Termination of depleted uranium transports to Russia: the facts

5/29/2010
News Brief

Despite explanations provided by AREVA, the press this week-end reports Greenpeace's allegations that the AREVA group decided to end transports of depleted uranium to the Russian enriching company Tenex this year, suggesting that this decision was made due to pressure from the anti-nuclear organization. These claims are completely unfounded.

Termination of these transports end of 2010 results from the completion of a commercial contract that the parties decided not to renew back in 2006. The final transport of AREVA's depleted uranium to Russia, within the scope of this contract, will occur as planned in the weeks to come. This topic was raised during an Haut Comité à la Transparence (Transparency committee) meeting back in November 2009 in presence of Greenpeace representative, Mr. Yannick Rousselet. In addition, Mr. Rousselet contributes to the drafting of the Haut Comité à la Transparence report on the fuel cycle in which the transport termination deadline is referred to.

For Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier, AREVA spokesperson, « This situation illustrates that Greenpeace has extensive imagination but little memory. Locked in its anti-nuclear dogma, Greenpeace is once again fighting the wrong battle. »