[main page][map of the server][news of the server][forums][guestbook][press-service][hot issues]

YABLOKO conducted an action against nuclear waste imports into Russia

Press Release
August 24, 2010

YABLOKO’s activists conducted an action against nuclear waste imports from Germany into Russia by the German Embassy in Moscow today. YABLOKO has been consistently opposing the plans of the Russian government to import nuclear waste for procession and storage stating lack of transparency and control, corruption and terrorists’ threats.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and Executive Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee Galina Mikhalyova handed to representative of the Embassy Kirsch York YABLOKO’s address to the German government calling to abrogate the decision of exporting German nuclear waste into Russia.

It is planned that 951 fuel slugs from a research nuclear reactor from Rossendorf near Drezden will be sent to Novouralsk, Russia. Such a decision was adopted by the regional government of the Saxony Land.

Ten YABLOKO’s activists held in front of the Embassy a map with a route of transportation of the hazardous load styled as a battle-field map. The map showed a yellow radioactive arrow crossing several Eastern European states and the European part of Russia and targeting the Novouralsk city. Special signs marked the sources of potential threat to the hazardous load: corruption, forest fires and terrorists. The map is abundant of such signs. YABLOKO’s activists stated that “the Russian authorities can not guarantee safe transportation of the waste across Russia, as well as their storage, processing and further storage.”


YABLOKO’s activists with improvised chemical defence equipment held placards “Radioactive waste? Thank you, we don’t need it,” made in two languages - Russian and German. One of the activists in a yellow cloak played the role of a radiation victim.

“The goal of our action is not to allow for nuclear waste imports from Germany to Russia. We think that such imports will be fatal for Russia’s environment,” Sergei Mitrokhin told to journalists. He also stressed that “processing of this waste will end in radioactive contamination of the Chelyabinsk region”.

“A terrible disaster already happened at Mayak plant in 1956. The territory and water reservoirs around the disaster site are still contaminated,” he added. Mitrokhin can not rule out more such disasters if Russia will import and other countries export nuclear waste.

Representative of the Embassy Kirsch York came to the activists. Sergei Mitrokhin and Galina Mikhalyova handed him YABLOKO’s address to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German two federal ministers – Economic Minister Reiner Bruederle and Minister of Environment Norbert Ruetten – with a request to abolish nuclear waste imports into Russia. According to German laws, the federal government has the right to veto the decisions adopted by the lands governments.

See also:
Nuclear Safety

 

 

 



Press Release
August 24, 2010