In this issue:
Yucca Mountain: water infiltration documents falsified. Western Shoshone National Council filed lawsuit.
Death threats against Belene opponent; debate around NPP decision heats up
Sweden: Barsebäck shutdown contested in court
Mobilization against food irradiation in France
"Public" hearings becoming secret shams in George Bush's America
Proposals for a moratorium on reprocessing: the case of Japan
In brief
25 Years ago
What happened 25 years ago? We go back to news from our 1980 WISE Bulletin, comparing anti-nuclear news then and now.
Then
In WISE Bulletin vol. 2 nr. 2 we wrote about a demand for a debate in the former German Democratic Republc (GDR): "The Synode of the protestant church of Mecklenburg in East Germany has demanded a public debate \'on the possibilities and dangers of the peaceful use of nuclear power\' ". (WISE Bulletin vol. 2 nr. 2, January/February 1980)
Now
The first nuclear power reactor had started operation in 1973 at Greifswald. Four more reactors were operated at Greifswald and one at Rheinsberg. The Greifswald reactors were of the Soviet VVER design, four VVER 440-230s and one VVER 440-213. In addition, three VVER 440-213s were also under construction at Greifswald and another two VVER 1000-320s at Stendal. In 1990, following reunification of East and West Germany, all the reactors were temporarily closed and construction suspended to allow detailed analysis of the safety problems. As a result, the first four reactors at Greifswald were permanently closed.
The German safety agency then put forward proposals for Greifswald 5 (the VVER 440-213) and Stendal, should these reactors be awarded an operating license. Consequently, these reactors were abandoned as the utility felt it was not economic for them to bring them up to German safety standards. At Greifswald the upgrading of a 213 model reactor was expected to amount to between DM500 million and DM2 billion (1991 equivalent - US$277 - 1.100 million). (Agenda 2000 and the Implications for Nuclear Safety; A. Froggatt and M. Weltin, March 1998)
After the end of World War II, the Soviets started mining of uranium in the GDR. Subsequently, the Wismut company started mining in the Southern part of the country. Information on this huge operation was not publicly accessible until the environmental activist Michael Beleites published his famous underground report (Pitchblend - Uranium Mining in the GDR and its Impacts; in German) in 1988. With the political changes in 1989, it came to light that large areas had been devastated. With the unification of Germany in 1990, uranium production was terminated. (WISE Uranium, www.wise-uranium.org/uwis.html)
The GDR used to dump low-level waste in the Morsleben salt dome. The dome is under threat of flooding and collapse. Because of this and other factors, the German government decided in May 2000 to stop dumping waste in Morsleben. (WISE News Communique 555, 5 October 2001)
WISE-Amsterdam/NIRS
ISSN: 1570-4629
Reproduction of this material is encouraged. Please give credit when reprinting.
Editorial team: Dirk Bannink and Tinu Otoki (WISE Amsterdam), Michael Mariotte (NIRS). With contributions from NIRS, WISE Czech Republic, Public Citizen Belgium, WISE Sweden, Citizens\' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) and Laka Foundation.
The next issue (625) will be mailed out April 8, 2005.
SATOMI OBA: IN MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE
Sad news came to us that our dear friend Satomi Oba in Hiroshima, Japan has died. Only in middle age and as active and vital as anyone, her death is a shock to all of us.
Besides numerous other activities and responsibilities, Satomi was also the official WISE/NIRS relay in Japan and personally translated and published the Japanese edition of the Nuclear Monitor. She introduced WISE Amsterdam to the No Nukes Asia Forum in 1997 and since then we have been working together closely, mostly of course by mail but we have always been so lucky to meet her personally a few times a year.
In our joint effort for a true, honest, clean and healthy world she has been an inspiration for the whole network. Brave she was: a woman alone in Japan, taking care of her children and flying all over the globe to spread the word; stop the nuclear madness.
Modest, honest, fragile and strong at the same time, not afraid to speak out and make her point but always willing to seek for a positive outcome. We will miss her. Our thoughts are with her family.
May the good spirit be with her, forever.
From everyone at WISE and NIRS
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