http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/1.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)
Road transport of high level nuclear waste, Cherbourg, France. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
On 23rd of February, after weeks of campaigning to stop highly radioactive waste from being shipped from France to Japan, Greenpeace launched an all-out effort to prevent the transport ship from being loaded for departure. The nuclear waste had been transported by truck via the public highway system from the reprocessing facility at Cap La Hague and was being prepared for loading onto the transport vessel Pacific Pintail.
Greenpeace campaigners Damon Moglen and Jean-Luc Thierry announce the tracking of Pacific Pintail by Greenpeace ship MV Solo. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
Greenpeace held several press conferences prior to the departure of the radioactive waste ship to release information, raise concern about safety and liability and to announce plans to track the shipment with the Greenpeace vessel MV Solo.
Greenpeace join local people to protest high level nuclear waste shipment, Cherbourg, France. ©Greenpeace/Rouvilles.
Greenpeace joined dozens of local French citizens in protesting the import, reprocessing, storage and disposal of nuclear waste in their community. Together they built a monument representing the nuclear waste left behind in France as part of this dea dly plutonium trade.
Greenpeace vessel "MV Moby Dick" awaits arrival of nuclear freighter in Cherbourg harbour. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
MV Moby Dick arrived in Cherbourg in January to provide a public platform for protest against reprocessing at La Hague. On February 23rd Moby Dick carried out protest activity against the arrival of Pacific Pintail.
French Commandos board Greenpeace ship “MV Moby Dick” during protest of high level waste shipment. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
At 3:15 AM on the 23rd, Greenpeace activists on board the Moby Dick, and four inflatable boats, moved to the docking area of the port of Cherbourg and placed themselves between it and the "Pacific Pintail" moving in to receive its dangerous cargo. For 30 minutes the Moby Dick and its inflatables delayed the docking of the freighter and prevented the plutonium waste from being placed on board.
French Commandos argue with the Moby Dick's captain after boarding his ship in Cherbourg. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
The protest ended when a French military tug-boat rammed Greenpeace's vessel Moby Dick, and French naval commandos boarded the vessel, cut its anchor line and towed the ship out of Cherbourg harbour. The Greenpeace inflatable boats were seized and removed from the area by commandos. Ten protestors were arrested, one injured and four left on the Moby Dick which was tethered to a buoy outside Cherbourg harbour.
Pacific Pintail loaded with high level nuclear waste en route to Japan. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
Pacific Pintail steams towards Japan. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
The Pacific Pintail, operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd. (PNTL) of the UK, arrived in Cherbourg under cover of darkness to load its cargo of some 14 tonnes of plutonium waste. The first shipment contains 28 glassified blocks of highly radioacti ve nuclear waste in one large packing container. The material is so intensely radioactive that a person standing near a single unshielded glass block would receive a lethal dose of radiation in less than 60 seconds.
Greenpeace ship, "MV Solo" tracks high level nuclear waste shipment. ©Greenpeace/Morgan.
Greenpeace crew were waiting on board a second vessel, the "Solo" , and met the "Pintail" after it left Cherbourg harbour. They continue to track the shipment to alert countries along the route of the potential danger.
Despite legal efforts to stop Greenpeace from tracking this shipment of nuclear waste, Greenpeace will continue to shadow the vessel for as long as is possible en route to Japan.
"This shipment is dangerous, and Greenpeace has an obligation to alert the public about the dangers and its route and to demand an end to the plutonium economy worldwide," said Greenpeace's Damon Moglen. "The authorities think that they can escape atte ntion by acting in secret and under cover of darkness. This secrecy cannot conceal the real danger of this transport."
Greenpeace protests high level nuclear waste shipment, Cherbourg, France. ©Greenpeace/Rouvilles
After the Moby Dick was towed away, Greenpeace activists carried out another protest in Cherbourg harbour. Six activists placed a banner reading "PLUTONIUM IS A DEAD END -- GREENPEACE" near the site where the plutonium waste was loaded aboard the Paci fic Pintail.