COGEMA CONTINUES TO JEOPARDIZE SAFETY OF EN-ROUTE STATES BY REMAINING SECRETIVE ABOUT ROUTE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE SHIPMENT; PACIFIC PINTAIL STEAMS SOUTHWEST TOWARDS URUGUAY

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 0700 GMT was 30 degrees and 6 minutes South and 42 degrees and 8 minutes west, on a distance of 380 miles east of the Brazilian coast. We are sailing on a compass course of 204 degrees and at a speed of 13 knots.

The lack of information from the French plutonium company Cogema about the route of the ship is continuing to cause a wave of deep concern with states along the possible shipping routes. Over the weekend Uruguay's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Perez del Castillo, issued a formal statement in which the Pacific Pintail will be denied entrance to the waters under Uruguayan jurisdiction. The lack of information provided by the French plutonium plant Cogema about the shipment, and more importantly the lack about the route it will take to Japan, implies that states are forced to accept the radioactive waste shipment along their coasts without being allowed to anticipate and prepare for any possible accident.

Although the Pacific Pintail is currently sailing along the coast of South America, the ship could still change course and head for South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, especially following increasing opposition in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile against the Pacific Pintail passing around Cape Horn. Not only could the passage of the radioactive waste shipment off the coasts of these countries force a confrontation between the French plutonium industry and these countries, but the passage of a ship filled with radioactive waste around Cape Horn would be an inherently unsafe decision.

Recently it has been reported that icebergs have separated from the ice-masses of Antarctica. Should the Pintail choose to go around Cape Horn the possibility exists that the ship may not only encounter strong gale storms of up to force Beaufort 12, but could also encounter drift ice along her route. If the Pacific Pintail indeed chooses to sail around Cape Horn with the dangers so well known, it is a clear indication of the lack of safety concern held by France, Japan and the UK. Greenpeace calls on all nations to ban these shipments from the waters under their jurisdiction and to jointly call on the governments of these countries to halt these high risk shipments for once and for all.

In South Africa, the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM) the biggest union in South Africa, on March 11th at their national NUM meeting, passed a declaration demanding that the waste transport be banned from South Africa's economic zone waters--which they hold to be 250 miles. The South African Government has not to date formally banned the shipment of highly radioactive waste from entering the waters under its jurisdiction.

If additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste is required, please contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++871-1301166--warning $10 per minute), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: ++44-171-226-3151). Photo, video or other media requests contact Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: ++44-171-833-0600).

Footage of the Solo tracking the Pacific Pintail off the Brazilian Coast over the weekend is available from Greenpeace Communications.

Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/

Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)

TRADE UNIONS SPEAK OUT AGAINST PLUTONIUM WASTE TRANSPORT; SOUTH AFRICA BANS TRANSPORT FROM ITS 200 MILE EEZ

The position of the Pacific Pintail at 1900 GMT was 34 degrees and 13 minutes South and 44 degrees and 16 minutes West, at a distance of some 400 miles east of the Brazilian coast. We are sailing on a compass course of 204 degrees and at a speed of 12.5 knots. The Pacific Pintail is currently at a distance of 240 miles North of the Uruguayan 200 miles Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) and 395 miles North of the Argentinean EEZ.

The lack of information from the French plutonium company Cogema about the route of its nuclear waste ship continues to cause deep concern with states and people along the possible shipping routes. Over the weekend Uruguay's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Perez del Castillo, issued a formal statement in which the Pacific Pintail will be denied entry to the waters under Uruguayan jurisdiction. Previously, Argentina and Chile demanded the vessel stay outside of their waters as well.

Trade Unions on both the South American continent as well as on the South African continent are actively opposing the shipment of radioactive waste. In Brasilia, Brazil's capital, the three National Workers Federations of port workers adopted a motion that stated their strong protest against the passage of Pacific Pintail in Brazilian waters and their decision to deny any kind of help and assistance to the ship should it come to a Brazilian port.

In South Africa, the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM)-- the biggest union in South Africa--passed a declaration demanding that the waste transport be banned from South Africa's economic zone waters which they hold to be 250 miles, at their March 11th national meeting. On an international level, trade unions have long protested against the transport of radioactive wastes. In 1990, their protests united when the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) formally spoke out against all trade and shipment of radioactive waste.

After growing political pressure, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism today released a statement that discloses that the governments of Japan, France and the United Kingdom have been requested via diplomatic channels to ensure that, should the Pacific Pintail make use of the waters off the coast of South Africa, it does not enter the Exclusive Economic Zone of South Africa. The statement further reveals that, should the Pacific Pintail takes the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope, South African Navy ships and South African Air Force aircraft will be used to watch the vessel as it approaches the limits of South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone.

If additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste is required, please contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++871-1301166--warning--$10 per minute), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: ++44-171-226-3151). Photo, video or other media requests to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: ++44-171-8330-600).

Footage of the Solo tracking the Pacific Pintail off the Brazilian Coast over the paste weekend is available from Greenpeace Communications.

29KB GIF or 59KB JPG. Klas Wihl, first mate on board the Solo, taking bearings. ©Greenpeace/Sims.

Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/

Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)