Safety Questioned at Nuclear Plant (Slovakia)

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

The following article fits well into the topic at hand. The article addresses a 
country attempting to obtain international acceptance of a nuclear plant's safety 
.. allowing a facilitated start-up of the unit. International experts were broguht in 
to endorse the unit's safety. The results will be interesting in that technical 
information is being presented. What can not be measured is how much 
resistance to the planned start-up is due to real fears, or, the political issues 
behind the scenes. Stay tuned!

Wednesday June 3, 1:11 pm Eastern Time

Nuclear experts say Slovakia's Mochovce plant safe

VIENNA, June 3 (Reuters) - Slovakia on Wednesday lined up a panel of 
international atomic energy experts to tell the outside
world that its controversial Mochovce nuclear power plant is safe to go on 
stream.

Soviet-designed Mochovce, which is fiercely opposed by neighbouring Austria, 
has been upgraded by a consortium of
companies including Germany's Siemens AG (SIEG.F) and Electricite de 
France (EDF) to meet International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) recommendations.

``Concerning the upgrades and improvements, this is an exemplary project 
which really is worth copying,'' Wulf Buerkle,
president of Siemens' nuclear power generation arm, told a news conference in 
Vienna.

EDF's director of construction, Yves Cousin, added his seal of approval: ``It is 
now, including the improvements, consistent
with western standards as far as safety is concerned.''

Tibor Mikus, general director of state-owned Slovenske Elektrarne, which 
operates Mochovce, said the plant would go on
stream following a final review, which he expected to be completed within days.

But Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima said he was optimistic Mochovce would 
not be activated so long as disagreements
remained with Slovakia over its safety.

Speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting, Klima said talks between Austria, 
Slovakia and the IAEA about the safety of
Mochovce had been organised and would start on Thursday.

Slovakia has told the European Commission it intends to begin operating the 
plant, but Austria says it is unsafe and has asked
the EU to take up its case with Slovakia.

Anti-nuclear Austria says its priority is to improve Mochovce, which lies 120 km 
(75 miles) from the Austrian border, and then
see the closure of Slovakia's other nuclear plant at Jaslovske Bohunice, which 
is older and closer to the border. 

------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3111
  
sandyfl@earthlink.net
sperle@icnpharm.com

ICN Dosimetry Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com

Personal Website:
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