(467.4642) WISE Amsterdam -The site is large enough for four reactors. Prime Minister Alain Juppe also gave his go-ahead. He backed Industry Minister Borotra against Environment Minister Lepage. Lepage's argument was that the 125-hectare marshland, of which nearly half would be concreted over (if the plans come true), is rich in biological species. The European Union criticized France for not doing enough to protect the estuary of the Loire.
From 1971 on, the EdF had different locations in the southern Loire region. This is why the proposed reactors, meanwhile, are called 'wandering' reactors. A lot of manifestations were held against these plans. The largest demonstration was on May 8, 1977: 10,000 demonstrators and many arrests and trials, forced the EdF to retreat the site at that time to Pellerin.
1981: The Socialist government of F. Mitterand decided on a moratorium on nuclear energy and the freezing of sites in western France, but Le Carnet, however, continues to be prepared. In 1982 the Country Council and the District Council voted for the choice of the Le Carnet site. The EdF continues to buy pieces of lands, undertake drillings, etc. There are numerous protests.
In 1996 the site of Le Carnet resurfaced. According to a new law on water management, an inquiry register is opened to the citizens of the nearby communities. On October 20, 1996, 5,000 persons protested in the streets of Nantes against the EdF plans. They fear that consequent to the accretion, this area would be more and more damaged, less and less capable of cleaning up and remaining a sanctuary for wildlife. Le Carnet's area is a real enclave in an ornithological zone. It is known as one of the last reed marshes in the ecosystem of the Loire estuary. The EdF recognize the exceptional value of the site as far as fauna and flora are concerned.
Since 1989 the EdF, Framatome and Siemens have spent 120 millions of euros for the study of a new reactor: the European Pressurized Water Reactor) of 1450MW.
Obviously the EdF wants to start the works before the second and last expiration date of the nuclear plants 'Public Utility Declaration'. The EdF is claiming loudly to the locally elected representatives that its goal is not to satisfy any local or national needs. Their aim is to build a new-type reactor, which would serve as a 'technological showpiece" for potential buyers in Southeast Asia.
This spring ' on Saturday, May 31, and on Sunday, June 1 ' an international meeting is to be organized in the wet areas of Le Carnet, as a protest against the recent plans of Electricité de France. The organizers are asking for financial support, for people to come to the manifestation, and for support letters. People willing to attend the meeting are asked to contact the organization for a map and the program.
Sources:
- Fédération Antinucléaire 44, February 1997
- Power In Europe, 17 January 1997
Tel: +33 40 01 95 82; Fax: +33 40 01 96 02.
Email: winrun@naonet.fr
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