NukeNews No. 22 - ENGLISH

************************************************************ *    NukeNews #22 - Anti-Nuclear Information Service      * ************************************************************ -- 0. Preface -- Welcome to a new NukeNews edition! With this newsletter we provide messages sent from activists and organizers connected through the Nuclear Heritage Network. One focus in this edition is the suggested international nuclear waste dump in Australia, discussed by 2 different contributors. Australia's new uranium mining procedures are the topic in two other articles. Besides that, we have a few reports and announcements of events, updates on nuclear waste repository developments in France and Czech Republic, and some more contributions. We hope you will find this newsletter useful and informative. -- Outline of the current NukeNews issue #22 -- 0. Preface 1. Czech Republic: Why is the Working Group for Dialogue on a     Geological Disposal Facility falling apart? 2. Big Demonstration at Nuclear Plant in Lingen 29/10/2016 3. Poison in the Heart. The Nuclear Wasting of South Australia 4. Australia's international nuclear waste plans 5. Report: Trinational Fasting in Büchel from 6th till 9th of August 6. Montreal Declaration for a Nuclear-Fission-Free World 7. Radioactive liquid nuclear waste: stop the transport 8. Mulga Rock uranium proposal under Appeal 9. Approval suggested for another Australian uranium mine 10. Preparation of International Anti-nuclear Summer Camp 2017 11. Russia: Samples from Chernobyl affected regions in court 12. FSB search in the apartment of a critic of Rosatom 13. Bure - reoccupation of the forest and actions against nuclear dump 14. Upcoming events 15. About NukeNews -- 1. Czech Republic: Why is the Working Group for Dialogue on a     Geological Disposal Facility falling apart? -- At the end of June 2016 Calla and the Green Circle (which is the association comprised of 26 prominent environmental NGOs) issued a press release, in which they informed about six representatives of the sites of Březový potok and Hrádek that they are leaving the Working Group (WG) for Dialogue on a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) during April and May 2016. The mayors and associations at both sites feel that the WG is being misused and that it violate its statute by not contributing to a transparent siting process for a GDF. What are the reasons for this happening? Read the complete article: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Why_is_the_Working_Group_for_Dialogue_on_a_Geological_Disposal_Facility_falling_apart%3F -- 2. Big Demonstration at Nuclear Plant in Lingen 29/10/2016 -- The production of nuclear fuel elements is still taking place at Lingen/Lower Saxony. Although the German government has decided a step-by-step phase out, the atomic plants of Lingen and Gronau (uranium enrichment) have no date for shut-down, the opposite is reality, plans for expanding and storing more and more waste. We want an immediate stop of supplying nuclear plants with fuels worldwide!! A coalition of several anti nuclear groups and networks has started a campaign against these nuclear facilities and is pushing the topic into the center of society. Please come and join the big manifestation in Lingen on 29/10/2016!! http://weltweit.nirgendwo.info/2016/09/03/29-10-2016-demonstration-in-lingen-aufruf/ -- 3. Poison in the Heart. The Nuclear Wasting of South Australia -- Despite the fact that there is no safe final repository anywhere in the world, a small cadre of aspirational Promethean technocrats in South Australia have somehow decided that Australia holds the solution to the global problem of nuclear waste. The recently released Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Report recommends that the South Australian government accepts over one third of the world's high level waste for above-ground storage and eventual burial in yet-to-be-built underground repositories in the South Australian desert. The report proposes that South Australia imports 138,000 tons of high level radioactive waste in the form of spent fuel rods as well as an additional 390,000 cubic metres of intermediate level waste for storage and eventual disposal. The project to bury the world's nuclear poison in the heart of the Australian desert has not sprung out of a void. It is an idea that has been insidiously festering for two decades in a variety of incarnations. The first stirrings of the hellish project to turn Australia into the world's nuclear dumping ground emerged in the late 1990s when Pangea Resources, a U.K. based company promoted the construction of a commercially-operated international waste repository in Western Australia. The project was supported by a $40 million budget, 80% of which came from British Nuclear Fuels Limited (wholly owned by the U.K. government), with the remaining 20% from two nuclear waste management companies. Read the complete article: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Poison_in_the_Heart._The_Nuclear_Wasting_of_South_Australia -- 4. Australia's international nuclear waste plans -- In March 2015 in response to declining economic news the state Premier of South Australia set up a Royal Commission (a high level inquiry) to explore opportunities to expand the nuclear industry in SA. This involvement is currently restricted to uranium mining – SA mines around 75% of Australia’s uranium contribution and is home to the massive BHP Billiton Olympic Dam mine. In May 2016 the Commission reported and found that while there are few opportunities re increased uranium mining, mineral processing or enrichment or domestic nuclear power - there is money in waste. The Commission recommended that South Australia move ‘as soon as possible’ to import, store and ultimately bury around one-third of the global high level waste stockpile. The state government is now running a very pro-industry ‘community conversation’ before making a formal response to the Commission’s recommendations later this calendar year. There is so much wrong with this process but a particular concern is that a firm contracted to provide key economic modelling and data (Swiss based MCM) was founded by the former technical manager of Pangea Resources – the group behind a failed attempt to start an international waste dump in Australia in the 1990s. Not surprisingly the Royal Commissions economic assumptions are opaque and highly optimistic. -- 5. Report: Trinational Fasting in Büchel from 6th till 9th of August -- People in Paris, London, some in Africa and the usual ones in Japan commemorated the atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki again. Global Communication among each other “just in time” was still a little complicated, therefore let's say "trinational" for now. Also for me it was hard this time, but the group motivated. In addition to that I knew that some people already stopped eating on July 30th. atomwaffenfrei.de (ICAN) and the international Fellowship of reconciliation were those who invited to come to Büchel. Some of the youngsters played a theatre piece with music, a trumpeter played "we shall overcome" every hour on the dot in front of the military airbase and of course we had interesting dialogues during our protest. Read the complete article: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Trinational_Fasting_in_B%C3%BCchel_from_6th_till_9th_of_August -- 6. Montreal Declaration for a Nuclear-Fission-Free World -- We collectively call for a mobilization of civil society around the world to bring about the elimination of all nuclear weapons, to put an end to the continued mass-production of all high-level nuclear wastes by phasing out all nuclear reactors, and to bring to a halt all uranium mining worldwide. Created Aug. 8 – 12, 2016 at the World Social Forum Anti-Nuclear Stream. http://ccnr.org/declaration_WSF_e_2016.pdf -- 7. Radioactive liquid nuclear waste: stop the transport -- Radioactive liquid nuclear waste could be transported by armed convoy, 1100 miles over the Great Lakes water system from Chalk River, Ontario to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina for the first time, and it could begin as soon as September. A legal challenge by 7 non-profit groups was filed requesting an injunction from the federal court in Washington, DC, to halt the transport until an adequate environmental impact statement is completed. Learn more: http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2016/08/16/radioactive-liquid-nuclear-waste-stop-the-transport/ Background information: http://www.beyondnuclear.org/waste-transportation/2016/8/1/documents-re-unprecedented-truck-shipments-of-highly-radioac.html -- 8. Mulga Rock uranium proposal under Appeal -- In the middle of August the WA EPA recommended approval for the Mulga Rock Uranium mine proposal - 240km North East of Kalgoorlie. The project is headed up by the company Vimy Resources - funded by Twiggy Forest, a executive team made up of former FMG and Mineroo Group executives and one former Liberal MP. Soon afterwards we had a great workshop with about 10 people who are all preparing to lodge appeals against the EPA decision - urging the Environment Minister not to approve to proposed mine. We are working with the Spinifex and Pilki people from the Great Victorian Desert. http://www.ccwa.org.au/mulga_rock_appeal -- 9. Approval suggested for another Australian uranium mine -- In early September the West Australian EPA recommended approval for the proposed Wiluna uranium mine. We are disappointed but not surprised - the WA EPA has a pattern of deferring important environmental assessments to other Government agencies. We are hosting yet another appeal writing workshop in a bid to get many appeals lodged and to challenge the validity of the proposed mine. You can read more about the Wiluna proposal here: http://www.ccwa.org.au/wiluna -- 10. Preparation of International Anti-nuclear Summer Camp 2017 -- In June 2017 an international anti-nuclear summer camp will be inviting activists and interested audience from all over Europe (or further) to exchange experiences, teach about nuclear issues in their regions, develop organizing, campaigning and action skills, and to get in touch with each other. The camp, which will be the annual Nuclear Heritage Network Gathering, will take place in Eastern Germany. We are currently starting preparations and urgently need some more people to help us with the preparations. If you are willing to help to make this camp possible, please connect as soon as possible to "contact AT nuclear-heritage DOT net". The last bigger Nuclear Heritage Network Gathering took place in 2012: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/International_Anti-nuclear_Network_Meeting_in_D%C3%B6beln This time we want it bigger and broader. The last years almost no international anti-nuclear summer gatherings took place in Europe, we want this one also to be a platform for activists, organizers and other interested people to network and discuss strategies against nuclear power. -- 11. Russia: Samples from Chernobyl affected regions in court -- June, 28th Greenpeace presented results of measuring cesium-137 contamination of soil samples to the Supreme court of Russia. 53 inhabitants of different Chernobyl affected towns and villages in Bryansk were appealing an earlier court decision, which allowed the governmental decree to downgrade or lift the status of some villages and towns in contaminated zones. The government claims, due to cs-137 decay, Chernobyl contamination is substantially reduced. Institute 'Taifun' has not taken samples in most of these towns and villages recently, but just re-calculated earlier results of samples taken in 1980s and 1990s. The decree led to lifting of social priviledges as well. Read the complete article: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Russia:_Samples_from_Chernobyl_affected_regions_in_court -- 12. FSB search in the apartment of a critic of Rosatom -- It happened in the closed nuclear town ZATO Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Siberia, Russia: According to Fedor Maryasov, co-chairman of the Regional public ecological organization "The Nature of Siberia", on July 18, at 19 p.m., his apartment in ZATO Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region was searched. Two representatives of the FSB appeared in his apartment and produced a search warrant issued by the court. The reason for the search was suspicion that Fedor Maryasov committed an offense under the Criminal Code, Article 282, that is, incitement to hatred or hostility, and violation of human dignity. Punishment under this article may be in the form of a fine of 300 thousand rubles to imprisonment for a term up to 5 years. FSB representatives presented the results of a linguistic examination of materials that Fedor Maryasov had placed in the social network "VKontakte" for several years. The results of that examination were the basis for the qualification of an alleged offense under this article. As a result of the search, which lasted 1.5 hours, a computer was seized and three copies of the printed version of the report prepared by KROEO "Nature of Siberia" (with Green World financial support): "Siberian GAMBIT the Grand Chessboard of the State Corporation Rosatom". After the search Fedor Maryasov was taken to the FSB Zheleznogorsk, where he remained for three hours. After that he was released. According to Fedor Maryasov, the interest of the FSB is associated with his criticism of Rosatom, which he has engaged in for many years as part of KROEO "Nature Siberia". The main target of criticism of Fedor Maryasov has been the planned construction of a national nuclear waste repository in Zheleznogorsk. For more information about the topic, please see the documentary film "Digging Our Own Grave": http://greenworld.org.ru/videofilms/ONM_itog_ang_121114.mp4 (English) http://greenworld.org.ru/videofilms/NOM_rus.mp4 (Russian) In addition, Fedor Maryasov initiated an appeal to President Putin to ban the construction of a nuclear burial ground near Krasnoyarsk, where one million people live. About 80 thousand people have signed the appeal. Fedor Maryasov will have to defend himself in court. The work of an attorney in Krasnoyarsk for such issues is estimated at a cost of not less than 300 thousand rubles. -- 13. Bure - reoccupation of the forest and actions against nuclear dump -- The vote on the French nuclear waste repository law being based on a 6 Billion euro first construction phase of the deep geological repository called CIGÉO in Bure took place in a special session of the Assemblée Nationale without a real debate on July 11, 2016 between the Euros final and a national holiday on July 14th. The responsible Minister of Environment Ségolène Royal failed to appear in the voting, and instead preferred participating in a photo shoot with football celebs to the vote. She was instead substituted by the state secretary competent for francophonie. Only 20 MPs joined the voting. Just four environmental MPs made requests and voted against the law. The opponents of the nuclear waste repository project had considered the politicians' goings-on to be a farce already for a long time and focused on resistance from the roots. Since construction works for CIGÉO started in early June in the forest of Mandres-en-Barrois the resistance grew. The forest was occupied and three weeks later evicted by police. On July 16th some 500 people followed the call to reoccupy the forest. A colourful crowd set out to the area and recaptured the forest. Read the German field report: http://gruenes-blatt.de/index.php/2016-02:Bure_-_Wiederbesetzung_des_Waldes_und_Aktionen_gegen_das_Atomklo -- 14. Upcoming events -- Feel free to send us your local and international events for the large upcoming events collection on Nuclear Heritage Network website, and for this extract in the NukeNews! http://upcoming.nuclear-heritage.net 24/09/16-25/09/16: 6th Temelín Conference 2016 at Temelín NPP (CZ) 01/10/16-02/10/16: rally & conference "Arrêt du nucléaire, énergie de                   destruction massive!" in Flamanville (F) 28/09/16-02/10/16: International Uranium Film Festival at                   KulturBrauerei cinema in Berlin (D) 17/10/16 6.30 PM: MKG Seminar on the disposal of nuclear waste in                    Forsmark at Uniting Church in Sweden, Svarvargatan 6, in Osthammar (S) 23/10/16 9.30 AM: CND Open Conference: new times, new methods? at                   Mechanics Centre, 103 Princess Street, in                    Manchester, M1 6DD (UK) 29/10/16 at 1 PM: supraregional rally against nuclear fuel fabrication facility and nuclear power plant at                   railway station in Lingen (D) 25/11/16 at 11 AM: conference on Castor temporary repository at                   Exerzitienhaus Himmelspforten, Mainaustr. 42, in                   Würzburg (D) 05/12/16-11/12/16: seminar "Atomgefahren im Ostseeraum" at project house, Am Bärental 6, in Döbeln (D) probably 2017:    Castor transport Resistance in France and Germany 01/03/17-01/04/17: Main hearing on the Environmental Court on SKB's                   application to build KBS3 at District Court, in                    Nacka (S) http://gruene-fichtelgebirge.de/akw-temelin/6-temelin-konferenz-2016/ http://www.can-ouest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Programme-4-pages.jpg http://uraniumfilmfestival.org/en/berlin-2016-program http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/mkg-osthammar20161017 http://www.cnduk.org/get-involved/events/item/2564-cnd-open-conference-new-times-new-methods? http://weltweit.nirgendwo.info/2016/09/03/29-10-2016-demonstration-in-lingen-aufruf/ http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=769&Itemid=189 https://projekthaus-doebeln.org/index.php?title=Termine:Atomgefahren_im_Ostseeraum_2016 http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Castor_Resistance_in_Germany_2017 http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/kbshuvudforhandling-md -- 15. About NukeNews -- NukeNews is a multilingual newsletter system of the Nuclear Heritage Network. It reflects 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. The newsletter aims to inform and update as well activists as the interested audience. Your contributions to the NukeNews are welcome! Send them via email to "newsletter AT nuclear-heritage DOT net". The text should be very brief and in English. Please don't make it longer than one paragraph. We need a concise headline for your article, and you can add a link to a webpage providing more information. Deadline for the 23rd issue of the NukeNews is 9th of October, 2016. Spread the word and learn more about the NukeNews: http://NukeNews.Nuclear-Heritage.NET