Germany Eyes Nuke Industry Phase Out

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

Saturday November 13 4:57 PM ET 

Germany Eyes Nuke Industry Phase Out  

BERLIN (AP) - Germany's coalition government is working on 
legislation that would phase out the country's nuclear power 
industry, even if consensus talks with operators of the nation's 19 
nuclear power plants fails, a newspaper said Saturday.  

According to an early release of a report in the weekly Bild am 
Sonntag's Sunday editions, Economics Minister Werner Mueller has made 
it known that legal experts are preparing the draft of a law that 
would stand up even if nuclear power operators appeal against it in 
the Supreme Court.  

Meanwhile, several thousands anti-nuclear protesters demonstrated in 
Berlin Saturday, demanding immediate shutdown of all of the country's 
nuclear power stations.  

The protesters carried signs complaining that the year-old government 
coalition of centrist Social Democrats and environmentalist Greens 
had broken its promise to get out of nuclear power.  

More than 100 demonstrators drove tractors in the column that passed 
through the Brandenburg Gate on its way to city hall after arriving 
from Dannerberg, a farm community 100 miles west of Berlin. The town 
lies near the site of old salt mines used to store nuclear waste and 
has been the scene of sometimes violent anti-nuclear demonstrations 
in past years.  

According to Bild am Sonntag, Mueller said that the government, which 
has been trying to reach a consensus with nuclear operators since 
March, ``will pass a law contrary to the desires'' of the industry if 
an agreement isn't reached.  

Even so, the first government-forced closure of a nuclear power plant 
would not come before elections in 2002, Mueller was quoted as 
telling the newspaper.  

``There's not going to be a fall guy,'' he said.  

Still, Mueller told the newspaper he sees a 50 percent chance of 
reaching a consensus.  

Environment Minister Juergen Trittin, a Green, would like to see up 
to six of the 19 plants shut down by 2002. While both parties in the 
coalition agree on phasing out nuclear power,  
differences over the timing remain. 

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

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