Protest against nuclear dump near Ulm

selva 20.11.2003 23:36 Themen: Atom
Between 300 and 400 demonstrators protested on 15 November against plans to start transporting 192 Castor containers of nuclear waste in 2005 to the biggest “interim storage depot” in Germany, located in the scenic Ulm area in southwest Germany (about 95 km southeast of Stuttgart).
By selva (16.11.2003 14:29h) – translated by diet simon

The permit for the dump at Gundremmingen (30 km from Ulm) is about to be issued. The resurgent anti-nuclear movement of the region, "Forum gemeinsam gegen das Zwischenlager e.V.", have filed a court action against the plans.



The demo in Ulm centre can only have been a start. The demo was colourful and united all ages, from pram babies to punks and students, grass roots trade unionists to still- or newly-active seniors (almost a bit Argentinean).



Given the current generally repressive situation, the police presence was mini-minimal. According to the organisers, Forum (as above), Doctor Action Against Atomic War/Ulm (Forum Ärtzeinitiative gegen Atomkrieg/Ulm); BUND-Jugend-Ulm and Greenpeace) the previous action against the planned interim deport took place in the spring and attracted markedly fewer demonstrators.



It appears that the biggest interim dump for nuclear waste in Germany is being asserted here without attracting the attention of the supra-regional anti-nuclear movement. Local activists hope this is not the case and that there will be mass mobilisations and nationwide protests.



Next to the biggest German nuclear power station, at least 192 Castor containers are to be “interim-stored” from 2005 for at least 40 years.



Each Castor contains about as much radioactivity as was dispersed by the 1986 melt down and explosion of a reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine, the world's worst civil nuclear catastrophe. Thirty-one people, mostly firemen, were killed immediately after the explosion, and several thousand more - those involved in the clean-up and children - have since died from radiation-related illnesses.



The waste in the Castors rises to more than 300 °C inside and around 80°C outside.

The Gundremmingen power station produces 52 tonnes of atomic waste a year, almost 1% of which, i.e. some 500 kilograms, is plutonium.



Cancer incidence in children of the area has been proven to be the highest in Germany.



Germany’s 19 atomic power stations produce 450 tonnes of waste a year. Four to six kilograms of plutonium are enough to build an atom bomb. Atomic waste has to be isolated for about 100,000 years!



There is no final storage facility anywhere in the world.



All German nuclear power stations have a combined capacity of 102 Gigawatts, of which the nukes produce 22 GW. The highest power demand was 74 GW. So a quick switch-off is possible and at the same time would lead energetically to cuts in climate-damaging CO2 emissions.





MORE RESISTANCE – MORE SOLIDARITY



The Forum-Ulm has so far filed 76,000 objections in Germany and 22,000 in Austria.



There are weekly explanatory sessions strongly frequented by people of the region. It comprises farmland which is little contaminated by traffic and industries and where organic farming has substantial opportunities. Much of it is declared nature reserves.



The licensing authority and the Federal Agency for Protection from Radiation (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, BfS) find themselves formally forced to dispute with the organised population.



Started in March 2002, the Forum has grown to 200 activists.



RADIOACTIVITY DOES NOT “STAY HOME”



Depending on wind direction, an accident in Gundremmingen would impact Ulm, Stuttgart, Frankfurt/Main, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Munich or Austria. If there were a chain reaction, which cannot be ruled out, there would be a Germany-wide Chernobyl.



Neither is the permit as yet unchallengeable, nor has there been enough massive resistance against this next threatening location madness. If we want to make that reality, we’ll need to launch a “Swabian Wendland” (Gorleben).



A nationwide protest coordination structure against the Gundremmingen interim storage should be developed with great urgency – before the Castors roll.



Contact addresses:



www.atommuell-zwischenlager.de

(Tel : 08296 - 745)



BUND-Umweltzentrum Ulm

 Bund.ulm@bund.net

 Hengl.Nina@t-online.de

 Chino58de@yahoo.de



Ärtze für die Verhütung des Atomkrieges

www.IPPNW-ULM.de





Supra-regional and totally open:

 SelvaP@web.de
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