German Greens battle over nuclear waste shipments

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

German Greens battle over nuclear waste shipments
 
BERLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard 
Schroeder's Greens coalition partners battled on Friday to prevent 
a damaging split in their ranks over a government decision to renew 
nuclear waste shipments. 

The warning comes at a time when the party's two most prominent 
ministers -- now representatives of the establishment -- have come 
under attack for their own past protests in the 1970s. 

"Demonstrating against the necessary and unavoidable transport is 
unwise," German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin said. 

Trittin, who has recently been criticised over his protests in the 
1970s, added that he was "understanding" of protests planned by 
regional Greens party members against the resumption of nuclear 
waste shipments between Germany and France. 

A deal struck on Wednesday by Schroeder and French Prime 
Lionel Jospin will allow Germany to recommence sending used 
nuclear fuel-rods to a processing centre in La Hague, France. 

But the deal hinges on Germany agreeing to take back waste that 
has been stuck in France since Germany banned nuclear waste 
shipments in 1998 amid concern over radiation leaks. 

The transport of the waste is particularly sensitive for the Greens, 
junior coalition partners with Schroeder's centre-left Social 
Democrats, because they have long opposed the use of nuclear 
power in Germany. 

A FLOOD OF WASTE 

Although they do not dispute the need to bring the waste back to 
Germany, the Greens from the state of Lower Saxony -- where the 
waste is destined and where Trittin was once a minister -- fear the 
renewed shipments could open up a flood of nuclear waste traffic. 

The Greens' leaders have accepted the resumption of the 
shipments as an unavoidable part of the government's plan to 
phase out atomic energy by the mid-2020s and Trittin believes 
protesting against them can only hurt the party's image ahead of 
regional elections in March. 

"It's a personal decision to protest and the regional chapters can 
protest against whatever they choose. However, we just want them 
to consider if demonstrating against this is the image we want the 
public to see," said Trittin. 

Heidi Tischmann, head of the Greens in Lower Saxony, criticised 
Trittin for his stand against the demonstrations, claiming in an 
interview with Berlin-based InfoRadio that "there were still plenty of 
reasons to protest against nuclear energy." 

The more pragmatic Greens leadership has repeatedly clashed 
with the more radical elements of the party's base since coming to 
power with Schroeder's Social Democrats in 1998. 

In addition to Trittin, Green Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has 
recently come under pressure for his own militant left-wing past. 

Trittin last week had to distance himself from a 1970s student 
publication which had praised the killing of a top German official by 
the leftist Red Army Faction terrorists and Fischer had to apologise 
last month after photographs resurfaced showing him beating up a 
policeman during a street riot in 1973. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html