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Uranium ship en route to Rotterdam !!
SOFA Muenster - 08.01.2008 17:42
Well placed sources expect the first transport of depleted uranium (DU) waste from both uranium enrichment plants in Almelo and Gronau for tomorrow (9 Jan). At the moment the uranium ship MV Doggersbank (Wagenborg Shipping Company, Delfzijl) is sailing towards Rotterdam to pick up the massive load of up to 2000 t of DU.
The uranium waste in form of the highly poisonous uranium hexafluoride (UF6) will come from Almelo by lorry (up to 50!!) and from Gronau by train. In the past the trains have always left Gronau at about 19.00 hours. The likely timetable and up-to-date news (in English) can be found on www.urantransport.de
Groups from the Muensterland have called for an "inspection of level crossings" along the railway line following a serious malfunction of safety barriers and warning lights at the last transport in October. A set of warning lights and the safety barrier at a level crossing close to Steinfurt failed to work - however according to news reports the Federal Police, who was on the train, ordered the engine driver to pass the unsecured level crossing in complete darkness! The trains are about 300 m long, have no lights and dark cover sheets - so you can't see them very well in darkness. But for nuclear waste there are no safety precautions - the nuke-train has to keep rolling.
The uranium waste will go to Novouralsk near Ekaterinburg in Russia where it will be stored indefinitely under open sky. Novouralsk is a so-called closed city behind barbed wire - a remnant of the Stalin era. The people don't have a say in what is happening in the nuclear city. That makes it very attractive for Urenco (jointly owned by the Dutch and British government and EON/RWE) to send their waste to Russia.
In 2008 alone 9375 t from Almelo and 7500 t UF6 from Gronau are licenced for these uranium waste export shipments. It is high time to stop this dirty business!!
 E-Mail: sofa-ms@web.de  Website: http://www.sofa-ms.de
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| Read more about: europa natuur, dier en mens | | supplements | | Uranium transport postponed ! | SOFA Muenster - 09.01.2008 17:56
There will be no uranium waste transport tonight, although the uranium ship Doggersbank has arrived in Rotterdam this afternoon. Police officers in Gronau told demonstrators: "The transport was called off." This of course is good news.
German covered the transport extensively today, calling Urenco for statements - they liked that very much!
The bad news is that the transport might only be postponed for 24 hours. Anti-nuclear-activists keep an eye on the situation in Gronau tomorrow, too.
Up-to-date news on www.urantransport.de
E-Mail: sofa-ms@web.de
Website: http://www.sofa-ms.de
| | Uranium waste transport still in Gronau | SOFA Muenster - 10.01.2008 18:15
Today everything was quiet at the uranium enrichment plant in Gronau. The uranium ship also left Rotterdam harbour. It therefore seems that there will be no transport till next week. We will continue to keep an eye on the situation and prepare for the second round!
E-Mail: sofa-ms@web.de
Website: http://www.sofa-ms.de
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