NukeNews No. 13 - ENGLISH

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*     NukeNews #13 - Anti-Nuclear Information Service      *
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0.  Preface
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This will be a short NukeNews issue. In this release of the
international multilingual newsletter system of the Nuclear Heritage
Network we cover particularly anti-nuclear activities in Poland and a
few updates/infos 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


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Outline of the current NukeNews issue #13
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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.  Environmental disaster company Talvivaara close to bankruptcy
7.  International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in August
8.  PLEX in Ukraine
9.  New Czech government: maybe no additional blocks in Temelín, but
    in Dukovany, and plans to open up new uranium mines
10. Anti-Nuke Cooperation in the regions along river Danube:
    International Conference on 25.4.2014 in Lower Austria
11. Conference "Economic Limits of the Nuclear Power Industry"
12. Upcoming events
13. About NukeNews


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1.  UK: NDA consultation on nuclear waste dump fails to talk to
    potentially affected communities
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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 have 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


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2.  Anti-nuclear rally during COP19 meeting in Warsaw
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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


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3.  Resistance to the Polish NPP construction plans
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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, have sued 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).
 

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4.  Pro-nuclear propaganda bus in Poland
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In late November, promoters of nuclear power (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), again this year, drove a so
called 'The Atomic Coach', performing an 'information' tour along the
coastline of the Northern Poland's regions. 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


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5.  A Poland-overseas media scandal
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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...


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6.  Environmental disaster company Talvivaara close to bankruptcy
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Since 2013 Talvivaara Mining Company Plc. is faced to serious
financial difficulties. Months after the big spill of about a 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
with the goal to decide whether or not the about 450 millions of Euros
in loans they are owing 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


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7.  International Anti-nuclear Network Gathering in August
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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".

Learn more:
http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Nuclear_Heritage_Network_gathering_2014


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8.  PLEX in Ukraine
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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 also. 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 of such decisions without environmental
impact assessments and without consultations with potentially affected
public in neighbouring states.


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9.  Conference "Economic Limits of the Nuclear Power Industry"
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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 reconstruction 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 present in details 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 is 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. With Professor Claudia
Kemfert we will look closer 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 of the
energetics in Upper Austria.

The conference will be moderated by journalist Jan Bumba. There will
be space for discussion in the programme and the 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


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10.  New Czech government: maybe no additional blocks in Temelín, but
    in Dukovany, and plans to open up new uranium mines
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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 longterm 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 under the Crimean crises or
simply fail 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


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11. Anti-Nuke Cooperation in the regions along river Danube:
    International Conference on 25.4.2014 in Lower Austria
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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"


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12. Upcoming events
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(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) 
26/04/14:          ecological festival "Für eine Zukunft nach
                   Tschernobyl und Fukushima" (D)
29/04/14:          European Anti Nuclear Forum in Prague (CZ)
03/05/14-08/05/14: Atomforum of the German nuclear industry in
                   Frankfurt/Main (D)
11/05/14-15/05/14: European Nuclear Conference in Marseille (F)
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)
09/08/14-16/08/14: 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)
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
http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/European_Anti_Nuclear_Forum_2014
http://www.euronuclear.org/events/enc/enc2014/index.htm
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.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://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


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13. About NukeNews
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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 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