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| Europe |
| German enrichment facility reports radiation leak |
| 2010-01-25 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] News breaks about a radiation leak at Germany's sole uranium enrichment facility amid reports suggesting that the country is scrapping plans to shut down two aging nuclear plants. The incident occurred on Thursday and has regenerated calls for the closure of the 25-year-old facility, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia. The British nuclear firm URENCO, which runs the German subsidiary, said none of the radiation had escaped, and that people outside the facility were not in any danger. Meanwhile, utility companies and the government have agreed to allow all of Germany's 17 nuclear power plants to stay operational, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday. The new deal following negotiations will extend the lifespan of all 17 reactors, despite a 10-year agreement passed under former chancellor Gerhard Schruder that orders the closure of the country's reactors by 2020. The new deal includes two older reactors scheduled to be taken offline in the near future. Biblis A in Hesse and Neckarwestheim I in Baden-Wurttemberg, will remain operational at least until October, when Chancellor Angela Merkel's current collation finalizes its general energy program. The Der Spiegel article suggested there was a financial stake for the government, as it would demand at least 50 percent of the new profits for extending the nuclear power stations' lifespan. Merkel is not pleased with the 2020 Nuclear Exit Law, insisting that only finding renewable and affordable energy would make a transition possible. |
| Posted by:Fred |