Court blocks nuclear ship from Argentine waters

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Court blocks nuclear ship from Argentine waters
  
BUENOS AIRES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - An Argentine court ordered the 
government on Wednesday to prevent a British ship carrying nuclear 
waste from entering waters under its control, arguing it put the 
country's shoreline at risk from a toxic spill. 

The order means the Argentine government must eject the British-owned 
Pacific Swan if it enters what the court called the country's 
"jurisdictional" waters. 

While environmental group Greenpeace and other sources said 
"jurisdictional" waters entailed an area 200 miles (320 km) off the 
country's shore, Argentina's Foreign Ministry said the vessel had the 
right to travel up to 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the shoreline 
under international shipping agreements. 

The court's order was vague in its meaning and was issued in response 
to a request by the country's ombudsman. 

The Pacific Swan, which is carrying an 80-ton cargo of highly 
radioactive spent nuclear fuel to Japan, was last spotted by the 
Argentine navy on Tuesday, approximately 200 miles (320 km) from 
shore midway down the country's coast. 

Greenpeace, which dubbed the vessel's cargo "the equivalent of a 
floating Chernobyl," told Reuters it had learned from the Argentine 
navy that the boat was 190 miles (305 km) from the shore. A navy 
spokesman said he could not confirm the report. 

If forced to stay more than 200 miles (320 km) away from the 
shoreline, the Pacific Swan would have to travel even farther south 
as it navigates the treacherous waters around Cape Horn. 

The shipping of the highly radioactive cargo around the icy tip of 
South America has alarmed Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, whose 
coastlines are all on the route. 

The Pacific Swan, which is owned by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), set 
sail from Cherbourg, France, on Dec. 19 with a cargo of Japanese 
nuclear reactor waste mixed with glass. The vessel is due to dock in 
Aomori in northern Japan in February. 

Greenpeace fears the passage around Cape Horn could become the 
preferred route for transporting nuclear waste between Europe and 
Japan, replacing the traditional, shorter journey through the Panama 
Canal. 

It has sent its own boat full of protesters to monitor the Pacific 
Swan and ensure it stays out of Argentine waters. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.			E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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