PR:Citizens Around The Baltic Sea Worried About Nuclear Developments In Finland

Media Release – for immediate publication Thursday June 24, 2010

Invitation to Press Conference in Finland's Parliament's Visitor Center:

Citizens Around The Baltic Sea Worried About Nuclear Developments In Finland
Helsinki On Tuesday June 29 a number of organizations around the Baltic Sea, together with MP Pentti Tiusanen, will hold a press conference at 12 noon in the visitor center of the Finnish Parliament. They will discuss the dangers and problems related to the nuclear developments in Finland and other countries around the Baltic Sea. They will launch to the Finnish public the Baltic Sea Info Tour, a big educational tour covering 6,000 kilometers around the Baltic Sea over the next two months. In 13 cities the tour will inform about the nuclear risks to the Baltic Sea, a sea that is - according to the data of the Helsinki Commission - already the most radioactive sea in the world. Speakers from several countries will make their statements in the parliament on Tuesday giving the reasons for their concerns about the nuclear projects.

Speakers in the press conference will be:
 * Andrey Ozharovskiy, Russia
 * Falk Beyer, Germany
 * Jason Marshall, United Kingdom
 * Tanya Novikova, Belarus
 * Tapio Solala, Finland
 * Birgitta Norrvik, Åland

On July 1 the Finnish Parliament will decide about the government's proposal to build 2-3 additional nuclear reactors (1 for TVO and 1-2 for Fennovoima). These new reactors would not only release much more radiation than the older types, they also increase the risk of major accidents and they produce more harmful nuclear waste, waste which no-one can safely take care of.

The timescales for which nuclear waste must be kept safe (at least 1 million years) are such as to make verifyably safe disposal impossible. However, even within the approach adopted by the industry, the proposed final repository in Olkiluoto, beneath the Baltic Sea, has huge problems and question marks and cannot be considered a viable, mature solution. For example, the Scandinavian rock formations are not suitable for a long-term safe final disposal of nuclear waste and the proposed technical measures, copper capsules and bentonite clay are prone to corrosion and erosion. Any radioactive leakage from the proposed repository would quickly find its way to the Baltic Sea.

If the nuclear industry's plans for uranium mines in Finland are realized, there will be huge releases of radioactivity to the environment. This would not only be a threat to the Baltic Sea but also to the health and lifes of residents and to the nature over wide areas. Big tailing ponds of radioactive and toxic waste waters would be left as well as huge quantities of unexploitable uranium ore, piled next to the mines. Altogether some 85 % of the original radioactivity would be left in the mining areas - on the surface harming nature and people.

Infotour challenging Finnish nuclear industry

The "Stop Nuclear Power! Baltic Sea Info Tour" started on June 22 in Mariehamn (Åland). Åland is already encircled by nuclear power plants and the threat of having even more reactors plus both the Finnish and Swedish high level waste repositories on the shores of the already radioactive Baltic Sea has lead the Ålandic government to take an anti-nuclear stance.

With the second stop of the infotour the anti-nuclear organizations are heading to Loviisa, one of the two Finnish nuclear power plant sites. The operator Fortum wants to add a new reactor here too.

When the Parliament will decide about the government's proposal for new reactors, the Baltic Sea Info Tour will be in Helsinki, gathering anti-nuclear activists from Finland and from countries around the Baltic, educating about the risks of nuclear power and pushing the Parliament not to approve the dangerous expansion of nuclear power. This is a government policy from which only the nuclear industry will benefit. July 1 will be an action day on the streets of Finland's capital.

The press conference is also open to public. The speakers will make their statements on these urgent nuclear questions, inform about anti-nuclear activities during the next months and answer questions from the audience.

Dear editor! You are warmly invited to attend the press conference in the Parliament's visitor center. If you have questions you are welcome to contact us at [mailti:mediaATnuclear-heritage.net media AT nuclear-heritage.net] or at +358 41 7243254.

-- Nuclear Heritage Network WebSite: http://nuclear-heritage.net E-Mail: [mailto:contactATnuclear-heritage.net contact AT nuclear-heritage.net]

This media release is provided by the "Nuclear Heritage Network". It is an international network of anti-nuclear activists. This informal alliance supports the worldwide anti-nuclear work. The Nuclear Heritage Network is no label, has no standard opinion and no representatives. All activists of the network speak for themselves or for the groups they represent.