RE: Slovakia delays startup of nuclear plant after protests

["Lieskovsky, Miro" <MLieskovsky@nbpower.com>]

Radsafers:

This is yet another clear case of political extortion...This station
(orig. VVER 440 MWe) has been refurbished according to IAEA
recommendations.  There are several other stations of this type closer
to the Austrian border (Bohunice V2 in Slovakia, Dukovany in the Czech
Rep, Paks in Hungary) totaling 10 operating reactors plus 2 older design
(V230) reactors in Bohunice.    

The Austrian so called experts have always come up and will continue
raising safety issues...  Their politicians are going to parrot what in
Austria, I feel, is a matter of nationally popular political dogma. I
recall that in the mid 80s a vast portion of the Czechoslovak nuclear
electricity production ended heating up or cooking in the Austrian
homes.  Then came the Chernobyl accident and media schizophrenic
response polarized the public perception.  The "experts" were comparing
VVERs to RBMKs and IMHO all Soviet designes were placed at the same pile
considered unsafe.     

Though I have been attached to all former Czechoslovak power plants, and
I admit there is a bias in my views, the matter is that ultimately the
consumers pay for it.  The Mochovce plant has been delayed for so many
years and it is many years late to finish this punishment.  

___________________________________________    

Attached is a copy from the Slovak newspaper SME:

Austria Warns against Slovak Nuclear Plant Startup 


VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima said on Tuesday the
activation of fuel rods at a controversial nuclear power plant in
neighbouring Slovakia could lead to "serious problems" with safety.
Klima, talking to reporters after being briefed by an international
expert committee of enquiry, said the Mochovce plant must not be
activated until its safety could be established. "From the view of the
experts, the fuel rods must not be activated now because, in
contradiction to agreements made with Prime Minister (Vladimir) Meciar,
all the documents have not been made available that would allow us to
judge the safety standards at the plant," Klima said. "The activation of
the fuel rods could possibly lead to serious problems," he said. Klima
said Austria expected a written response this week to a diplomatic note
sent on Monday in which he had asked Slovakia to check the plant for
possible faults before activating the rods. Klima said on Monday that
relations with Slovakia would be affected if Bratislava started up the
plant before safety concerns had been met. Slovak state-owned monopoly
energy producer Slovenske Elektrarne a.s. on Monday rejected Austrian
criticism of its plant and said it would activate its fuel elements next
week. 

Miroslav Lieskovskı
Health Physicist
Point Lepreau G. S., 
NB POWER, NB, Canada
************************************************************************
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bus.: 	(506) 659 7421	mlieskovsky@nbpower.com
res.: 	(506) 636 7629	miroslav@nbnet.nb.ca
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P.S.: ...a clueless lobotomized nuke! Yep, is there any better
combination? 8^)

>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Schoenhofer [SMTP:schoenho@via.at]
>Sent:	Tuesday, May 19, 1998 16:49
>To:	Radsafe-eu@fz-juelich.de
>Subject:	Re: Slovakia delays startup of nuclear plant after protests
>
>
>Schoenhofer
>Habichergasse 31/7
>A-1160 Wien
>AUSTRIA
>Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
>Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
>e-mail: schoenho@via.at
>-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>Von: Sandy Perle (by way of "Dr. Peter Hill" <p.hill@fz-juelich.de>)
><sandyfl@earthlink.net>
>An: radsafe-eu@fz-juelich.de <radsafe-eu@fz-juelich.de>
>Datum: Dienstag, 19. Mai 1998 09:25
>Betreff: Slovakia delays startup of nuclear plant after protests
>
>
>>Index: (selected news P.H.)
>>
>>......
>>Slovakia delays startup of nuclear plant after protests
>>Iranian nuclear chief visits atomic site in Russia
>>.....
>>===================================================
>>
>>Slovakia delays startup of nuclear plant after protests
>>
>>   BRATISLAVA, May 18 (AFP) - Slovakia said Monday it would delay
>>the start-up of a controversial nuclear power station, after
>>protests by neighbouring Austria over the safety of the plant.
>>   Scientists at the plant at Mochovce, just across the Austrian
>>border, were to begin activating nuclear fuel rods next week, but
>>the operation "could be delayed for several days," said plant
>>director Jozef Valach.
>>   He told a press conference that the delay was due to disruption
>>caused by a visit by 22 international experts
>
>The leader of this group of international "experts" is Mr. Kromp, a solid
>state physicist. Another person, of which it is not clear whether she is a
>member of the "expert" team or just talks for mass media is Ms. Wenisch, a
>laboratory technician, who is referred to in the Austrian papers as "Reactor
>expert". No other names of the international "experts" have been published
>in mass media - maybe there is a reason not to do it.
>
>The rest of the message I do not want to comment, except for my remark, that
>even in the year 3 989 some Austrian expert group will find some
>shortcomings of the then updated nuclear power plant, which makes it a
>deadly threat and therefore should not go into operations.................
>
>O God, you cannot imagine, how I am fed up with this!
>
>Franz
>
>
>