First quarter of 2001
Nuclear waste ship banned from Argentinean waters
WISE-Paris, 30 January 2001
[Posted 31/01/2001]
The sixth shipment of vitrified highly radioactive waste from La Hague to Japan is forced to keep outside Argentinean waters. The nuclear cargo Pacific Swan left the French port of Cherbourg on 19 December 2000. The Argentinean Federal Court ordered the government to forbid the entrance of the ship into national waters. This is considered a very important precedent that could be applied to any following shipment.
On 16 January 2001, the Cordoba based environmental NGO FUNAM (Environment Defense Foundation) had filed a legal case against the President of CNEA (National Commission of Atomic Energy) and ARN (Regulatory Nuclear Authority) that question the legality of the entrance of radioactive waste into the country. Prior to this, CNEA had delivered an authorization to the Pacific Swan and its load of 192 canisters of vitrified waste to enter Argentinean waters.
In 1995, the Chilean Navy blocked the passage of the "Pacific Pintail" when it had demonstrated its intention of entering the exclusive economic zone (200 miles off the coast). In 1997, the actions of Argentina and Chile stopped another shipment from passing along Cape Horn.
Contact:
FUNAM
FUNDACIÓN PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AMBIENTE
ENVIRONMENT DEFENSE FOUNDATIONRaul Montenegro
Casilla de Correo 83, Correo Central, (5000) Cordoba, Argentina.
Telephone +54- 351-4557710, 4551441 and 4690282. Fax +54-351-4520260
E-mail: funam@funam.org.ar
Web page: http://www.funam.org.ar/
Emergencies: leave your message "for code 2521" at telephone +54-351-4521313.
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