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Prague, 10 October 2000
- The environmental organisation Greenpeace today strongly condemned the activation of the of the Temelín nuclear power plant as an irresponsible play with the safety of the power plant and its employees. The organisation reminds that at this very moment the police caries out a criminal investigation to events that took place in 1994. The allegation is, that a welding seam in the primary cooling circuit was welded twice, which has direct consequences for the safety of Temelín.
"To activate the nuclear power plant on the moment, that the police investigates an event on its primary cooling circuit is an irresponsible play with the lives of people," says Jiri Tutter, director of the Czech Greenpeace office.
Greenpeace drew the attention over the last months on a whole list of problems concerning the first block of the nuclear power plant Temelin, amongst which:
* not completely carried out tests on the sprinkler system,
* bad angles and not sufficiently cleaning of impulse tubes,
* illegally carried out repairs in 1994.
"Prime Minister Milos Zeman and his government have to be aware, that they are the ones who carry the responsibility for the health and lives of people in the case of an accident in Temelín," stressed Jiri Tutter, and he added that until the police investigation would be finished, Temelín should not be activated. Therefore, Greenpeace demands a complete investigation to all incidents and safety risks.
Greenpeace warns furthermore for the fact, that from the moment of activation the radioactive contamination of the power plant has started and that the costs for its later decommissioning and the safe storage of nuclear waste will add at least another 100 billion Czech Crowns to the costs.
Greenpeace will continue to aim for the closure of a dangerous Temelín. The organisation already warned several times, that we do not need Temelín, because the Czech Republic already exports more energy today than Temelín will produce. Because Temelín is not capable of meeting foreign competition, all export needs to be done under price, mainly to neighbouring Germany. The difference in price is met by Czech electricity consumers.
"When we have to activate a dangerous Temelín only to be able to export its electricity under price, that is a loss for all citizens of the Czech Republic," stresses Tutter.
Further information:
Vaclav Vasku (mobile): +420.603.414 739
Jiri Tutter : +420.2.2431 9667
Jan Haverkamp (English, German) (mobile): +420.604.257 822
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