NukeNews No. 13 - ENGLISH

************************************************************ *    NukeNews #13 - Anti-Nuclear Information Service      * ************************************************************ -- 0. Preface -- In this release of the international multilingual newsletter of the Nuclear Heritage Network we cover anti-nuclear activities in Poland and a few updates from Finland, Germany and Czech Republic. After the amazing number of anti-nuclear events in context of Fukushima Day in March, we are expecting many activities for the second sad commemoration event of an atomic disaster - Chernobyl Day on April 26th. Feel welcome to send us short reports of your events as well as an outlook to upcoming campaigns of your groups or in your region for the next NukeNews - find out more about deadlines and format of newsletter articles at the end of this e-mail. If you would like to get an impression of (just an extract of) anti- nuclear events connected to Fukushima Day from March, have a look at our special webpage: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Fukushima_Disaster_Remembrance_2014 -- Outline of the current NukeNews issue #13 -- 0. Preface 1. UK: NDA consultation on nuclear waste dump fails to talk to     potentially affected communities 2. Anti-nuclear rally during COP19 meeting in Warsaw 3. Resistance to the Polish NPP construction plans 4. Pro-nuclear propaganda bus in Poland 5. A Poland-overseas media scandal 6. Nuclear news from Finland 7. Environmental disaster company Talvivaara close to bankruptcy 8. International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in August 9. PLEX in Ukraine 10. New Czech government: maybe no additional reactors at Temelín, but in Dukovany, and plans to open up new uranium mines 11. Anti-Nuke Cooperation in the regions along river Danube: International Conference on 25.4.2014 in Lower Austria 12. Call-out for submitting documentation for a monograph on    Antinuclear campaign in Poland in 1980s 13. Polish Programme for Nuclear Power adopted 14. Do not let energy transition capsize! 15. Conference "Economic Limits of the Nuclear Power Industry" 16. Upcoming events 17. About NukeNews -- 1. UK: NDA consultation on nuclear waste dump fails to talk to     potentially affected communities -- Stop Hinkley slammed the 22nd of January Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) consultation on Storage and Disposal plans for Intermediate Level Waste & Nuclear Fuel Element Debris. So far the NDA has chosen to talk only to a very limited group of stakeholders via nuclear power station based site stakeholder groups. The public haven't been involved at a stage where all the options are on the table and they can influence the decisions about the waste. Stop Hinkley would like to encourage the public to reject the NDA proposals on the grounds that they have failed to fully involve the public at the appropriate time. "The NDA need to go back to the drawing board about how they involve the public in consultations about hazardous radiological and chemical wastes produced here in the UK." Support the petition against Hinkley C NPP: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/End_Nuclear_Insanity_NOW_Ban_Construction_of_Hinkley_C_Nuclear_Power_Station/?fPKymab&pv=6 -- 2. Anti-nuclear rally during COP19 meeting in Warsaw -- On 16th November, on the 8th day of the UN climate talks (COP19) in Warsaw an anti-nuclear demonstration was held. 40 activists from Poland and around the world (Russia, South Africa, Ireland, Germany, Austria, UK, Belgium, and other countries) stood with banners, costumes and signs at the entrance to the venue of the climate negotiations. It was a strong signal to delegates and media entering the National Stadium and capital's citizens that nuclear power is not a solution to the climate crisis. Get an impression: http://www.flickr.com/photos/push_europe http://youtu.be/ZD1SywPxz8gs -- 3. Resistance to the Polish NPP construction plans -- A citizens group from the Mielno gmina (state smallest administrative district), home to the Gaski village as an official candidate siting of a first NPP, filed a lawsuit challenging the permit on the siting of a NPP in Gaski issued by the head (Voivode) of the Western Pomerania Region (Wojewoda Zachodniopomorski). The permit was sustained by the Voivode but the citizens want to file a complaint to the Poland's Constitutional Court. Furthermore, a delegation of citizens from the Mielno presented, at the Gmina Hall Council's meeting, a document covering the potential negative impact of a possible building and operating of an NPP in their region. Also, in past months, Mielno turned out in local opinion polls to be in favour of the renewables development (instead of nuclear power). -- 4. Pro-nuclear propaganda bus in Poland -- In late November, promoters of nuclear power, again this year, drove a so-called 'Atomic Coach', performing an 'information' tour along the coastline of the Northern Poland's regions. It was a pro-nuclear students' foundation, under the auspices of the Polish Ministry of Economy, sponsored by the biggest nuclear players, both Polish and global, including AREVA, EDF, Hitachi, PGE. They stopped at several towns and villages including the candidate sites for the first NPP and had meetings with school youth at schools to significantly augment the attendance rates at their events. Apart from bringing up usual pro-nuclear myths and arguments in their speeches, they showed simple physical experiments, most often completely unrelated to NPPs directly and some of them even unrelated to the fission phenomena (maybe luckily...). Last year the nuclear opponents from the local committee 'Nie dla atomu w Lubiatowie' ('No to the atomic power in Lubiatowo') were sometimes denied access to the meetings and were verbally assaulted by the pro-nuclear citizens: http://www.niedlaatomuwlubiatowie.pl/atomowy-autobus-1.html http://www.niedlaatomuwlubiatowie.pl/atomowy-autobus-2013.html Official website of the pro-nuclear organizers: http://www.atomowyautobus.pl -- 5. A Poland-overseas media scandal -- The head of the Polish state nuclear agency (PAA) claimed in an interview in a magazine published by the Polish embassy in Tokyo that "Poland wants to implement the nuclear power even should it entail a Fukushima-like event". Currently the PAA spokeswoman denies the wording and investigates whether there might have been some mistakes in the interview's translation from Japanese... -- 6. Nuclear news from Finland -- February 13th the Finnish Ministry of Industry announced the Fennovoima environmental report is finished and ready to be published for public evaluation and comments. This 264 page report was prepared by Pöyry company, which has been previously criticized for breaking the European rules of corporate social responsibility. The Ministry of Industry is the body responsible one for the EIA process, international EIA (according to the Espoo Convention) is handled through the Ministry of Environment. The Finnish organizations against the Fennovoima plant hope there will be critical input through the international EIA. So far, there seems to be several additions to the EIA programme, suggested by Swedish organizations. The most important seems to be adding the INES-7 scenario to the EIA. Another one is the effect of pack ice which is said to be included, but it's actually a description of the pack ice itself, no analysis on the reactor behaviour if pack ice prevents cooling etc. Learn more: http://www.tem.fi/en/energy/nuclear_energy/eia_procedures_for_new_nuclear_power_projects/eias_by_fennovoima/eia_report_by_fennovoima_2014 http://thediplomat.com/2013/07/trouble-on-the-mekong/ http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Pack_ice_and_bad_engineering -- 7. Environmental disaster company Talvivaara close to bankruptcy -- Since 2013 Talvivaara Mining Company Plc. has faced serious financial difficulties. Months after the big spill of about one million cubic meters of highly toxic process waters from the mine in November 2012 causing an environmental catastrophe for the sensitive water systems of the Eastern Finland wetlands it turned out that the company wouldn't be capable of dealing with the costs of their business and much less for a serious clean-up after spoiling the ecosystems with uranium, nickel, cadmium, sulfates and other heavy metals. Talvivaara Mining Company then started to provide more shares to take in additional financing. But this attempt to save Talvivaara's finances failed, as outside Finland hardly any new investors could be found. Last autumn a procedure to check the company's economical capabilities was started to decide whether or not the about 450 million Euros in loans Talvivaara owes banks and investors would be deferred or not. The results are expected this spring - probably a decision about the end of this disastrous mining project or its continuation. However, the Finnish government is strongly interested in saving their prototype investments of a reputedly "green" mining boom in Finland. Learn more: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Talvivaara_mine:_environmental_disaster_in_Finland -- 8. International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in August -- The 2014 Nuclear Heritage Network gathering will take place August 4-8 near Kiel in northern Germany. It will be a platform for anti-nuclear activists and organizers to meet each other in person, get to know about each others' topics and struggles, for skill sharing and exchanging experiences and to improve the tools to support anti-nuclear activities internationally. These annual gatherings are an important means of networking of the international anti-nuclear Nuclear Heritage Network. Here we will develop new resources to strengthen anti-nuclear struggles and improve already existing tools. The meeting is supposed to make progress with the network and to involve new interested activists. Workshops will include presentations of nuclear situations in the participants' countries as well as resources like the NukeNews newsletter system, the International Network Office, multilingual flyer project, etc. This year we will meet in the same place directly before the international anti-nuclear summer camp starts - thus, it will be possible to join the actions and workshops of this event, too. This will be an opportunity for anti-nuclear activists around the Baltic Sea to gather and organize campaigns and actions against nuclear business in the region. We will try to provide travel costs refunding if you are not able to cover your travel expenses to the gathering yourself. For that you should get in touch with us as early as possible. If you are interested to join the 2014 Anti-nuclear Network Gathering, please send an e-mail to "contact AT nuclear-heritage DOT net". More information: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Nuclear_Heritage_Network_gathering_2014 -- 9. PLEX in Ukraine -- Design lifetime of twelve nuclear units in Ukraine is going to expire by 2020, including three extended ones (two nuclear units at the Rivne NPP and the unit 1 of the South Ukrainian NPP). In March 2013 the Implementation Committee of the Espoo Convention, on the basis of information submitted by Ecoclub concerning the planned extension of the Rivne NPP, decided to begin a Committee initiative (EIA/IC/CI/4). Now there is an open case on the matter of lifetime extension of old nuclear units in Ukraine. Committee's position is that extension of the nuclear power plants is considered to be major change in the activity under the Espoo Convention. In November 28, 2013 the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine decided to extend the lifetime of the unit 1 of the South Ukrainian NPP up to December 2, 2023, beyond its technical design lifetime. Procedures under the Espoo Convention while taking this final decision were not applied. During the Meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention, 2-5 June, 2014, a decision on the necessity to apply procedures under the Espoo Convention is supposed to be finalized. And we hope that it will help to develop in Ukraine a unified mechanism that would bring decision-making on extension of the nuclear power units in compliance with the Espoo Convention as soon as possible to prevent more such decisions without environmental impact assessments and without consultations with potentially affected people in neighbouring states. -- 10. New Czech government: maybe no additional reactors at Temelín, but in Dukovany, and plans to open up new uranium mines -- The new government of the Czech Republic is financially under pressure and doesn't want to apply the so-called "British model" in the country, which means a long-term state guarantee for a minimum electricity price. So the Temelín tender for block 3+4, which should have been decided on soon and where only a Russian and an American bid are still fighting, might get buried due to low market prices for electricity. There are however signals, that the even older nuclear power plant of Dukovany in Southern Moravia might be expanded. Prime minister Sobotka also stated that he would not object to new uranium pits in the south of the Czech Republic not far from Dukovany. http://www.radio.cz/en/section/business/czech-government-mulls-plans-to-extend-uranium-mining -- 11. Anti-Nuke Cooperation in the regions along river Danube: International Conference on 25.4.2014 in Lower Austria -- The Project "Anti-Nuke-Cooperation along river Danube", organized by the Viennese platform Atomkraftfrei, is aiming at a more intensive cooperation of nuke-critical forces in the countries stretching along river Danube. Participants are expected among others from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany. Official support for this conference comes especially from the province of Lower Austria. Further Info: Paula Stegmüller, "paula.stegmueller AT aon DOT at" -- 12. Call-out for submitting documentation for a monograph on    Antinuclear campaign in Poland in 1980s -- Veteran protesters against the started-and-later-dropped NPP Żarnowiec in Poland two and a half decade ago are looking for documentation, including photographs, documentary footage, films, posters, article clips, official letters or other forms of testimonies about those protests and related activities during that time. They will be used for preparing a publication "Antinuclear campaign in Poland from 1985 to 1990" by Tomasz Borewicz, to be published later this year. More information: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Call-out_for_submitting_documentation_for_a_monograph_on_Antinuclear_campaign_in_Poland_in_1980s -- 13. Polish Programme for Nuclear Power adopted -- On 28th January, the Polish government adopted the Polish Programme for Nuclear Power, the State's strategic document with intention to build its first NPPs and implement nuclear power in Poland. While the administrative, institutional and legal procedures have been continuing to some extent for the past three years, the nuclear industry welcomed the document as a firm commitment to the previously declared plans. At the same time antinuclear campaigners scrutinized the document and the government's decision for the financial burden it brings on the public budgets and on the consumers as well as for potential dangers. The government revealed no concrete idea for the financing the project, nor solid ideas to deal with radioactive waste. -- 14. Do not let energy transition capsize! -- The energy revolution in Germany is a success. After the federal government has decided to phase out nuclear power a law for renewable energy was adopted as a consequence, the EEG. The society has agreed to it and numerous citizens are part of the energy revolution: decentralized, socially and environmentally. Now the conglomerates - EnBW, Vattenfall, E.on and RWE - put pressure on the government. They want to keep the monopoly of power for the sake of quick money. Moreover, the four global players of the worldwide nuclear business - Areva, Westinghouse/General Electric, Hitachi, Rosatom - already fixed numerous construction plans for nuclear power plants almost everywhere in Europe, they impatiently wait for the failure of the pilot project: the energy revolution in Germany. The energy revolution must succeed! Let us not permit the governments to act as puppets of large corporations! Let's not allow the government to drive the energy revolution into the ground! On 30 November 2013 about 16,000 people demonstrated in Berlin for the energy transition. On 22 March 2014 about 30,000 people demonstrated in seven provincial capitals across the country for the energy revolution. On 10 May 2014 it goes on with a central manifestation in Berlin: Do not let energy transition capsize! This is just the beginning! http://energiewende-demo.de -- 15. Conference "Economic Limits of the Nuclear Power Industry" -- The International Conference NEC 2014 "The economic limits of nuclear energy" will be held on 29th April at the Smetana Hall of the Czech Automobile Club in Prague. The aim of the conference is to discuss limitations concerning construction of new and refurbishment of existing nuclear reactors encountered by governments and investors. Invitation to the conference was accepted by a lot of interesting personalities and experts. Mycle Schneider, energy consultant, will show us the current state of nuclear energy and its future development in the world. Professor Stephen Thomas will discuss the British model designed to support the construction of new nuclear reactors, which raised hopes also in the Czech Republic. Professor Franz Leidenmühler will assess the extent to which such subsidy mechanisms are in accordance with European law. The economic aspects of the project of construction new nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic will be presented by economic analysts Ivan Benes, Michal Šnobr and Jan Ondřich. Professor Claudia Kemfert will look at the economic opportunities of the German energy transition. The Upper Austrian councilor Rudi Anschober and Michael Nagl will speak about the long-term changes to energy policy in Upper Austria. The conference will be moderated by journalist Jan Bumba. There will be space for discussion in the programme and interpretation will be provided. Complete program and other details can be found at the website www.nec2014.eu. Learn more: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/European_Anti_Nuclear_Forum_2014 -- 16. Upcoming events -- (just an extract, tell us your events for the next newsletter) more events: http://upcoming.nuclear-heritage.net Please feel free to send us your local and international events for this website and the NukeNews! 23/04/14-26/05/14: Walkatjurra Walkabout - Walking for Country 2014; pilgrimage across Wangkatja country (AUS) 25/04/14-05/05/14: "Anti-nuclear March for Life" crossing six departments heading to the atomic sites Cadarache, Marcoule, Tricastin and Cruas (F) 26/04/14-03/05/14: Third European Action weeks "For a future after                   Chernobyl and Fukushima" 26/04/14:         ecological festival "Für eine Zukunft nach                    Tschernobyl und Fukushima" (D) 29/04/14:         European Anti Nuclear Forum in Prague (CZ) 06/05/14-08/05/14: Atomforum of the German nuclear industry in                   Frankfurt/Main (D) 10/05/14:         central energy transition mass demonstration in                    Berlin (D) 11/05/14-15/05/14: European Nuclear Conference in Marseille (F) 13/05/14-14/05/14: Energy Outlook 2014 - Energy Agency's Energy Conference in Stockholm (S) 17/05/14 at 11 AM: international bike rally near Cattenom NPP (F) 25/05/14-29/05/14: Canadian Radiation Protection Association annual conference: "Managing the Risk - Perceptions and                   Realities" in Vancoucer (CDN) 10/07/14-11/07/14: Professional Development School "Radiation                   Instruments — New Technology and Developments" in                    Baltimore, Maryland (USA) 11/07/14-12/07/14: anti-nuclear Benefiz Open Air "e-Ventschau" in                   Ventschau (D) summer 2014:      Walk For A Nuclear Free Future from Miami, FL to                    the Y-12 Nuclear Facility Oakridge, TN 2014 (USA) 04/08/14-08/08/14: Nuclear Heritage Network gathering near Kiel (D) 09/08/14:         Actions against nuclear weapons at AWE Aldermaston & AWE Burghfield (UK) 09/08/14-16/08/14: International Anti-nuclear Camp near Kiel (D) 20/08/14-24/08/14: Anti-nuclear mini camp near Kaplice (CZ) 22/08/14-24/08/14: solar festival in Peckwitz (D) 30/08/14 at 11 AM: nuclear waste conference at Volkshochschule, Wilhelmshöher Allee 19-21, in Kassel (D) 13/09/14-17/09/14: "AFRIRPA 04" - The Fourth Regional African Congress of International Radiation Protection Association in Rabat (MA) 14/09/14-18/09/14: 2014 conference of American Nuclear Society's                   Radiation Protection & Shielding Division in                    Knoxville, TN (USA) 15/09/14-17/09/14: OECD/NEA: Constructing Memory - An International Conference and Debate on the Preservation of                   Records, Knowledge and Memory of Radioactive Waste across Generations in Verdun (F) 21/09/14-25/09/14: Uranium Mining and Hydrogeology 2014 International Conference in Freiberg (D) 2014:             Probably Castor transport of high level radioactive waste from Sellafield (UK) and of intermediate level radioactive waste from La Hague (F) to                   Gorleben (D) and protests 01/09/15-30/11/15: (estimated) main hearing on the Environmental Court on SKB's application to build KBS3 final nuclear waste repository at District Court in Nacka (S) http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Walkatjurra_Walkabout_%E2%80%93_Walking_for_Country_2014 https://www.facebook.com/events/497499983680541/ http://www.ibb-d.de/aktionswochen_2014.html http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/European_Anti_Nuclear_Forum_2014 http://www.euronuclear.org/events/enc/enc2014/index.htm http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/energiutblick2014 https://www.facebook.com/events/221307164727036/ http://crpa-acrp.org/conference/ http://www.hps.org/meetings/pds.html http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=769&Itemid=189 http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Walk_For_A_Nuclear_Free_Future_2011-2015/Miami-Y12_Nuclear_Facility_Oakridge http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Nuclear_Heritage_Network_gathering_2014 http://www.cnduk.org/get-involved/events/item/1815-wool-against-weapons http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Camp_near_Kiel http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Anti-nuclear_mini_camp_in_the_Czech_Republic http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=769&Itemid=189 http://afrirpa04.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/AFRIRPA04-First-Announcement1.pdf http://www.rpsd2014.org http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/oecd-nea20140915-17verdun http://tu-freiberg.de/umh-vii-2014 http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Gorleben_Castor_Resistance_in_Germany_2014 http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/kbshuvudforhandling2012 -- 17. About NukeNews -- NukeNews is a multilingual newsletter of the Nuclear Heritage Network to reflect the activities, topics and struggles of anti-nuclear activists. The articles are written and translated by activists, additionally to their usual anti-nuclear activities. No- one is paid for that work, as we want to provide resources like this information system to the anti-nuclear struggle as independent as possible. Your contributions to the next issue of the NukeNews are welcome. Send them via email to "news AT NukeNews.nuclear-heritage.net". It should be brief information in English of not more than one paragraph, including a concise headline and an optional link to a webpage providing more information. Deadline for the 14th issue of the NukeNews will be 22nd of June, 2014. Spread the word and learn more about the NukeNews: http://NukeNews.Nuclear-Heritage.NET