International Anti-nuclear Network Meeting December 2008 in Frankfurt/Main / Hanau Excursion

Announcement: On December 31, 2008, we have the possibility to visit the former Nuclear Facilities Complex in Hanau (the linked webpage is available only in German, sorry!)'', about 30 kilometers away from Frankfurt/Main. At 10:00 am we will meet an activist from the Hanau Alliance Against Nuclear Waste Repository. He will tell us about the history and the former and today's meaning of this place (in English). We will see the area of the former Alkem GmbH MOX Nuclear Fuel Elements Factory, of the former Nukem GmbH Nuclear Fuel Elements Factory (today it is a nuclear service company which is also dealing with highly enriched Uranium from nuclear weapons), of the former Reaktor-Brennelement Union (RBU) producing Light Water Reactor fuel elements, of the former Transnuklear GmbH being responsible for the so-called Transnuklear Scandal, of the former Hochtemperatur-Reaktor-Brennelement GmbH High Temperature Reactor Spherical Fuel Facility, of the Nuclear Cargo + Service GmbH (NCS) being responsible among others for the Castor transports to Gorleben, of the Nukleare Transportleistungen GmbH (NTL) formerly being responsible for contaminated Castor transports and of the former Siemens Spaltstofflager Hanau's repository for fissionable materials.''

''All these nuclear companies have a dirty history frequently accompanied by public scandals. Today most of the companies have been closed or changed their business area. Most of the facilities have been deconstructed. An (intermediate) repository for nuclear waste remains and there are plans to build another repository. We hopefully will learn about the resistance against these nuclear companies and the activities which lead to the closure of some of these facilities. However, you will have recognized that Hanau has an importance in the current nuclear issues of Germany, too. Most anti-nuclear activists in Germany are not aware of the meaning of the NCS in context of the Castor transports or of the Nukem company which is supporting nuclear projects all-over the world. So this excursion can give all of us new experiences.''

''After the excursion we will sit together in Hanau to talk about what we have seen and ask the activist from the local initiative about the nuclear facilities. We can discuss the impact of the anti-nuclear movement on the closure of some nuclear companies and strategies to put pressure on those still operating. We will return to Frankfurt in the afternoon.''

''To arrive in Hanau-Wolfgang (the quarter where the nuclear complex is located) we will have to start at 9:00 am at the latest from Frankfurt. We will meet at the "Infothek" (the information point at the Youth Environmental Congress) at 8:45 am. As we have to plan the transportation to Hanau (by van or train), we need to know the number of interested people in good time. Another reason to inform us that you want to take part in this excursion is the limited number of participants (a bit above 20 people can participate). The foreign people will have priority, but we will have place for a good number of German participants, too. To sign up for this excursion please send an [mailto:FalkÄTgreenkids.de email] or ring +44 7624 1948 77 (yes, it is really a British mobile phone!). You can also spontanously tell us your interest to take part in the anti-nuclear meetings at the JUKSS, but then the available number of participants may already be reached.''

Documentation: Excursion to the Nuclear Complex in Hanau
held on 31/12/08 ''This was an excursion to the former nuclear complex in Hanau where several nuclear facilities were situated. Most had to be closed, only the repositories for nuclear waste are under operation today. At the moment only few notes of the workshops are documented here. Hopefully there will be more soon.''