Transport blocked at Chalon sur Saône: Greenpeace found guilty

1/9/2006
Press release
On January 9, 2006: The Chalon-sur-Saône Magistrates Court has found Greenpeace guilty of obstruction and material damage.

Orders to pay fines and damages were given to leaders and militants of the association who, following orders given from the highest level of Greenpeace, blocked the transportation from Chalon-sur-Saône on February 19, 2003 of civil plutonium being sent for recycling*.

AREVA would like to reiterate that such 'commando'-style actions illegally organized by Greenpeace jeopardize the safety of our employees and of the militants from the anti-nuclear organization themselves.


* Recycling plutonium reduces the toxicity of ultimate waste and saves raw materials due to its energy potential (1 gram of plutonium = more than one ton of oil). Plutonium transportations between the La Hague processing plant (Manche department) and the Melox recycling plant (Gard) are considered to be among the safest in the world. In over fifteen years, several million kilometers have been covered without accident, under armed escort and using trucks equipped with sophisticated safety systems and transport casks tested under the most extreme conditions.  




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