dustbin ship takes nuclear waste to australia from france
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

'Dustbin' ship takes nuclear waste to Australia from France

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today 'Dustbin' ship takes nuclear waste to Australia from France

The BBC Shanghai is delivering nuclear waste back to Australia after its reprocessing in France
Sydney - AFP

A ship carrying 25 tonnes of reprocessed nuclear waste was steaming to Australia on Friday despite protests from activists about an "environmental disaster waiting to happen".

The BBC Shanghai left the northern French port of Cherbourg after approval from local officials, who carried out an inspection on Wednesday, and was due to arrive by the end of the year in New South Wales state.

It was laden with radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel that Australia sent to France for reprocessing in four shipments in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) said Friday.

The reprocessing involves removing uranium, plutonium and other materials, with the remaining substances stabilised in glass and stored in a container.

"The container will be placed on a nuclear-rated ship, brought to an Australian port, and trucked to Lucas Heights (nuclear facility) with an appropriate security operation," ANSTO said in a statement.

"The ship was selected by (France-based nuclear company) Areva, and after a full inspection carried out by both French maritime safety authorities and by the French nuclear safety regulator on Wednesday 14 October, the ship's seaworthiness was confirmed and certified."

Greenpeace, French environmental campaign group Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) and a leading green lawmaker called for the shipment, sent by Areva, to be halted.
"Areva, almost bankrupt, are using a dustbin ship to carry waste, without any serious inspection!" Denis Baupin a senior lawmaker with the French green party, tweeted.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific said the ship -- owned by German firm BBC Chartering -- was an "environmental disaster waiting to happen", claiming that the Shanghai was "blacklisted by the United States because of its safety record".
- 'Staggering number of flaws' -
But Areva's external relations director Bernard Monnot said the ship was "not banned from ports in the United States but banned from transporting material for the American government".

Nathalie Geismar from Robin des Bois said other ports had found it had a "staggering number of flaws".

Authorities in the Manche (Channel) region, who inspected the 14-year-old ship, said they found no problems to prevent it from sailing or put crew or cargo in danger.

Monnot said small flaws identified during inspection, such as a malfunctioning thermometer in a hold, had been put right.

The two containers of waste came from the company's reprocessing plant in Beaumont-Hague, near Cherbourg.

ANSTO said the material would be kept at the Lucas Heights facility in southern Sydney until a nuclear waste dump site, which has yet to be chosen, is found and constructed.

Greenpeace called for assurances from the Australian government that the waste would be safely stored.

"We want to know what safety precautions the Australian government will put in place when this ship arrives on our shores," Greenpeace Australia Pacific Emma Gibson said in a statement.

"We also want assurances from the ANSTO that the waste -- which will take years to degrade -- will be safely stored."

Lucas Heights houses Australia's only nuclear reactor, with the facility mostly used for nuclear medicine and research.

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

dustbin ship takes nuclear waste to australia from france dustbin ship takes nuclear waste to australia from france

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

dustbin ship takes nuclear waste to australia from france dustbin ship takes nuclear waste to australia from france

 



GMT 09:55 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

Filipino president arrives in Saudi

GMT 12:47 2017 Sunday ,06 August

Hend Saeed Saleh reveals secrets of his father

GMT 01:49 2016 Wednesday ,15 June

Swedish SAS pilots agree to end strike

GMT 13:52 2018 Tuesday ,09 January

Berri, Richard tackle current situation

GMT 07:24 2017 Sunday ,24 December

Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon, dies at 95

GMT 15:16 2017 Sunday ,17 September

Four killed in market explosion in Afghanistan

GMT 23:03 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

FNC Speaker receives President of Nepal

GMT 05:41 2017 Tuesday ,29 August

Kenya bans plastic bags in bid to fight pollution

GMT 05:00 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

War-divided Syrians unite over football spot

GMT 01:07 2016 Tuesday ,30 August

China reviews inbound investment laws

GMT 02:32 2017 Thursday ,11 May

Own a business in Oman? Haya Water warns traders

GMT 23:07 2017 Thursday ,16 November

Jordan condemns terrorist attack in New York

GMT 16:16 2013 Monday ,15 April

Fewer Americans view their income taxes as fair
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday