Prague agrees to N-plant environmental study

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

Prague agrees to N-plant environmental study
  
VIENNA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic has pledged to study 
the environmental impact of its Temelin nuclear power plant in an 
effort to allay safety concerns, the Austrian government said on 
Tuesday. 

Austrian Environment Minister Wilhelm Molterer and Czech Foreign 
Minister Jan Kavan said in a joint statement they had agreed on a 
procedural framework for the study. 

Austrian environmentalists have threatened to block the Austrian-
Czech border this weekend unless the Czech authorities agree to a 
full environmental study, to be carried out along with another safety 
inspection of the Soviet-built facility. 

The environmentalists, who staged a series of border blockades last 
year, were expected to decide whether or not to resume their action 
after consultations with the Austrian government on Wednesday. 

Temelin, which lies some 50 km (30 miles) from the Austrian border 
and which began operating last October, has been the focus of a 
bitter diplomatic row between Prague and Vienna. 

Austria believes the plant, which has been upgraded with western 
control systems, is unsafe but the Czechs insist it is not. 

In order to allay Austrian fears, Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman 
and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel agreed another safety 
inspection at a meeting last December. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency began a safety inspection of 
the facility on Monday. 

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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 	                   		    
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Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
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