation. vary. A key factor is whether the [can] be changed and what [can] not be Next issue of the Nuclear Monitor (#662) will be repository's safety depends on natural changed, and why" (p 19). mailed out on November 8, 2007. barriers. Surprisingly, SKB in Sweden,

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 5 NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY - CAPSIZING EUROPE On October 1, in Madrid, things became very obvious: the Commission finally gave up, even to pretend that it is energy resource neutral since energy sovereignty is still under the sole discretion of the EU Member States. The former cautious treatment of nuclear policy issues by former Commissions has been exchanged with open applause for nuclear expressed by high-rranking EU politicians.

(661.5836) Doerte Fouquet - During a current information available to it, the the Finnish company TVO who ordered conference in Madrid in honour of late Commission considers that it cannot be the plant from Areva/Siemens does not Energy Commissioner Loyola de excluded that the provision of such a constitute state aid. The nuclear power Palacio her successor, Mrs Neelie guarantee . . . may have lowered TVO's plant was assigned by the Finnish Kroes explicitly declared to be financial cost below the levels electricity company TVO to a "completely in favour of nuclear corresponding to market conditions." consortium of the companies energy". And Commissioner Andris Framatome-ANP (national French Piebalgs asked to be courageous and "It is only legitimate that this enterprises) and German Siemens to discuss the nuclear subject and investigation be reopened under the company at a fixed price of 3,2 billion President Barrosso underlined his charge of a clearly impartial arbiter," the euro. standing opinion, that for the sake of Greens' letter said. The Commission These companies are currently climate protection the nuclear option very quickly denied any wrong doing. building the plant and will deliver it to could not be ignored. But some governments said they would TVO. The financing of 1.6 billion euro is be watching future decisions carefully. achieved by a credit to the Finnish Especially Mrs. Kroes outing just after A spokesman for the German minister company TVO with an interest rate her Directorate General hat turned for the environment, Sigmar Gabriel, under 2.6% by a consortium of five around on steady EC ruling not to allow underlined that the nuclear industry was banks, under prominent participation of State Export guarantees for intra EU dependent on state money. "No nuclear the public German Bayerische trade, met with astonishment and power station can be built without state Landesbank. strong reaction. Green MEP's asked help. It is not a free market. The President Barrosso for her dismissal on Commission has to act as watchdog." Part of the annulment action is that the grounds of subjectivity and demanded This is exactly what the Commission Commission has separated the also to re-examine the September seems no longer willing to do when it question of the COFACE guarantee decision to clear French export credit comes to nuclear. from the evaluation of the loan guarantees to Areva, the state-owned agreement. The Commission does not nuclear energy champion, for a reactor It may be that for the sake of shielding seem to have respected its own formal in Finland. "It is inconceivable for the nuclear from competitive market view and notice on public guarantees EU competition commissioner to be conditions and in order to fence out and state aid either which shows that neutral when assessing illegal state aid non EU competitors the Commission not only can a borrower perhaps not for nuclear power, while at the same had turned her back on her own obtain the secured loan in the current time being 'completely in favour of constant practice. The procedure and format but rather the entire project nuclear power', even if this is in a ruling up to this precedent of the could not have proceeded. As the personal capacity," they said. Commission against export guarantees Commission's draft Notice states: within the EU can best be underlined Typically, with the benefit of the State The Commission had indeed denied with a quotation from EC Decision guarantee, the borrower can obtain state aid involvement and on 416/84 (against France, not to grant lower rates and/or offer less security. In September 25, cleared a Euro 610 any export aid for a power plant some cases, the borrower would not, million (US$ 857 million) export credit construction in EU Member State without a State guarantee, find a guarantee from French export credit Greece) and the following key opinion: financial institution prepared to lend on agency COFACE to French nuclear "With regard to export aids applied in any terms. State guarantees may thus vendor Areva for the Olkiluoto-3 nuclear intra-Community trade, the Commission facilitate the creation of new business reactor in Finland. The EC states the has always held the view that they are and enable certain undertakings to raise French COFACE export agencies' loan incompatible with the common market money in order to pursue new activities to Finnish power company TVO to buy within the meaning of the Treaty." or simply remain active instead of being a reactor from Areva, does not In March 2007 the European Federation eliminated or restructured, thereby constitute illegal state aid because it of Independent Renewable Energy possibly creating distortions of was at a market rate and TVO could producers (EREF) had filed annulment competition. have got the money privately, it said. At procedure before the European Court of EREF had filed its complaint the beginning of full investigation in First Instance against the decision of on several grounds concerning the TVO October 2006 the Commission had the European Commission in the above deal in December 2004 already. The underlined, that investigation is case of TVO, that a syndicated loan whole TVO venture is not feasible necessary since "On the basis of with less then 2.6 % interest rates to without an orchestrated deal design,

6 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 where the COFACE guarantee cannot the official data available(*4) lead to the loans. This leads to the question of be seen separated from the following assumption: the production how TVO's Olkiluoto-3 is financed: acceptance of the banking consortium and supply capacity of the new nuclear Normally, all nuclear power facilities are to go for such cheap deal which may plant is approximately 13 TWh per year, financed on long term loans, because cost them dearly. leading to 26 TWh for a period of two nuclear power facilities only amortise in years. Assuming operation costs of 10 long periods. To finance a nuclear The financing of the Olkiluoto project Euro/MWh and a market price of 40 power plant on the basis of short term leads to the foreclosure of the Finnish Euro/MWh this would result in a claim loans seems to be fraught with risk. market especially for renewable of 26 x 30 MEuro = 780 million euro(*5), The Commission should have provided energy. One reason for TVO to apply for TVO could potentially request from reasons, why TVO did not receive long the construction license was its own Areva and Siemens based on the turn term loans for Olkiluoto-3, to prevent forecasts regarding generating key contract conditions. This also the suspicion that this is the result of capacity. It showed that some 2,000 illustrates the potential of a lost market the high financial risk of the project. MW of generating capacity, which is for other producers and suppliers of Unfortunately this seems not to have mainly based on imported coal, will electricity and by that also for the been analysed deeply enough by the reach the end of its operating life members of EREF as renewable energy European institution. The mere between 2010 and 2015. Bridging this producers. By granting illegal state aid, existence of the COFACE guarantee gap with artificially cheap nuclear all third parties in the energy producing reduces TVO's overall credit risk and electricity, receiving in EREF's view sector and also the independent raises its credit rating so drastically that illegal state aid, directly prevents renewable energy producers all other banks were able to grant the competitors from entering this market represented by EREF, already directly credit facility where they otherwise segment for selling electricity or lose the chance to bid for the supply of would have declined the facility under investing in new projects. This state aid electricity replacing the coal electricity the current conditions. This is not artificially lowers the price for electricity to TVO. According to news reports, viewed as such by the European from nuclear making it impossible for Taisto Turunen, Director General for Commission. renewable energies to compete with Energy at the Finnish Ministry of Trade It remains to be seen how the Court of this price. Such circumstances are and Industry has underlined "the delays First Instance will evaluate and judge acknowledged by the European in the Olkiluoto-3 nuclear plant unit this case. Commission as main source for market mean increasing dependency on closure and failure. And to stop such imported power for Finland." He says Sources: *1) Ms. Satu Hassi, MEP and barriers to entry for the renewable that the country even has to prepare for former Minister for the environment in industry produced by illegal state aid to electricity saving measures in peak Finland at the PRASEG Seminar on nuclear industry is the core interest of consumption season in winter 2011. "Deciding on Nuclear" of 9 November 2005, EREF. The shortage of low-cost nuclear protocol p. 3; source: energy in production also adds to the http://www.satuhassi.net/puheet/praseg.pdf. This prevention of market entrance by pressure on the price of domestic *2) Ibid. illegal favouring nuclear energy with power. TVO, plant construction client, is *3) Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Nr. 185 / subsidies or state aid is also underlined not willing to comment on the losses 2007, 11 August 2007, p. 13. by the fact that the full potential for caused by the delays and possible *4) Stated on http://www.tvo.fi/692.htm and development of renewable sources, eg contractual penalty required from the in the Construction License of the Finish wind power and bio-energy, has not supplier at this point." (*6) Ministry of Trade and Industry, of 17 been realised in Finland since the February 2005: Government Decision on the decision for the TVO project was taken. Without transparency, there can, for application by Teollisuuden Voima Oy to It is assumed that the potential for bio- obvious reasons, not be an obtain a licence, as referred to in section 18 energy amounts up to 0,4 -0,8 of one independent and valid economic of the nuclear energy act, for the nuclear unit of 1000MW(*1) which is analysis of the contested credit construction of a nuclear power plant unit equivalent of 400 -800 MW. For wind arrangements. In view of EREF the on the Olkiluotu plant site in Eurajoki power the theoretical capacity would Commission did not then nor now (unofficial translation), p. 1. amount up to 50 TWh.(*2) provide "adequate reasoning" on the *5) The adequateness of these figures is specific facts of the credit arrangement underlined by the considerations of Areva to The current crisis for the building and has, in the pending case, therefore make new provision of around 500 -700 mln consortium for the reactor caused by failed her public mandate on the field of euro, vid. Le tribune, 13 August 2007. the enormous delays in construction the protection of competition. *6) Esmerk, Helsingin Sanomat, 10 August serves also as an indicator for the It seems that the Commission wants to 2007. potential of market closure due to the outline in this TVO decision that only Contact: Dr. Dörte Fouquet, sprl Kuhbier. law potential supply by TVO. Contrary to short term credits are relevant to the firm, Brussels office, Avenue de la the original planning, the construction comparison of the variable rates of the Fauconnerie 73, 1170 Brussels, Belgium work will not be finished before 2011 credit facility, not the long term loans. Tel: + 32 2 672.43.67 and therefore the reactor will not be But she does not provide the precise Email: [email protected] able to start operation in 2009 as duration of the contested credits, she planned(*3). This two years delay and only states that they are long term

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 7 30 YEARS BEFORE CHERNOBYL: MAYAK If it weren't for the Chernobyl accident, the world might have never known that deep in the heart of Russia, at the foot of the Ural mountains, where Europe meets Asia, there had already been an accident similar to the latter in its scale. The location of that first nuclear catastrophe remained confidential for a long period of time. It never had an official name, and was thus only known as the 'Kyshtym crash', after a small old town not far from the secret city of Chelyabinsk-665 (today known as Ozersk) where the said tragedy took place. (661.5837) Ecodefense - Long before it that were located in concrete basement the installment of 20 containers). The was decided to use nuclear power for storage areas. As a result of the explosion completely destroyed the energy production, scientists had radioactivity of the substances, corrosion-proof container located in a discovered its horrifying destructive however, these tanks heated up concrete trench 8.2 meters deep in the force for arms production. Nuclear arms immensely and were thus required to be ground. It also tore off and threw the production. Weapons which, if used, cooled down with water over their concrete cover of the trench to a 25 m could destroy the very life on Earth. entire surfaces. Every "tank" had its distance. Thus, before the Soviet Union produced own cooling system and control its first nuclear bomb, scientists built a system, to keep its content under 20 million curies (Ci) of radioactivity was factory in the Urals to manufacture its control. thrown into the air of which 18 million core. That factory was named Mayak (90%) landed within the Mayak (Lighthouse, beacon; in Russian). Towards the autumn of 1957, the complex. Radioactive pulp of 2 mln Ci performance of the measuring devices with a volume of 250 cubic meters was During the production of the materials that were borrowed from the chemical thrown up to 1-2 km into the air and needed for the manufacturing of a industry and were kept in the storage created a radioactive cloud consisting nuclear bomb, scientists did not worry areas grew unsatisfactory. As a result of of liquid and firm aerosols. The south- about environment or health issues. the highly radioactive nature of the western wind with a velocity exceeding They were more afraid to fail a state cable conduits in the storage areas, the 10m/sec that was present in the top assignment. To obtain the necessary latter were not renovated. layers of the aerosols spread the latter substances for an atomic bomb - around. Four hours after the explosion uranium and plutonium - they had to At the end of September 1957 a serious the radioactive cloud moved a 100 km, conduct many a chemical reaction. As a brake-down of the cooling system as and after 10 -11 hours the radioactive result, they acquired not only the well as the control system on one of the trace was completely shaped. The two above-mentioned chemicals, but also tanks occurred. That day, factory million Ci that descended onto the large amounts of radioactive water (i.e. workers who were conducting check- ground formed a polluted area that fluid radioactive waste). ups on the tanks discovered that the spread out for 300 -350 km to the tank was highly heated. However, they north-east of the Mayak factory. The Even then the scientists had already were not able to report this to the border of the polluted area was traced divided radioactive waste into three management. The tank exploded. along a chorisopleth (a line on a map categories, depending on the level of The self-combustion of the 70-80 tons defining a region with homogeneous radioactivity: Highly Radioactive Waste of highly radioactive waste mainly statistical data; here: density of (HRW); Medium Level Radioactive consisting of nitrate-acetate pollution) with a pollution density of 0.1 Waste (MRW) and Low Level compounds, resulted from a Ci/m2 and a territory of Radioactive Waste (LRW). The waste malfunction of the cooling system 23000 km2 .As time went by, these contained large amounts of traces of because of corrosion and failure in the borders were blurred as a result of the uranium, strontium, cesium, plutonium control system of one of the containers movement of radionuclides by air. and other radioactive elements. (with a volume of 300 cubic meters). On September 29, 1957, at 4 P.M. local Soon after the territory was named At first the radioactive water was time, the evaporation of water, drainage Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT), dumped directly into the river Techa, on of the remains and its heating up to while the main part of it that was most the bank of which the factory stood. 330-350OC resulted in the explosion of polluted (700 km2) received the status of However, when deaths occurred in the the contents of the container. The force Eastern Ural national reserve. villages on the banks of Techa, of the explosion that was similar to a scientists decided to limit the wastage gunpowder explosion was judged to The maximum length of the EURT is dumped into the river to the Low Level have been up to 70-100 tons of 350 km and is just a small distance Radioactive Waste. The Medium Level trinitrotoluene (TNT). away from one of Siberia's largest Radioactive Waste was now dumped cities: Tyumen. The EURT's width into the lake Karachai; while the Highly The complex containing the exploded reaches as much as 30-50 km at Radioactive Waste was kept in special container was an underground concrete places. Within the margin of the corrosion-proof containers - "tanks" - construction with cells (i.e. trenches for chorisopleth of 2 Ci/m2 on strontium-90

8 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 there is a territory of almost 1000 km2 towns of the Chelyabinsk and started to appear all over his body. We (105 by 8-9 km). Sverdlovsk provinces were mobilized were told then that it wasn't because of for the liquidation unwarned of the the crash, and only later the disease The radioactive pollution zone contains dangers. Whole military units were was officially recognized to have been a territory invading three provinces: brought to surround the territory of the a consequence of the Mayak accident. those of Chelyabnisk, Sverdlovsk and liquidation and were prohibited from My grandmother also participated in Tyumen with a population of 270.000 telling where they had been. Children of the liquidation works and received a people previously dose of 770 rem In 1989, after more than thirty years of the British Atomic Energy Authority inhabiting 217 cities (Roentgen Equivalent attempting to cover it up, the (then) the accident as "a figment of the and villages. Man). I never saw her USSR finally admitted the accident at imagination". Medvedev then wrote 23 villages were because she died of Mayak (often referred to as the book "Nuclear Disaster in the evacuated and lymphatic cancer Chelyabinsk). In July 1989, during Urals". destroyed; wiped off long before I was public discussions about proposals the face of the earth. born (eight years for the construction of the nuclear The CIA had documented some kind Cattle was killed, after the crash).' reactor at Chelyabinsk the first official of nuclear accident already by the clothes burnt, food confirmation of the 1957 accident was beginning of 1958. Western and demolished Gulshara Ismagilova, given. intelligence registered in the following buildings dug into the inhabitant of the years "unusual amount of attention" earth. Ten thousand Tatarskaya Karabolka In the West, the accident was already being given to radiation sickness in people who had village: publicly known since 1976, when Russian medical journals. It was not suddenly lost 'I was nine years old Zhores Medvedev (a Russian refugee made public, some think because everything were left and was studying at biochemist) mentioned it in an article reports on another major nuclear helpless and school. They in the British magazine New Scientist. accident (the Windscale fire in departed to their gathered us and said The first response was skepticism October 1957 in mind) could relatives. that we will be even among Western experts. The CIA jeopardize the nuclear program. harvesting. It said there had been nothing but a (box Laka Foundation, file Mayak An investigation on appeared strange to minor accident and the chairman of 1957) the part of the us that, instead of nuclear industry after harvesting, we were the accident concluded that the most 7-13 years of age from the surrounding told to dig the crops into the ground. probable cause was the explosion of villages were sent to dig radioactive Meanwhile police had surrounded us dry salts of nitrate and sodium acetate crops into the ground, as it was so that we couldn't run away. In my that were formed as a result of the autumn. Mayak even used pregnant class the majority of the students later evaporation of the solution in the women with any period of pregnancy died of cancer, and the ones that were container because of its self- for liquidation-related works. left were very ill, the women suffering combustion after a malfunction in the from infertility.' cooling system. In the Chelyabinsk and in the atomic city of the region the death rate was Natalia Smirnova, inhabitant of Ozersk: However, so far no other, independent immense. People died at work; 'I remember that in the city there was a investigation was carried out and many deformed babies were born; whole horrible panic at the time. On all streets scientists believe that the Mayak families died out. cars were driving around and washing explosion was a nuclear one. Fifty them. We were told on the radio to years after the catastrophe the Nadezhda Kutepova, representative of throw away everything that we had in technical or chemical reports of it have the "Ecodefence" group in Ozersk: the house and to wash the floors not been published. 'My father was 17 years old and constantly. Many people, workers at studied at a technical school in Mayak, fell ill with the acute radiation 4 P.M. on September 29, 1957 have Sverdlovsk (now Ekaterinburg). On sickness, everyone was afraid to say or come to constitute a black page in the September 30, 1957 along with fellow ask anything out of fear to get fired or history of the Urals. At the time 272 students he was put on a truck and even arrested.' 000 people lived on the polluted brought to Mayak to liquidate the territory. It is a day that divided the consequences of the crash. They P. Usaty, Novo-Pavlovka village, lives of the people of Ural into two: weren't told anything about the gravity Krasnodarski region: before and after the explosion. of the danger of radioactivity. They 'I served as a soldier in the closed zone worked for days. They were given of Chelyabinsk-40. On his third shift, a Hundreds of thousands of people were individual dosimeters, but over-dosage fellow countryman from Yeysk fell ill; needed in order to liquidate the was punished, so many left their when we came back from work he consequences of the explosion, i.e. to dosimeters in their clothes boxes, to died. At the transportation of cargoes in wash the industrial territory of Mayak not 'have a too high a dosage'. In 1983 train carriages we stood on posts an with water and discontinue any he was diagnosed with cancer and hour each until our noses bled (a sign economic activity in the polluted zone. referred to Moscow for surgery, but of acute irradiation - author's note) and Young men from close by cities and died three years later as metastases our heads hurt. On the sites we stood

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 9 behind a two meter high led wall, but know exactly how many people died tons of radioactive waste that remains even that didn't help. During the because of it, as, until now, the after reprocessing fuel from nuclear demobilization we had to sign a non- Tatarskaya-Karabolka village with its power stations. And, as before, it disclosure form. Out of the conscripts 7(!) cemeteries and 400 inhabitants is dumps the waste into the water, only there are just three of us now - all still left on the radioactive trace. not the river Techa, but the lake handicapped.' Because of the genetic harm of Karachai. This means everything can radioactivity three, four and even five repeat itself. Do we need that? It was an enormous catastrophe. Yet it generations of people exposed to was hidden. Because the state did not radiation will fall ill with untreatable In one of the villages left on the need people, it needed bombs. The illnesses. According to the new law polluted ground, children wrote the latter, not even having become bombs, currently under consideration in the following poem: killed and continue to kill large amounts Russian Duma those harmed as a The beams of Mayak are not those of of people. result of the explosion at Mayak have a salvation, right to a compensation of 37 Rusian Strontium, Cesium, Plutonium are its Only after the Chernobyl disaster many rubles (approx. 1 euro.) A month for executioners. in the Chelyabinsk region understood food. that they could now talk about the Source and contact: Nadjezda Mayak disaster. Thus, in the early 90s, Today, 50 years have passed. Mayak is Kutepova, lawyer for Ecodefense. over 30 years after the catastrophe, a still working. The people working there P.O.Box, 1477, 23000 Kaliningrad, report of it was published for the first and living near it are accumulating Russia. time. To at least compensate the harm plutonium, cesium and strontium in Tel/Fax: +7 95 2784642 somehow, a law was passed on social their bodies. As before, every second, Email: [email protected] security for those harmed by the every minute, and even as you are Web: www.ecodefense.ru catastrophe. However, no-one will ever reading this lesson, Mayak is producing THE NUCLEAR-FREE FUTURE AWARD Since 1998 the Nuclear-FFree Future Award (NFFA) has annually honoured the visionaries and architects of a nuclear-ffree planet. The Award is given out in four categories: Resistance, Education, Solutions (all with a US$10,000 -77,120 euro- money prize), and the Lifetime Achievement.

(661.5838) NFFA - The 2007 Awards Prof. Dr. Siegwart Horst Günther, borders and allows citizens from around ceremony will take place at the Germany (in the category education) the globe to work together to press for Salzburg Archbishop's Residence on 18 He was the first to demonstrate the the abolition of nuclear weapons. October. The international event in medical connection between the 'Gulf Austria will bring together scientists and War Syndrome' and the US military's Freda Meissner-BBlau, Austria and Prof. activists to discuss the issue of nuclear widespread use of shells hardened by Armin Weiss, Germany (Lifetime energy and climate change. An depleted uranium (DU). This year the Achievement Award) international jury has selected as this Nuclear-Free Future Award honors for Two veteran mentors of the Middle year's recipients: the third time a scientist who at least is European anti-nuclear movement - she doing whatever he can to find out what in Austria fighting against Zwentendorf, Charmaine White Face and the really happened (in f.i Iraq) and visits he in Germany pushing to terminate the Defenders of the Black Hills, USA (in the countries to study the real-life construction of Wackersdorf. The two category solutions) consequences of DU-use. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Charmaine is the founder and - today, both over 80 years of age - coordinator of Defenders of the Black Tadatoshi Akiba and Mayors for Peace, remind us of our duty to wage peace Hills, a group of volunteers whose Japan (in the category of solutions) for a nuclear-free future in the name of mission is to preserve, protect, restore In 1982 Takeshi Araki, then mayor of the coming generations. and respect the area of the 1851 and Hiroshima, came up with a simple idea: 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties that were what would happen if all the mayors of Source and contact: Nuclear-Free made between the United States and the world declared their cities nuclear- Future Award, Ganghoferstr. 52, the Great Sioux Nation. The group free zones? So began the movement München 80339, Germany. monitors abandoned uranium mines on that became known as, 'Mayors for Tel.: +49 89 28 65 97 14 sacred Lakota Lands and seeks the Peace,' and to this day (October, 2007) Web: http://www.nuclear-free.com remediation of hazardous waste ponds has grown to include some 1698 cities that contaminate the region with high in 122 countries. Since 1998, Hiroshima levels of radium 226, arsenic, lead and mayor Tadatoshi Akiba has headed this iron. organization that transcends national

10 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 LET'S GET AUSTRIA OUT OF EURATOM! Governments of non-nnuclear EU member states proved unable, or unwilling, to push for a reform of the European Atomic Community (Euratom) during the EU constitutional process (2001-22004), when even a single country could have made a Euratom revision conference a condition for its approval of the constitution treaty. This opportunity having passed away, what a non-nnuclear country can now do on its own without having to wait for the approval of all 26 other Euratom member states is to withdraw from the Euratom treaty and community. Austrian NGOs have been waging a campaign aimed at just such a withdrawal since the beginning of this year. (Continued from "EURATOM: Countries free to step out", Nuclear Monitor 658, 13 July 2007)

(661.5839) PLAGE - In January this Application of the Euratom Treaty, planned for June 2006. This puts the year, three months ahead of the 50th Salzburg, 1994 [short title, transl.]). In revision conference light-yyears away! anniversary of the EURATOM Treaty, all the same way, Euratom membership True, it will not be easy at all to get five major Austrian antinuclear and may threaten the Constitutional Act Austria's main political forces moving environmental organisations except Establishing a Nuclear-FFree Austria on the exit issue. Yet here, at least, WWF Austria joined to launch the Leave (1999). Austria could act on its own, negotiate EURATOM Campaign. The Upper 2. Year after year, Austria, with its non- on its own, and does not depend on the Austrian and Salzburg Platforms nuclear status laid down in the consent of 26 other governments. And Against Nuclear Dangers, Global 2000 country's constitution, contributes more we citizens groups can "hammer" at (the Austrian branch of Friends of the than EUR 40 million to make Euratom our government and parties, i.e. Earth), Greenpeace Austria, and the operate. It thus assists, too, the nuclear concentrate on an aim much "easier" to Federation of Austrian Nature "renaissance" peddlers distributing localize than whenever the EU as a Conservation Organisations, demand cheap Euratom loans to new nuclear whole is the main lobbying ground. from the Austrian government and plants (Romania's Cernavoda-2 reactor, parliament to head for the termination etc.). And the most insane nuclear What do Austrian politicians say? of Austria's membership in Euratom research project ever, the international What is already looming between the and withdrawal from the Euratom Treaty fusion reactor (ITER), was agreed and lines above is that the main ruling (ET). Meanwhile, around a dozen other hailed with euphoria by Austria's parties in Austria, the Social and the organisations have joined in, most minister of science, Elisabeth Gehrer, Christian Democrats (SPOE and OEVP, importantly Attac Austria (see box) when the final decision was taken in the respectively), cannot be counted on to EU Council last year. take any initiative toward leaving Why should Austria quit Euratom? (The 3. The widely claimed Euratom revision Euratom. Especially so when they are NGOs' motives) conference could have been obtained in ruling together (The Big Coalition), as 1. Austria has been a member of the exchange for Austria's (and/or some they now are. This cannot be an Euratom Treaty (ET) and the European other states') signature under the EU argument, though, for not preparing the Atomic Community (EAC) since its Constitutional Treaty in 2003. With this ground. So what political support does accession to the Union on Jan. 1st, chance missed, unanimity among all 27 the Leave Euratom Campaign have at 1995. While the Austrian government member states would be required for present, what perspectives are there for tried to completely keep the lid on the such a conference to be held - making widening it? Euratom issue in the years before, the it an utter illusion. The Greens' attitude had at first been antinuclear movement did manage to Five member states (Austria, Germany, hesitant on the national level. On July 4 build up some pressure. Thus it was Hungary, Ireland and Sweden) did issue however, their spokesperson for only thanks to parts of the civil society a joint declaration annexed to the EU environmental matters, MP Ruperta that the government negotiated a Constitutional Treaty of 2003, stating Lichtenecker, gave written confirmation Common Declaration with the European that the essential provisions of the ET of the national Greens' support for Commission, according to which have to be revised and updated. They Austria's withdrawal from Euratom. Austria could keep its own, non-nuclear would therefore support the idea of an Until then, support had been expressed energy policy despite membership in intergovernmental conference, which only in a number of regional branches Euratom. It is quite likely, though, that should be convened as soon as of the Austrian Green Party. The most this Declaration would not hold water if possible. But nothing has happened. important of these voices had come someone entitled to do so filed a Even when it held the EU presidency in from the first-ever Green regional complaint against it with the European the first half of 2006, and despite strong minister, Rudolf Anschober, who is in Court of Justice, for instance a utility announcements by environment charge of the environment within the wanting to build a nuclear installation in minister Josef Proell, the Austrian government of Upper Austria Austria (M. Geistlinger: The Austrian government finally gave up holding a (neighbour to Czech Temelin NPP): Nuclear Energy Prohibition Act (of 1978) mere 3-hour discussion on Euratom "We have long been counting on vs. the Joint Declaration on the and Austria's position in it, which it had Euratom reform, on a revision

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 11 conference. However, no majority can Social Democrats (SPOE) and Christian Actions taken be found for this within the Union at Democrats (OEVP/People's Party), do 1. Train advertisements present. The scandal of subsidizing not want to touch at the status quo. From December 2006 to June 2007, nuclear energy through millions of They are clearly afraid of waking the atomstopp_oberoesterreich took the Austrian taxpayers' money must not sleeping dogs, i.e. taking up the fight message "Euratom - 50 years is continue. There is now clear expert with many in the Union that would be enough!" on the rail(s). It travelled along proof that withdrawal from Euratom is heavily upset if one country declared its on nine intercity trains throughout the legally possible and feasible for EU will to get out of Euratom. As a country: an ad had been placed in the member states. Therefore, Austria has corollary to this, they blow up very train schedule leaflet, which is regularly to launch an initiative aimed at secondary Euratom advantages into distributed into each compartment of terminating its Euratom membership. fictitious counter-weights to its the fast trains. (This and other This is important not only to preserve scandalous flaws and anachronisms. documents can be seen at the credibility of Austria's antinuclear And they do not WANT to know or www.atomstopp.at, and some at policy, but also to www.plage.cc.) maintain an efficient Austrian NGOs supporting the Leave EURATOM Campaign: counter-weight to the (With the exception of WWF-Austria, all relevant Austrian NGOs in the 2. Vienna Opera Ball - A nuclear lobby's current nuclear, environmental and EU policy fields are comprised in this list.) dancing Euratom message PR offensive. Austria ARGE Nein zur Atomkraft, Ja zur Nuclear Dangers must not support Umweltatomstopp_oberoesterreich Resistance for Peace Every year, Austria's top nuclear energy, but ATTAC-Austria SOL (Sustainable Lifestyle) social event is the rather use the Carinthian Platform Against Umweltdachverband (big umbrella traditional ball at the (Euratom) money saved Nuclear Dangers org. comprising a great number of State Opera in Vienna. to cover the financial Friedenswerkstatt Linz (peace org.) environmental & conservationist This year, on February 15, needs of the new Global 2000 (Friends of the Earth orgs, e.g. the Federation for the activists of Green Electricity Law Austria) Protection of Nature/OENB) Greenpeace Austria Vienna Platform Against Nuclear required to implement Lower Austrian Platform Against Dangers the big energy Nuclear Dangers Vorarlberg Platform Against paradigm change!" Permakultur Nuclear Dangers (Press conference, Mar 19, 2007.) PLAGE-Salzburg Platform Against

The right-wing Freedom Party (FPOE)'s admit that there IS the legal possibility atomstopp_oberoesterreich and PLAGE spokesperson for environmental issues of withdrawal, so they shove away the Salzburg had ordered the expensive, in parliament, Norbert Hofer - referring, three expertises that corroborate this hard-to-get tickets far ahead and had too, to the expertise now elaborated possibility. (See, however, Regional carefully prepared their act for months. which evidences the legal possibility of parliaments & governments and On the crucial evening, the two couples stepping out of Euratom - has told "the Success: it's a topic now, further and another male activist got inside the coalition parties (i.e. SPOE & OEVP) below!) opera house without a problem, thanks that if they want to make real to their outfit of absolute elegance. The antinuclear policy, they just have to Instigated by local groups in spring this ladies' robes were were yellow satin vote for the FPOE parliamentary motion year, the regional parliaments (diets) of and the men's tail-coats black - typical for withdrawal from Euratom." (Press the Vorarlberg and Salzburg provinces colours of anti-nuclear symbolism. release, Nov. 29, 2006.) The essential have each voted a resolution that Once inside, and as soon as they were sentence in the motion reads: "The moderately supports the Leave stepping up the broad staircase to the National Assembly shall pass a Euratom Campaign. The strategic main ball room of the classicist, 19th resolution calling on the federal essence of the Salzburg resolution is century palace, the five took off their government to take all steps required that Austrian withdrawal from Euratom capes or overcoats, exhibiting large no- to make it possible for Austria to leave should be considered in case no ET nukes sun symbols that carried the the Euratom Treaty." One of the two revision comes about within three slogan "GET AUSTRIA OUT OF similar motions the FPOE has tabled on years: "2. The Government of Salzburg EURATOM!" Whenever they opened the subject was voted down by the Region shall call on the Federal their black fans, the people around saw SPOE-OEVP majority before the Government - 2.1. to work toward a the same slogan again. Underneath his summer break, one is still pending. fundamental revision of the Euratom jacket, one of the men had concealed a (FPOE support is not necessarily Treaty within three years, (…); 2.3. in banner in fine silk-like tissue carrying helpful, given its general right-wing case no fundamental revision of the ET Austria's red-white-red stripes, and the stance. Still, one has to bear in mind comes about, to examine the same words again. Every now and that this is the party with which the withdrawal scenarios and, accordingly, then, the group unrolled the banner to Christian Democrats/OEVP formed a declare Austria's readiness to the eyes of the public, and of the TV government from 2000 through 2006.) withdraw." (Unanimously adopted May and photographers' cameras. Thus a As appears from the above, the two 9, 2007.) crowd of 5,000 was witness to the call biggest parties and ruling coalition, to leave Euratom until far after

12 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 midnight. The butlers in livery and other while 63% of the Austrians are in catching everybody's eye and watchdogs couldn't really do anything favour of withdrawal from Euratom, attracting lots of applause - both for against the dignified presentation of the only 5% strictly oppose such a step. If the sportive feat and for his message to message, which met with great a referendum were held on the issue, the Austrian government "Get out of sympathy from most bystanders and 65% would vote for withdrawal. Euratom!". A message also carried by even got applause several times. One his father, Thomas, and his brother, activist even got inside the private box 4. First-eever backwards marathon Stefan, who were running at his sides of Austrian chancellor Alfred On two weekends in April and May, "the normal way" in order to warn him Gusenbauer and had a brief exchange participants in city marathons in the of obstacles and the like. (Anybody with him. regional capital cities Linz and Salzburg who cannot imagine how hard it is to exhibited signs, banners, and wore run backwards, ought to try a mere 100 3. Regional and Austrian-wwide opinion sports dresses reading "No to nuclear metres instead of 10,000!) polls power!" and "Leave EURATOM!" After a regional poll carried out by a Several thousand runners of all ages Success: it's a topic now professional opinion poll institute in the and walks of life took part in each of From the start, we proponents of the summer of 2006 in Upper Austria, the largely publicized marathons, and Austrian Leave EURATOM Campaign before the elections to the regional many more watched and saw the hadn't expected quick success. What parliament, atomstopp_oberoesterreich slogans. In the Linz Marathon, they is a tangible success so far, is that not and PLAGE Salzburg ordered an were probably witnessing a world only regional politics but the federal Austrian-wide poll from Market-Institut première: Jakob Neff, a 20-year-old government, too, have been forced to to find out what people think of activist of the Salzburg Platform react. While an article in the national Euratom membership. Among its Against Nuclear Dangers (PLAGE), did daily Die Presse following our findings, presented at mid-March 2007: the first quarter of the race backwards, presentation of the Austrian-wide

Euratom information blockade & distortion Austrian state TV "than what had been broadcast on that very evening"; "no document showing other scenes of the Press conference, 17 Jan. 2007: event in our archives"… To present the Leave EURATOM Campaign, it was for the first time ever that all major anti-nuclear and environmental Austria-wwide opinion poll, mid-MMarch, 2007: organisations except WWF-Austria held a common press Again, only a few papers reported from the press conference in Vienna on Jan 17, 2007. This fact should by conference held together with the Green Environment itself have led to a minimum of media coverage, Minister of Upper Austria, and some of them, e.g. the independently of the topic. The topic itself was quite a centre-right daily Die Presse, gave more room to distorting sensational demand with tremendous implications for statements by the Foreign Ministry than to the poll results external and domestic policy. All Austrian media and and NGO statements. numerous decision-makers had been invited; a number of journalists had been called personally the day before, and Killing the news… several had shown great interest. Nonetheless, not a single A mere two days before the five proponent NGOs presented journalist from a mainstream paper, TV or radio station their campaign on Jan. 17 (see above), the environment showed up at the press conference. The Austrian Press ministry announced a press conference of its own, for the Agency (APA) did circulate the NGO press release to TV, same day, same hour. His Excellency, the minister himself, radios, newspapers and magazines. But the editors weren't Josef Proell (Chr. Dem./OEVP), was to give an evaluation of interested. A small article in the Vienna edition of Austria's Austria's climate policy - the environmental topic of the big tabloid Kronen-Zeitung (some 3 million copies a day for moment. a population of about 8 million) was the only resonance in the mainstream media. Our first spectacular action seemed A little media breakthrough to be destined to quite the same treatment… A major national newspaper… Opera Ball action, 15 Feb. 2007: We did manage some media breakthrough, though: From an While a public of 5,000 was repeatedly confronted with the unjustifiable refusal of an earlier article, the Salzburger Leave EURATOM Campaign message at the State Opera Nachrichten, one of Austria's more reputed papers with a Ball in February, TV watchers throughout Austria didn't get a circulation of 150,000, owed PLAGE a compensation. So glimpse of what the TV cameras couldn't possibly avoid both a big, fantastic picture of the Opera Ball surprise jig recording from various angles of the opera house. In the and the basic information on the Quit EURATOM Campaign days and weeks that followed, we went to great lengths to appeared on the paper's prominent page 3 on Feb. 19, in get hold of what some cameras must have filmed - in fact to the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the Euratom the top of the Austrian public radio & TV ORF's hierarchy. Treaty.Also, the Opera Ball act was so impressive that After a series of the usual tricks and dodges used to brush several other national and local papers did publish photos off "nasty askers" or pump the courage out of them, we and articles. were finally told there was "nothing on record" at the

NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 13 opinion poll on the exit campaign said expertise he has considered and topic and/or further clarify the issue: almost nothing about the poll but disproved all the counter-arguments getting further regional parliaments and hurried to ask the foreign affairs contained in the literature mentioned by governments to take resolutions like ministry for its downplaying statement minister Proell. By any means, there those in Vorarlberg and Salzburg; a on the NGOs' demand for termination finally is a beginning of debate and hearing in the Austrian parliament; of the ET by Austria, the minister had to argument. panel discussion (between politicians reply there. Just as the environment and/or legal experts for and against the minister was obliged to do when the Outlook unilateral withdrawal option). Another Vorarlberg deputies to the Second The campaign may have to go on for "instrument" hopefully will be the Chamber of Parliament (regional years and wait for a special window of political support from sister NGOs in the chamber) officially put the issue on the opportunity to gather enough EU: in one of the next issues of the table (cp. Vorarlberger Nachrichten, momentum and public pressure to Nuclear Monitor, we hope to include a Sep. 9, 2007). And quite recently, weigh on the Austrian government. We short letter and questionnaire environment minister Josef Proell, in an will come back at least every time addressed to all of YOU. Mind that we answer to a letter by something scandalous happens in the do NOT expect you to work for us, just atomstopp_oberoesterreich, did name of Euratom: financing of new to express your support. For example, condescend for the first time to reactors or upgrading, Commission we have been thinking of a group of indicate expert sources according to inaction against state aid and other NGO representatives from various EU which a unilateral withdrawal from privileges for the nuclear industry, countries to hold a supporting press Euratom is allegedly impossible. These directive proposals for common safety conference in Vienna, and possibly authors, however, have not dealt standards on the lowest level rather meet with Austrian MPs, government explicitly and exclusively with the issue than the highest, nuclear energy officials and maybe ministers. If time of one or more countries wanting to research getting more funds than any and money allows, we should develop step out of Euratom, whereas the three other energy technology. special ties with NGOs in Denmark and expertises concluding that such It is preferable not to give details on Ireland, for instance. withdrawal is undoubtedly possible strategic lobbying or coming actions. In Also, we are sure to come up with (see Part I in N.M. n° 658) concentrated any event, occasions to develop the surprise actions again, like the one at on this very question. Also, Mr Proell case for Austria's withdrawal from the Opera Ball, to support certain gives no quotes, just titles of articles or Euratom will be, for instance: the run- lobbying steps and boost attention for books and their authors. Still, for the up to the 30th anniversary of Austria's the political demand. first time the minister doesn't just say "no" to nuclear power in the 1978 withdrawal is impossible, but shows referendum on the operation of its first Source and Contact: Heinz Stockinger smatterings of argumentation. and only NPP, at Zwentendorf; the at PLAGE (Platform Against Nuclear Meanwhile, we have forwarded Mr revival of the EU constitutional process, Dangers). Nonntaler Hauptstr. 86, A Proell's letter to Prof. Bernhard if under a different name; the overhaul 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Wegener of Nuremberg-Erlangen of the Austrian constitution which is on Tel/Fax: +43 662-643567 University, who has done the most the way; the next elections to the Email: [email protected] exhaustive of the three expertises on European Parliament… (Any hint to web: www.plage.cc ET termination by one or several other crucial dates and action lines will or: Roland Egger (Upper Austrian member states. In his answer, Prof. be welcome.) Platform) at WISE Austria Wegener says that in his 70-page Instruments envisaged to push the

IN BRIEF

Windscale radiation; cancer toll goes on rising 50 years after UK's worst nuclear accident. Britain's worst nuclear accident so far, the Windscale fire in Cumbria 50 years ago, released twice as much radioactive debris as was previously thought. Scientists studying weather patterns and amounts of radioactive material distributed after the October 1957 blaze say previous estimates have played down its deadly impact. Sellafield, formally Windscale and home of the 1957 reactor fire, lies on the Irish Sea coast and alongside England's famous Lake District. In an area of just one mile by one mile and a half, the site hosts the lethal legacies of nuclear weapons material production, decades of commercial reprocessing residues - and the reputation to go with them. 'We have had to double our estimates of amounts that were released,' said former UK Atomic Energy Authority researcher John Garland. As a result of this re-evaluation, scientists say the fire - which sent a plume of cesium, iodine and polonium across Britain and northern Europe - may have caused considerable more cases of cancer than had been estimated previously. For decades it was said that little harm had been done and that only a few cancer cases had been triggered. Already in 1990 radiation experts calculated that up to 200 cases of cancer - including thyroid and breast cancer and also leukemia - could have been triggered by the fire's emissions. Now researchers say they may have to raise that estimate yet again. According to epidemiologist Professor Richard Wakeford, of Manchester University, it is impossible to determine which individual cancer cases might be linked to the incident at

14 NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 Windscale. 'We can only say an excess in cancer cases was caused by the fire.' The fire occurred when graphite rods used to control reactions in the nuclear plant's core caught fire. For two days the core blazed out of control. At one point workers used sledgehammers to try to knock the damaged, highly radioactive fuel rods out of the reactor before eventually managing to extinguish the blaze. After the fire, the government placed a six-week ban on consumption of milk from cows grazing within 200 miles of Windscale. However, the weather carried nuclear contamination far beyond that boundary and it covered much of England and parts of northern Europe. The crippled reactor core, a legacy of the postwar Government's dash to acquire the atomic bomb, has remained untouchable, deemed too volatile for decommissioning, and the object of wild speculation about what lies at its noxious heart. The Observer, 7 October 2007 / WISE News Communiqué 532, 27 June 2000

Australia: nuke decisions after next elections. The Federal Government in Australia shelved the controversial decision on the final -site of a nuclear waste dump until after the election. The Government is determined to establish a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory and has already carried out environmental and heritage studies on three sites. Late September a fourth site was announced to be under active consideration. But the next day the Government shelved the decision until after the elections. The Commonwealth has already legislated to override objections by the Northern Territory Government to a waste dump. The Government focused on the Territory after its efforts to establish a dump in outback South Australia were countered by years of public backlash and legal moves by the Rann Labor Government. On Sept. 27 it was revealed that the Government had also shelved until beyond the election legislation to facilitate the eventual establishment of a nuclear industry in Australia. There is no fixed date yet for the next general elections, but they will take place late November/early December. The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 September 2007

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NUCLEAR MONITOR 661 15 The NUCLEAR MONITOR

The Nuclear Information & Resource Service was founded in 1978 and is based in Takoma Park, Maryland. The World Information Service on Energy was set up the same year and is housed in Amsterdam, Netherlands. NIRS and WISE Amsterdam joined forces in 2000, creating a worldwide network of information and resource centers for citizens and environmental organizations concerned about nuclear power, radioactive waste, radiation, and sustainable energy.

The Nuclear Monitor publishes international information in English 20 times a year. A Spanish translation of this newsletter is available on the WISE Amsterdam website (www.antenna.nl/wise/esp). A Russian version is published by WISE Russia, a Ukrainian version is published by WISE Ukraine and a Japanese edition is published by WISE Japan (latter two available at www.nirs.org). Back issues are available through the WISE Amsterdam homepage: www.antenna.nl/wise and at www.nirs.org.

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New on NIRS Website Presentation by David Schlissel of Synapse Energy Economics before the Utah State Legislature Public Utilities and Technology Committee on The Risks of Building New Nuclear Power Plants. Very good primer on nuclear economics with data on the economic pitfalls and problems that await a new generation of reactors.

NIRS Statement on South Texas Reactor License Application

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