Nuclear Waste Transport In Germany

Castor log
von Diet Simon - 21.11.2005 11:53

Anti-nuclear activists have four times stopped the train taking 12 caskets of highly radioactive nuclear waste from France to Gorleben in north Germany. The log:
The Castor train was stopped by two rail blockades in Göttingen-Weende, delaying it by half an hour. Thirty activists twice succeeded in getting onto the track. The train had to stop at 1.42 a.m. in Göttingen station because at Weende 20 men and women were on the rails. When they had been removed, more activists got onto the track 100 metres further on, so that the train had to stop once more and was finally able to continue on its way at 2.13 a.m. At the same time police encircled a spontaneous demonstration on the Weender rural road by 20 people who were briefly detained. At least two were driven off to a prisoner collection point.  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133261.shtml ++++ 02:13 Castor train leaves Göttingen, about an hour behind schedule. +++++ 01:45 Castor drives slowly through Göttingen +++ 2 rail blockades were cleared away. ++++++ 00:34 Castor train through Kassel heading for Göttingen. 8:09 pm About 50 activists await the train in Fulda outside the railway station, informing the public about Castor dangers. Several actions planned. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 7.16 p.m. Still 100 tractors in Gusborn. +++++ 7.13 p.m. Police confiscate tractors, let those go who leave voluntarily. +++++ 7.10 pm Third call (required by law) by the police to clear the road of blockading tractors in Gusborn. +++++ At  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133164.shtm 6.37 p.m. Pictures from Dahlenburg of a vigil along the route Lüneburg-Dannenberg +++++ 5.54 p.m.  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133155.shtml Activists allege police sabotaged nine of their bicycles on private land in the Göhrde area by slashing tires, loosening or unscrewing nuts, cutting brake cables and destroying valves. Police are investigating. +++++ 5.47 p.m.  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133140.shtml pictures of activists running themselves warn and getting acquainted with the terrain in the Göhrde forest, to be traversed by the Castor train during the night. +++++
5.26 p.m. At  http://germany.indymedia.org/openposting/ a report that Nazis are using the absence of many activists at the Castor protests to mount activitities. +++++ 5.15 p.m. Castor train through Heilbronn. The follow-up train consists of an electric locomotive and four diesel locomotives. It follows the Castor train with some delay. No accompanying helicopter. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train started rolling again at 5.45 p.m. after a delay of one and a half hours. A passenger train using the same route waited 300 metres from the Castor train to continue. A spokesman for the activists said the dangerous radiation from the Castors could damage the passengers at such a short distance. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 4.48 p.m.  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133131.shtml tractors block a unit of special police in Tollendorf. Pictures +++++

4.39 p.m.  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133126.shtml Activists claim 1,000 people in small groups in Göhrde forest, blocking paths with waste and freshly cut timber. Helicopter circling all the while. Police spoke of a bus tipped over and attempts to saw through the rails. +++++ A group of 14 activists stopped the train in Bietigheim with a sit-down blockade. Police apparently taken by surprise. Activists removed from track. Technical emergency service at work with heavy equipment. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train blocked near Bietigheim since about 4.10 p.m. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ For the route to Heilbronn the route is assumed to be Pforzheim - Mühlacker - Bietigheim-Bissingen – Heilbronn. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ 3 p.m. through Berghausen. Following the Castor train is another train consisting of five diesel locomotives 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ CASTOR ran through Grötzingen, further routed probably through Heilbronn, where police presence is heavy. 0160 - 992 181 52+++++ 2:37 p.m. through Knielingen, train now differently assembled: two red locomotives, 6 passenger carriages, the first blue, 12 Castor cars, six passenger carriages, two red locomotives. Nothing known about a train in front or following. 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Train departs Wörth 2.38 p.m. +++++ Castor train reached Wörth at the Franco-German border. Police seized 40-50 activists. Train had run at high speed through France. Near Arras there were scuffles with police. Cars of the train being rearranged in Wörth. Train expected to start off at 2 p.m. Indications it will run Karlsruhe - Pforzheim - Bietigheim-Bissingen – Heilbronn. Police helicopter also watching Karlsruhe – Mannheim. 0160/992 181 52. +++++ About 20 police personnel carriers in Wörth, many other smaller vehicles. +++++ Train sequence: green locomotive, blue locomotive, painted passenger car, unpainted passenger car, 12 Castor cars, painted passenger cars, blue locomotive Pressestelle der südwestdeutschen Anti-Atom-Initiativen
Mobile 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ Press conference set for noon in Dannenberg +++++ Attorney charges police blocking access to media. Courts have declared illegal 2,000 police seizures of people during Castor transports since 2001. Francis Althoff, Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow- Dannenberg BI-Presseteam (05861) 986527, (0171) 545 46 84, 00170) 939 46 84 +++++ Change of police personnel from French to German 0160 - 992 181 52 +++++ After train passed Avricourt, where Sébastien Briat was killed by last year’s Castor train, at 10:30, about 20 activists erected a memorial plaque beside the track, candles and flowers were placed. No accompanying helicopter in Lorraine. Thick fog, train running at high speed. Reding 9:29-10:02: Locomotives changed (now diesel), new mechanics, drinks for cops on train. Bischheim 11:05: 30 demonstrators see train pass at 40-50 km/h. Lots of press, police holding back. At midday local road to be renamed "rue des Castors" +++++ Members of Greenpeace group Kaiserslautern protested at central railway station. Train due to cross border around midday at Woerth/Lauterbourg. Eveline Marasas 0160 / 997 951 53 +++++ Maxéville (just before Nancy) 07:45 activists stop train for a quarter of an hour. No accompanying helicopter. Police push 60 activists out of the station. Train running 16 minutes ahead of schedule, apparently leaving out planned stops. Apparently being pushed through as fast as possible. +++++ In Nancy 8:09 a.m. Shortly before there were scuffles between about 60 protesters and police. No other action in or near Nancy. The 60 activists moved on to Avricourt. At that time no helicopter accompanied the train. Passed Arras Voyageurs at 2:05 a.m.. +++++ Police hindering media reporting in Wendland on unprecedented scale. Reporters kept away from population and protest groups. Court ruling sought to lift assembly ban. German newspaper publishers recently complained of a creeping erosion of press freedom in Germany.  http://de.indymedia.org/2005/11/133014.shtml +++++ In the evening 200-300 people blocked Federal Road 216 between Lüneburg and Dannenberg with tractors and barricades. Police stretched to take control of traffic. When straw bales burned the road was closed for several hours. Pictures at  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133076.shtml,  http://anti-atom-aktuell.de and  http://goehrde.plentyfact.net.
Train with 12 Castors set off from Valogne around 5.25 p.m.. Expected in Wendland Monday morning if nothing holds it up. Links at  http://x1000hamburg.de +++++ Demo pictures at  http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133033.shtml and
 http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/11/133023.shtml +++++ Castor has no safety certificate, documentation kept secret:  http://de.indymedia.org/2005/11/133014.shtml +++++ French nuclear opponents report at 4.35 p.m. that they have the second confirmation that the Castor train has to be punctual because a large strike is to start at 8 p.m. on Monday. The train stands in Valognes, only the start of it visible: 2 green diesel locomotives,
1 passenger car “painted” with advertising, 1 normal passenger car, 12 Castors?, 2 passenger cars?, 1 diesel locomotive? Normal police and CRS riot police are “protecting” all bridges. Police have been waiting since the morning. The page  http://www.sortirdunucleaire.org/index.php?menu=agir&sousmenu=actions&soussousmenu=transports&page=index#Valognes
is kept up to date. Jean-Yvon

"The Castor train contains twice as much radioactive material as was released in the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986."
News release on 19.11.2005, 4 p.m.

Anti-Castor demonstration near Gorleben: Civic action group lambasts federal and state governments – Lawsuit against demonstration bans with constitutional court

More than 4,000 people, framed by the tractors of local farmers, demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in the port of the small Elbe town Hitzacker against the ninth transport of nuclear waste to an interim storage hall in Gorleben, Lower Saxony. This evening 12 Castor caskets of the HAW 20/28 design containing highly radioactive waste fused into glass are to start out from the plutonium factory at La Hague in France for Germany. Many police checkpoints hampered demonstrators from reaching the assembly area.

Against the background of the coalition agreement signed yesterday in Berlin between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democratic Union the spokesman of the Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow-Dannenberg e.V. (BI, Civic Action Initiative for Environmental Protection), Francis Althoff, said that the new grand coalition did not dare, either, to stop the nuclear plans of the big energy supply companies in Gorleben once and for all. Althoff: “Merkel [chancellor-designate] und Gabriel [environment minister of Lower Saxony] are sitting like two rabbits sitting mesmerised by the big snake E.ON and Co. While those causing the waste are stuffing their pockets with the money of the electricity consumers, with the unsafe Gorleben salt deposit they want to use the cheapest option for a final repository for waste fatally radioactive for thousands years.” Every Castor casket that arrived in the Gorleben interim storage hall inevitably cemented the unsafe salt deposit below it as the future final repository.

Althoff fears the lifting of the moratorium on further exploration of the hollowed Gorleben salt dome agreed in the consensual contract because in their agreement the coalition parties failed to agree on a search for alternative locations and its financing by the power companies.

Althoff explained that because of the yearly restrictions of the freedom of assembly during the Castor transports, the Bürgerinitiative Lüchow-Dannenberg was now filing a suit with the Federal Constitutional Court. On behalf of the Republikanischer Anwaltsverein (RAV, Republican Association of Attorneys) Martin Lemke supported the constitutional complaint of the BI. Lemke: “Arbitrary danger prognoses in connection with Castor transports have for years led to widely spaced demonstration bans and with that to the abrogation of the constitutional freedom of assembly.” Lemke encouraged the protest movement and recalled that in German history the right to demonstrate had always been conquered on the streets.

On behalf of an alliance of north German anti-nuclear groups, Christin Marbs warned of a worldwide boom in nuclear power production. The French activist, Cecile Lecomte (Sortir du Nucleaire) from Toulouse brought greeting of solidarity from the French anti-nuclear movement. She recalled that although no more German nuclear waste was being transported to France, German waste in the so-called “reprocessing plant” in La Hague would for years to come radioactively contaminate the environment there. Demonstrations and vigils along the Castor transport route in France would take place mainly in Rouen, Nancy and the Strasbourg area.

The Castor train contains twice as much radioactive material as was released in the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. The train is expected some time on Monday in Dannenberg. For the last 19 kilometres to the interim storage hall in Gorleben the caskets have to be trucked on roads. The Gorleben storage hall now contains 56 Castor caskets. Until 2010 60 more Castors from La Hague and after that 20 – 30 containers from the British plutonium factory Sellafield are still to be taken to Gorleben. The waste is allowed to stay in the interim storage hall for at most 40 years. Right underneath it is the salt deposit the power producers want to use as final repository. Tests from 1979 – 1983 showed that the salt deposit is not suitable for holding highly radioactive waste materials.

Its important to remember that France is often held up as an example of a nation where up to 80% of its power generation comes from nuclear Just.look at the resistance! But despite massive opposition there are plans affoot to build new power stations in UK as part of Blair's faith in technology as a way to solve the climate crisis. Despite the myriad of other reasons why its a disaster below are some timely reminders about the false claims made about this catastrophic power form from a top Consultant on Radiation in the Environment, Dr I fairlie (for more see the new internationalist edition on nuclear's second wind in the web link)

DOES THE NUCLEAR OPTION PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING?

MYTH: Nuclear power does not create CO2
REALITY: Although most reactors do not produce CO2 the nuclear fuel cycle does, (mining, processing, fuel enrichment, dealing with waste, transportation) are all carbon intensive. The amount of CO2 created depends on the grade of the uranium ore and the method of enrichment used to process the uranium. The Co2 per kWh released is anything from a third of gas fired stations (with high quality ore and optimistic assumptions) but can be more than gas fired stations (if using lower quality ore.) Most uranium rich seams have already been exhausted meaning that the Co2 needed to extract equivalent amounts of uranium will increase with time.

MYTH: Producing UK power with nuclear can cut greenhouse gas emissions.
REALITY: Electricity generation is responsible for 25% of annual CO2 production. But nuclear can not respond to varying electricity loads throughout the day, there is fixed output of power. Therefore nuclear could only make a contribution of 25% of UK electricity generation. And of course there are other greenhouse gases. Therefore the actual potential for reduction is only about 5%.

MYTH: Nuclear is a cost effective way to reduce emissions.
REALITY: To build the proposed AP 1000MW reactors would cost approx 1.4-2 billion pounds per reactor if 10 were built. Therefore the total cost would be around £14 to 20 billion. This would only be possible with massive government subsidies. Pound per pound studies estimate that nuclear is 5 to7 times less cost effective than efficiency/renewables in reducing CO2 emissions. (Lovins 2001).

FACT: the DTI have consistently invested 2 to 3 times more in nuclear energy than on renewable and novel sources. In 2004 the figures were 57.8million pounds on nuclear and only 19 million pounds on renewables. (www.dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/report2004)

FACT: the estimated time needed to get legal clearance, carry out public inquiries, training and construction etc for a nuclear reactor is 10-15 years from the time of the decision. THERE IS NOT TIME TO WAIT!

FACT: the government's own reports say that until a method to deal with nuclear waste has been found no programme of nuclear fission should be carried out. No method exists. (Flowers report 1976)

Nuclear is not a cost effective, viable or safe solution to global warming and does not address the core problem of unsustainable energy use. Wonder why they considering it then?

I'n no fan of nuclear power but in the above article no m i n c says nuclear power cannot be altered to accomodate demand. I thought that by raising and lowering the control rods power output could be regulated or even stopped (almost). Anyway if you don't want nuclear power
a) protest
b) switch off that tv,light bulb, computer etc when you're not using it.