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Nukes - keep on trucking

A truck carrying 140kgs of weapons-grade plutonium travels along the Bordeaux ring road during the final stage of the U.S. transport of the dangerous cargo to Cadarache where mox rods are produced. The transport began in France after the arrival of UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail, from Charleston, SC, USA. Before reaching its final destination it will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities. Greenpeace believes the shipment is unnecessary and highly vulnerable to accidents or deliberate attack.

Before reaching its final destination the truck will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities.

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Nuclear proliferation was ignored by the French authorities yet again as they accompanied the truck carrying 140kgs of weapons-grade plutonium through France as it continued its perilous journey to Cadarache in the south of the country.

"Despite claims that French nuclear state company Areva, the French and US governments are committed to this program declaring it will reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation, in reality it will have the opposite effect. It will massively increase proliferation threat by dispersing the plutonium around," said Jan Vande Putte of Greenpeace International.

Local mayor and leader of the French Green Party, Noel Mamere, stands with other activists over the highway to Cadarache, protesting the transit of the U.S. Plutonium through Begles. Last week, Mamere filed a legal challenge at the local court seeking to prevent the dangerous cargo from passing through the middle of his town. Despite his request, the shipment continues on its course towards the final destination of Cadarache in South France. The transport began in France after the arrival of UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail, from Charleston, SC, USA. Before reaching its final destination it will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities.

Local mayor and leader of the French Green Party, Noel Mamere, stands with other activists over the highway to Cadarache, protesting the transit of the U.S. Plutonium through Begles. Last week, Mamere filed a legal challenge at the local court seeking to prevent the dangerous cargo from passing through the middle of his town. Despite his request, the shipment continues on its course towards the final destination of Cadarache in South France. The transport began in France after the arrival of UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail, from Charleston, SC, USA. Before reaching its final destination it will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities.

Faced with the obvious security risks of this shipment protests carried on throughout the day all over the country in anticipation of the truck. Local mayor and leader of the French Green Party, Noel Mamere, stood with other activists over the highway to Cadarache, protesting the transit of the plutonium through the town of Begles. Last week, he had tried to protect his community by filing a legal challenge at the local court seeking to prevent the dangerous cargo from passing through the middle of his town. Despite his request, the shipment continued its course towards the final destination.

Other protestors stood outside the city of Bordeaux during the final stage of the US transport while five Greenpeace climbers hung a 10x10m "Stop Plutonium" banner just above the entrance of the Mirabeau Tunnel - five kilometres from Cadarache

Five Greenpeace activists climb the rocks above the Mirabeau Tunnel to protest the transport of 140kms of weapons-grade plutonium, which will travel through the tunnel on its way to Cadarache nuclear facility north of Marseilles. The transport began in France after the arrival of UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail, from Charleston, SC, USA. Before reaching its final destination it will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities. Greenpeace believes the shipment is unnecessary and highly vulnerable to accidents or deliberate attack.

Five Greenpeace activists climb the rocks above the Mirabeau Tunnel to protest the transport of 140kms of weapons-grade plutonium, which will travel through the tunnel on its way to Cadarache nuclear facility north of Marseilles. The transport began in France after the arrival of UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail, from Charleston, SC, USA. Before reaching its final destination it will have travelled more than a thousand kilometres across France, passing by numerous highly populated communities. Greenpeace believes the shipment is unnecessary and highly vulnerable to accidents or deliberate attack.

Every year in France, more than 10,000 kilograms of plutonium are transported from the La Hague reprocessing plant in Normandy to nuclear fuel fabrication plants elsewhere in France. The security surrounding this US nuclear shipment is far higher than the weekly French transports of weapons-usable plutonium, carried out in non-armoured vehicles under low-level police protection.

We want and immediate end to plutonium production and separation. Current stocks of both civil and military plutonium should be treated as nuclear waste not shipped around the world as reactor fuel. Plutonium should be mixed with radioactive waste, solidified or vitrified, and stored. This approach would be cheaper, faster and safer.

Click here to see a map of the truck's route through France.

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Nuclear Tour de France:
For more information on the truck's journey click here
The final stage of the US transport of weapons-grade plutonium started at 2:15 am today (7th October), with the departure of a heavily armed convoy from the reprocessing nuclear complex at la Hague bound for the Cadarache nuclear facility north of Marseille. All bridges between Cherbourg, Caen and Rennes were guarded by Military police. Although this US weapons grade plutonium transport to France is unprecedented, every ten days a convoy of plutonium is transported 1000km from la Hague to a MOX plant in Marcoule, north of Avignon. In total, more than 10 tons of plutonium is transported through France each year. The transport will go through Rennes and then Bordeaux on it's way to Cadarache - Click here to see a map Latest action footage
Flotilla action in Cherbourg: Real Player (1Mb) Real player (4Mb) Windows Media (5mMb) Plutonium transports: Real Media (3MB) Windows Media (5MB) Check out constant updates at www.stop-plutonium.org