German nuclear waste reaches French plant
Date: 31-Aug-01
Country: FRANCE
The convoy containing 12 radioactive spent fuel rods reached the Valognes station near the La Hague reprocessing plant in northern France shortly after 2 a.m. (0000 GMT).
Some 20 anti-nuclear campaigners gathered on France's northeastern border with Germany on Wednesday as the shipment crossed into France, but they did not try to physically stop the train as protesters have done in the past.
Germany's transport of nuclear waste for reprocessing abroad resumed in April after a three-year interruption. This followed an agreement between the country's federal government and the power industry on the abandonment of nuclear energy by 2020.
As part of the deal, the reprocessing of fuel rods abroad will be allowed until 2005. In return, Germany has agreed to take back the reprocessed waste.
In the past, activists have chained themselves to the rail tracks ahead of the oncoming train, forcing it to stop and adding hours to its journey across northeastern France. They have so far not succeeded in stopping a delivery altogether.