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Cogema (TOTAL): France Gives Up Rad (r)



dawn star wrote:
> 
> things do change in FRance, slowly, but change is possible here
> especially with a new socialist government, in spite of some of its
> pro-nuclear ministers. therefore, we pass this on for those interested
> to understand the dynamics of TOTAL and its Cogema-nuclear- shareholder
> embroiled in the nuclear pro-Chirac lobby. Mr. Jean Syrota, PDG (CEO) of
> Cogema, is one of the eleven board members of TOTAL (along with T
> Desmarest and Serge Tchuruk (Alcatel and former TOTAL CEO, replaced by
> his protege, T. Desmarest May 1995). M. Syrota is also one of the three
> members of TOTAL's Auditing Committee. In 1993, TOTAL acquired 10,8 % in
> the nuclear giant COGEMA, and sold its uranium interests to COGEMA.
> COGEMA has ten percent interest in TOTAL.
> 
> Environmental News wrote:
> >
> > FRANCE GIVES UP RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGE
> >
> > BRUSSELS, Belgium, September 5, 1997 (ENS) - France has now joined the
> > United Kingdom in agreeing to a ban on the discharge of radioactive wastes
> > into the sea in the north east Atlantic Ocean. The French policy about-face
> > came on the final day of the meeting of the OSPAR Convention here today.
> > The two countries' nuclear reprocessing plants at La Hague (COGEMA), France and
>  > Sellafield and Dounreay in the UK, contribute over 90% of the
> radioactivity
> > discharged into the north east Atlantic region.
> >
> > In an historic moment, the UK and France also gave up their opt-out on the
> > OSPAR ban on ocean dumping of radioactive wastes. OSPAR officials generally
> > agreed that the French and UK policy shifts are the most significant
> > progress to occur at the four day meeting.
> >
> > France's announcement is a giant step towards a complete ban on the dumping
> > of nuclear waste in this region of the ocean. This decision will be made
> > following negotiations leading to the OSPAR Ministerial Conference July 20
> > to 24, 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal. Ocean protectionists hope a complete ban
> > on nuclear dumping will be the highlight of Lisbon's international
> > Exhibition on the Future of the Oceans that will mark the United Nations'
> > "Year of the Oceans."
> >
> > OSPAR is the main inter-governmental convention to regulate and control
> > marine pollution in the North Sea and North Atlantic. It was signed in 1992
> > and entered into force in 1997. This is a combination of the two existing
> > conventions: the Oslo Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by
> > Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, first signed in 1972, and the Paris
> > Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources,
> > signed in 1974.
> >
> > Fifteen European nations and the European Union are signatory to the OSPAR
> > convention. There are similar regional conventions for other areas, such as
> > the Baltic Sea, around the world.
> >
> > The French move followed an announcement by the UK Environment Minister
> > Meacher earlier this week that the UK Government policy would now be based
> > on "a general presumption against sea disposal", for radioactive and
> > hazardous substances and offshore installations.
> >
> > "This is a considerable blow to the polluting nuclear industries at La
> > Hague, Sellafield and Dounreay," said Remi Parmentier of Greenpeace
> > International. "For too many years, previous UK and French Governments have
> > allowed these industries to pollute our seas. This is a significant step
> > forward for the governments, acknowledging that radioactive discharges are
> > dangerous. The next step is for the plutonium industry in the UK and France
> > to close their reprocessing plants." urged Parmentier.
> >
> > Earlier this year, Greenpeace activists documented high levels of
> > radioactivity in the water near the La Hague nuclear fuel reprocessing
> > plant on the Atlantic coast of France.
> >
> > General agreement was also reached on a new annex to the OSPAR Convention
> > on the protection of marine species and habitats and on a strategy to
> > combat blooms of algae in the north east Atlantic. Particularly bad off the
> > coast of Finland this summer, these blooms are said to be caused by an
> > over-abundance of nutrients in the water, often from run-off containing
> > agricultural fertilizers.
> >
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