(December 3, 1993) On Monday, Nov. 22, army vehicles with water cannons reappeared for the first time in many years in front of the Brokdorf nuclear plant near Hamburg, Germany.
(403.3932) WISE Amsterdam - The occasion was a blockade of heavy trucks carrying spent fuel from the plant to Sellafield by 100 protesters calling themselves the Action Alliance Against the Brokdorf-Sellafield Shipments. "Saving the Children of Sellafield" was the slogan chosen for the demonstration in a spirit of solidarity with the final stage of struggle against the THORP startup in Britain.
The spent fuel rods have a long way to go: first by truck to the village of Brunsbüttel, then by train to Dunkirk in France, then by ship to Dover and on to Sellafield. The whole transport will last four days. Over the next six years, six shipments of this kind will take place per year, each costing about DM 700,000 (US$ 420,000). Overall, 884 metric tons of spent fuel from German reactors would be sent for reprocessing at the THORP. But a growing number of authorities are beginning to oppose the shipments: the Bundesrechnunghof (the federal Government Accounting Office), for example, sees no justification for the immense costs of reprocessing.
The next shipment is planned for 6 December, and another demonstration is being planned as well.
Sources:
- tageszeitung, 23 Nov. 1993
- Rundbrief, 12 and 19 Nov. 1993
Contact: Jochen Stay, Kirchstraße 14, 29462 Wustrow, Germany, tel. +49-5843-1403, fax +49-5843-1405.