Greenpeace Urges Chernobyl Changes

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

Tuesday July 6 5:52 PM ET 

Greenpeace Urges Chernobyl Changes

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Greenpeace is urging Ukraine to build a 
natural-gas power plant to supply the former Soviet republic
with energy when its Chernobyl nuclear plant shuts down.

The proposed $500 million natural gas plant would take the place of 
two nuclear reactors still under construction at other plants, 
Greenpeace energy expert Tobias Muenchmeyer said Tuesday.  

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma rejected Greenpeace's 
proposal immediately Tuesday, but did not say why.

Ukraine promised the West to shut down Chernobyl by 2000 after 
one of the plant's reactors blew up in 1986 and sent a radioactive 
cloud over much of Europe.  

But the former Soviet republic said it can only bring Chernobyl off-
line if it gets the funds needed to complete two replacement
nuclear reactors, which were 80 percent done before the collapse 
of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Leading Western nations have pledged to help cover the $1 billion 
cost of finishing the nuclear reactors in line with international safety 
standards.  

But Muenchmeyer said the gas plant would be cheaper and less 
dangerous to the environment.

Muenchmeyer said his group would present its plan during a visit to 
Kiev by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder this week. 
Schroeder is expected to oppose on behalf of Germany the 
completion of the two nuclear reactors.  

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that building the two 
reactors is the cheapest way to make up for the energy that will be 
lost when Chernobyl closes.  

Nuclear plants account for nearly half of Ukraine's electricity 
production.

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Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

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