Ireland and Norway discuss Sellafield "monster"
Date: 20-Dec-01
Country: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Author: Alex Richardson
In a statement Jacob said the meeting, in Dublin, had focused on
Ireland's legal moves against the plant, which it considers a major
health threat. Brende said Norway was considering its own legal options
against the plant.
"As marine nations we share a common sense of responsibility towards our
seas. Consumers are increasingly and justifiably demanding
uncontaminated food from uncontaminated sources," said Jacob.
"Radioactive pollution in the seas caused by complexes such as the
monster that is Sellafield - which in our view have no economic
justification whatsoever - is the last thing fishing nations such as
Ireland and Norway can tolerate."
Brende was leaving the Irish capital for talks in London with British
ministers Margaret Beckett and Micheal Meacher later on Monday, and was
due to visit the Sellafield plant on Tuesday.
"The Nordic countries have always been most supportive of Ireland's
stance and opposition to Sellafield," said Jacob.
"I am particularly gratified that at this early stage in the Norwegian
government's time in office that they are in the process of examining
their own legal options in relation to Sellafield."
Two weeks ago a United Nations court refused Ireland's request for an
injunction to block the start up of a 472 million pound ($688.8 million)
nuclear fuel manufacturing plant on the Sellafield site, scheduled to
begin operations on Thursday.
The Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ordered
the British and Irish governments to co-operate and submit written
reports to the tribunal by Monday.
Ireland is considering a complaint to the OSPAR tribunal which rules on
the OSPAR convention on maritime issues in the northeastern Atlantic,
and a possible challenge in the European Court of Justice.
Ireland has long complained of nuclear pollution from Sellafield, just
across the Irish Sea in Cumbria, on England's northwest coast. Since
September 11 Ireland has also raised fears the plant could be the target
of an attack.
