Press release - 5 October, 2004
Greenpeace activists today blocked the road to be used for transporting 140 kilograms of U.S. weapons plutonium after its imminent arrival in France. A truck was bolted and secured to the main road (D901) between the Cherbourg military port and the state nuclear company Areva/Cogema reprocessing complex on the la Hague peninsula.
Greenpeace activists clash with French police during a protest against the imminent arrival of two BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels) ships, which are carrying 140kg of radioactive weapons-grade plutonium.
The truck has "Stop Plutonium" and a nuclear bomb painted on its
side. In addition, ten activists were locked to the truck and the
road. "International efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons
materials have been high-jacked by the commercial plutonium
industry. This plutonium shipment is part of an industry plan to
expand the trade in bomb material and must be stopped." said Tom
Clements of Greenpeace International.
The protest was conducted ahead of the arrival of the armed
British ships Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal. Both vessels are
due to dock in the Napoleon III basin inside the Cherbourg military
port within the next 24 hours.
After being unloaded on the dockside the U.S. plutonium will be
escorted by the French army 18 km to la Hague, before being
transported more than 1200 km to Cadarache where it will be
fabricated into experimental fuel for testing in a US nuclear
reactor. The leader of the Green Party, Noelle Mamere, has passed a
decree (arête) in his town council that prevents the plutonium
transport from passing through his district. Mamere has called on
other towns to make the same prohibition.
The plutonium, sent by the US National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), left the port of Charleston, South Carolina,
on September 20. An international flotilla of French, English and
Irish protest vessels are awaiting its arrival. Greenpeace is
opposed to the transport due to fact that it is part of a global
program led by Areva of France, the United States and Russia to
commence the large-scale use of weapons grade plutonium as fuel in
commercial nuclear reactors.
Transportation of plutonium is highly vulnerable to accidents or
deliberate attack.
"Areva claims that this shipment is part of an effort to reduce
the threat from nuclear proliferation. Yet they continuously
produce more and more plutonium at their la Hague plant. Plutonium
is bomb material whether its in France, the U.S. or North Korea,
and its production and use must stop," said Shaun Burnie of
Greenpeace International.
Areva currently has 70-80 tons of nuclear weapons usable
plutonium stockpiled at its la Hague complex.
Notes: For background information see: http://www.stop-plutonium.org http://www.nuclearfreeflotilla.org/flotilla.htm