Nuclear Waste: Next Gorleben train schedule confirmed

international | environment | other press Wednesday October 05, 2005 19:35 by DIET SIMON

- the struggle against nuclear waste -

Gorleben, northern Germany – The anti-nuclear group resisting the dumping of highly radioactive waste here says it has information confirming that the next trainload of it will arrive from France on 7 November, the anniversary of the day a French activist was killed last year.

Saying it has detailed information from France about the train’s schedule, the Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow Dannenberg (BI) says it has to be assumed that the 12 Castor caskets will set off from the loading facility at Valogne in Normandy at 8.29 p.m. on Saturday 5 November.
At 2:35 p.m. the next day, Sunday 6 November, it would cross into Germany near Lauterbourg.

Waste produced in German power stations is processed at the La Hague plutonium factory in Normandy and returned, initially for “interim” storage in a hall near Gorleben.

Opponents fear it will be placed permanently in a salt mine dug next to the hall especially for the purpose, although scientists have condemned it as unsafe because it has contact with ground water and insufficient overburden.

The BI sees its fears confirmed that the next trainload will arrive on the anniversary of the death of 21-year-old French student, Sebastien Briat, who tried to stop last year’s Castor train but was killed when its air turbulence drew him under it.

“The running schedule makes shockingly clear that the radioactive train will again be racing through France at a speed not appropriate to the enormous danger,” says BI spokesman, Francis Althoff.

The BI again expects demonstration ban zones 70 kilometres long and 500 metres wide to be declared during the transport days between Lüneburg and Gorleben. It has filed a complaint against this with the supreme German court, the Federal Constitutional Court.

Massive protests and direct actions are expexted along the railways.
About 10.000 robocops will have to "secure" the train.
Some days ago many police containers were set on fire. it is estimated that the damage is 3.000.000 Euro (pics: http://www.presseportal.de/polizeipresse/p_story.htx?nr=730596).




more information:

Francis Althoff: land line 05843 986789, mobile 0170 9394684

For more on this see http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/09/128758.shtml