NukeNews No. 3 - ENGLISH

************************************************************ *     NukeNews #3 - Anti-Nuclear Information Service      * ************************************************************ - 0. Preface - This issue of the NukeNews is one week delayed. The reason is the successful protest activities against the high level radioactive waste "Castor" transport from La Hague (F) to Gorleben (D) several of our editors participated in. This seems to be a good reason not to be on time with this newsletter. Besides this huge and creative anti-nuclear resistance happening, many other amazing developments in the atomic sector took place: in several countries the authorities or companies decided in respect to the Fukushima disaster to postpone or stop their nuclear programmes while some countries like Switzerland made decisions for a long-term nuclear phase-out. Unfortunately at the same time the governments in Poland and the Czech Republic pushed their atomic developments forwards aiming to build up a complex nuclear infrastructure in their countries. The Japanese anti-nuclear movement is continuing their protests, and the idea of a phase-out in this country dependent on the atomic threat spreads. However, despite the Fukushima catastrophe the country still considers the continuation of their nuclear programme. - Outline of the current NukeNews issue #3 - 0. Preface 1. No uranium mining in Kuusamo! 2. Explosion at French atomic site 3. Siemens to quit the atomic business 4. Corruption: A new Russian Fukushima in the making? 5. French Nuclear Authority points to "weaknesses" of the EPR 6. Gorleben: Radiation measurements forged - legal limits exceeded 7. E.on decided to construct new reactor in Pyhäjoki 8. Week of actions in Russia 9. Thousands made the 13th Castor transport the longest in history 10. I-131 spread over Europe 11. Radwaste storage at Russian NPPs 12. Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade 2012 13. New Castor transport to Ahaus expected 14. International Network Gathering in Kuusamo 15. EDF fined £1.3M for spying on Greenpeace 16. Hinkley out ahead 17. Upcoming events 18. About NukeNews - 1. No uranium mining in Kuusamo! - There are plans to build several uranium-gold-mines in Kuusamo, southeast of Finnish Lapland. Uranium mining causes radioactive contamination of air, water and soil. The rivers, which have flown thousands of years with potable water, are in danger of getting poisoned by radioactive mining waste. A petition aims to put pressure to stop the uranium project in Kuusamo to show that people are not willing to agree to any kind of mining or building that directly or indirectly are involved in uranium production within and in the surroundings of Kuusamo. Such activities are critized to be destructive to Kuusamo people livelihood, polluting the land and causing health hazards. Find out more and sign the petion against uranium mining in Kuusamo: http://www.petitions24.com/no_uranium_mining_in_kuusamo - 2. Explosion at French atomic site - An explosion at the Marcoule site some 30 kilometers north of Avignon (F) killed one worker and injured four other workers. The explosion and a following fire occured around 9.45 AM GMT in an oven of an EDF subsidiary's facility where they burned low level radioactive waste. While the authorities established a security cordon outside the facility due to the danger of radiation releases, officials declared on the very same day the accident to have been finished and claimed no radiation to be released at all. On the same site several decommissioned atomic reactors are situated, too, as well as a factory partially used by the nuclear company Areva for producing the highly dangerous MOX fuel, a mixture of uranium and plutonium. - 3. Siemens to quit the atomic business - In the middle of September, the German company Siemens announced their phase-out of the atomic business. Siemens was the constructor of all German commercial nuclear reactors and was involved in building atomic facilities worldwide. In 2009 they decided to leave an atomic joint venture with the French nuclear giant Areva in favor of starting a new cooperation with the Russian atomic company Rosatom. This attempt was breaking a contract with Areva leading to a judge's decision forbidding Siemens challenging the former French partner on the nuclear field until 2013. Thus, Siemens' decision to skip the atomic business is actually just accepting the reality. Although they say they would not approaching anymore to construct nuclear power plants anymore, Siemens will probably continue producing relevant pieces of these facilities. - 4. Corruption: A new Russian Fukushima in the making? - Corruption in the Russian State Nuclear Corporation Rosatom may cause new nuclear accidents in Russia, experts say. The ecological group Ecodefense! believes the risks are high enough to result in another Fukushima, while the National Anti-Corruption Committee (NAC) has urged Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to initiate investigations into the broadly reported violations and abuses in the nuclear industry, including at new nuclear power plant (NPP) construction sites. http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2011/corruption_rosatom - 5. French Nuclear Authority points to "weaknesses" of the EPR - The construction of the EPR nuclear reactor being built in Flamanville, has many "weaknesses" that put the "final quality" into doubt. This is the conclusion drawn after a thorough inspection conducted on site in May by the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). The report of this "inspection review", highlighted by Le Canard Enchaine on August 24, is posted on the site of the ASN. It is a 20 page letter sent by the ASN on June 24 to EDF, the prime contractor for the 1600 megawatt reactor designed by Areva. The inspection has was carried out by fifteen experts, including an observer from the British regulator. The team found deviations from the construction requirements on essential parts of the reactor: the feed of the steam generators, water injection filters, the RIS batteries of the cooling system. "EDF has to make great efforts to show the final quality of the construction of Flamanville 3", judges the ASN, which points out: "inconsistencies between the requirements specified in sub-contracting and the demands mentioned in the preliminary safety report" - that is to say a non-compliance with initial prescriptions. Concerning an essential feature of the steam generators, experts estimate that "the quality of materials taking into account their importance for safety has not been demonstrated and their use in FLA3 is not possible". In two cases, they demand from EDF to "not engage in actions that are difficult to reverse before demonstrating" compliance. source: le Monde, 24 August 2011 - 6. Gorleben: Radiation measurements forged - legal limits exceeded - The radiation measurements at the Gorleben interim repository for high level radioactive waste have been forged for many years, a study of a local citizen's initiative found out. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Environment had alarmed the public after detecting the radiation levels. An expert group of the local initiative analysed the data of the measurements of different institutions. They concludede that the operator and the pro-nuclear experts had falsely calculated the radiation limits subtracting a wrong value for the so-called "natural background radiation". Instead of using the values of the point of time before atomic waste was brought to Gorleben, the operator used the much higher radiation levels measured when there were already dozens of high level radioactive Castor containers in the repository. Using the real values of the originally detected background radiation shows that the legal radiation limits were exceeded since many years. The initiative now submitted a complaint against the operator to the Prosecutor. http://www.bi-luechow-dannenberg.de/chronologisch/aktuell/grenzwertu%CC%88berschreitungen-am-zwischenlager-gorleben - 7. E.on decided to construct new reactor in Pyhäjoki - The German atomic power giant e.on is the main stakeholder of the company Fennovoima in Finland. E.on founded this company after they failed with their attempt to build a new NPP close to the Loviisa atomic power station. Using the label "Fennovoima" (Scandinavian power) they applied for a license to construct a reactor in northern Finland. In July 2010 the Finnish parliament voted in a "decision in principle" for 2-3 new reactors including the Fennovoima plant. On October 5, 2011 the company announced their site selection for Pyhäjoki, a municipalty on the coast of the Bothnian Bay in northern Finland. It would be the sixth atomic reactor in Finland after Loviisa 1 and 2 and Olkiluoto 1-3. - 8. Week of actions in Russia - In Russia a week of actions passed against the expensive and dangerous nuclear power plants - for energy efficiency. It was organized by representatives of the anti-nuclear organizations and movements from different parts of the country, who are strongly opposing the funding of the building of the extremely expensive new nuclear power plants by the taxpayers. From 21 to 25 November various actions were carried out by activists in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Murom, Yekaterinburg, Balakovo, Kaliningrad, etc. Within one week of common actions environmentalists organized pickets and rallies, work with the deputies in the regions, round tables and so on. More information - http://anti-atom.ru - 9. Thousands made the 13th Castor transport the longest in history - Originally supposed to start November 24th in Valognes, France, the 13th Castor transport to Gorleben in Lower Saxony, Germany, had been pushed up by one day as hundreds of anti-nuclear activists were going to gather near the French loading station. However, hundreds of people were blockading the shipment already in Valognes when it was supposed to start, and actions followed on the route through France and Germany. In the Wendland region around Gorleben, up to 25,500 people protested the atomic transport and the German nuclear policy not willing to accept the continuation of operation of nine atomic reactors. Up to 5,000 blockaded the tracks by Harlingen, some 1,800 blockaded the road by Gorleben, and several thousands joined actions along the railway and road routes. Almost 30 protest camps and info points had been created, about 150 events spread the word about the atomic shipment and prepared for actions in Germany and France. A concrete pyramid closed the railway route and could not be removed by police themselves. A number of additional lock-on actions took place between Lüneburg and Gorleben delaying the shipment to a total transport time of almost 126 hours - it never took this much time. http://castor2011.nuclear-heritage.net - 10. I-131 spread over Europe - News about iodine-131 (I-131) detection in many European countries shocked the public for several days in November. Eventually, the IAEA stated that the source of the I-131 detected in Europe most probably was released from the Institute of Isotopes Ltd., Budapest, that produces radioisotopes. According to the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, the release occurred from September 8 to November 16, 2011. The cause of the release is under investigation. - 11. Radwaste storage at Russian NPPs - ANALYSIS: Mountain of waste: New temporary radwaste storage site at Russia’s Novovoronezh NPP threatens to multiply, grow into long-term problem across country. The facility proposed for construction at Novovoronezh NPP is a warehouse where 200-litre barrels holding radioactive waste are to be stacked in tiers, ten tiers in all. The apocalyptic picture painted by ecologists – dozens of thousands of barrels with deadly wastes inside, an unwieldy menace left for future generations to inherit – now seems more real than some would like to believe. Read more: http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2011/novovoronezh_waste - 12. Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade 2012 - For the first time a protest and blockade camp will take place in Finland to challenge the nuclear industry in Finland and globally with direct actions against their EPR model project "Olkiluoto-3". The camp is supposed to start August 6, and aims to prepare the actions as well as to network for strengthening the anti-nuclear struggle in Finland. On August 11, the Olkiluoto Blockade takes place for the third time, while the camp will end on August 13. You can order flyers to promote the protest camp an actions in several languages. Spread the word using the text provided on our website! http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Olkiluoto_Blockade_2012 - 13. New Castor transport to Ahaus expected - Several shipments of a total amount of 152 Castor casks are supposed to start in early 2012 from the former Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) AVR Jülich to the interim repository Ahaus (D). 288,161 spherical fuel elements, called pebbles, will be brought to the storage site in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The resistance in Ahaus was never as big as in the Gorleben area, but since a couple of years it is growing. German anti-nuclear groups are calling out for protests and blockades. A first start-up rally will take place on December 18th in Ahaus. http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Nuclear_Waste_Transport_to_Ahaus - 14. International Network Gathering in Kuusamo - The next chance for campaigning, discussing strategies, preparing projects and networking will take place in Kuusamo, Finland, from January 11-15, 2012. An additional focus will be on the struggles against uranium mining in Finland and other countries as the local organizers are working hard on this field. You are invited to join this next Network Gathering of the Nuclear Heritage Network. And we would be happy to invite campaigners or activists dealing with uranium issues to contribute to this section of the conference. http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Kuusamo - 15. EDF fined £1.3M for spying on Greenpeace - Électricité de France was convicted in a court at Nanterre on November 11th on charges of spying on Greenpeace France. The company was fined 1.5M Euros and two of its executives were given gaol sentences. Its head of nuclear safety, Pascal Durieux, was sentenced to three years' gaol, with 2 years suspended, and a 10,000 Euro fine for commissioning the spying operation. His second-in-command, Pierre-Paul François, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with 30 months suspended. The company has also been ordered to pay 500,000 Euros in damages to Greenpeace France. The head of Kargus Consultants, a company that EDF hired to hack into Greenpeace computers was gaoled for three years, two suspended, and a 4,000 Euro fine. The company was charged with complicity in concealing stolen documents and hacking into a computer network. - 16. Hinkley out ahead - On 11th November, the new "Infrastructure Planning Commission" that has been given the job of "commissioning" (examining and approving or not) major infrastructure projects in the UK (replacing the old system of holding public enquiries) issued a list of such projects for which commissioning had been applied for and of others for which such an application was "anticipated". For the latter list an anticipated date of application was also given. Hinkley C was the only newbuild nuclear power station which appears in the list of projects for which commissioning had already been applied - it was listed as having applied in October 2011. Three other newbuild nuclear power stations were on the list as ones for which such an application was anticipated. The anticipated dates for all these are some way in the future: Wylfa B's date is the second half of 2013, Oldbury's the 2nd quarter of 2014, and for Sizewell C no date is specified. - 17. Upcoming events - (just an extract, tell us your events for the next newsletter) 14/08/11-13/08/12: Gorleben 365 blockade campaign (D) 06/12/11-08/12/11: Nuclear Waste and Pollution Conference in Vilnius (LT) Early 2012:       Protests against the CASTOR transports from Jülich to Ahaus (D) 11/01/12-15/01/12: International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in                   Kuusamo (FIN) 14/01/12-15/01/12: Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World in Yokohama (J) 04/02/12:         International Uranium Conference in Münster (D) 11/03/12:         Global Fukushima Action Day 30/03/12-01/04/12: Spring conference of the German anti-nuclear movement in Frankfurt/Main (D) 26/04/12:         Commemoration of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster May/June 2012:    2nd International Uranium Film Festival for a                    global Nuclear-Free Future in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Summer 2012:      Walk for a Nuclear Free Future from Minnesota to                    Buffalo (USA) 30/07/12-03/08/12: International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in                   Döbeln (D) 06/08/12-13/08/12: Olkiluoto protest camp and blockade (FIN) http://www.gorleben365.de/ http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/Nuclear_Waste_and_Pollution_Conference_in_Vilnius_2011 http://www.kein-castor-nach-ahaus.de/ http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Kuusamo http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/NuclearFreeWorld_Yokohama20120114-15 http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/2nd_Intl_Uranium_Film_Festival_2012 http://footprints.footprintsforpeace.net/nffcampaign/NFF2011.htm http://www.greenkids.de/europas-atomerbe/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_Mannsdorf http://olkiluotoblockade2011.wordpress.com/ - 18. About NukeNews - The NukeNews are a multilingual newsletter system of the Nuclear Heritage Network and are supposed to reflect the activities, topics and struggles of anti-nuclear activists connected through this international community. The messages 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. The newsletter aims to inform and update as well activists as the interested audience. Your contributions to the next issue of the NukeNews are welcome. Send them via email to news@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 4th issue of the NukeNews will be 19th of February, 2012. Spread the word and learn more about the NukeNews: http://NukeNews.Nuclear-Heritage.NET