Nuclear waste should be removed from the Asse as quickly as possible
Leaking water into the dilapidated Atomwaste Storage Facility Asse raises concerns among politics and experts. Now, radioactive waste is supposed to be relocated. An incredibly difficult and never before accomplished task-
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke urges for a faster retrieval of the Atomwaste Storage from the dilapidated Atomwaste Storage in Asse. "One must work with high pressure to get it out, that's what we promised the people on site," she told Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR). She expressed concern that for some months now, water has been seeping into the former salt mine.
It's not an acute emergency situation, Lemke emphasized. However, she wants to discuss with the Federal Company for Nuclear Waste Disposal about accelerating the retrieval. The Minister is scheduled to visit the facility in Niedersachsen in the afternoon.
In this facility, there are approximately 126,000 barrels with weak- and medium-radioactive waste, which were stored there about 50 years ago. The Lower Saxony Environment Ministry confirmed to NDR at the end of May that "probably several cubic meters of salt solution are flowing daily into deeper areas of the mine." Most of the radioactive waste is stored there. These should have been removed from the mine according to a resolution of the German Bundestag from 2013, which has not been achieved so far. The planned start date for the retrieval is now 2033.
Lemke emphasized to BR that it is an incredibly difficult task to remove such an Atomwaste Storage. "That has never been done before, to extract such an Atomwaste Storage. Even if it's only weak and medium-radioactive waste - there are also toxic substances involved."
Lemke emphasized that a new shaft must be built and cleared, to which the waste will be transported. That's why 2033 was set as the target date.
- The Ministry of the Environment, led by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, is advocating for an expedited removal of the nuclear waste from the dilapidated Atomwaste Storage in Asse, highlighting the need for environmental protection and the potential harmful effects of nuclear waste in a nuclear waste repository.
- Steffi Lemke, in her efforts to ensure the safety of the environment, has expressed concern about the ongoing leakage of water into the Atomwaste Storage Facility, emphasizing the importance of proper education and transparency regarding the handling of nuclear waste.
- Recognizing the complexity of the task at hand, Lemke has called for discussions with the Federal Company for Nuclear Waste Disposal to explore the possibility of accelerating the retrieval of the nuclear waste repository, emphasizing the need for thorough planning, resources, and strict adherence to safety protocols in the process of relocating the weak- and medium-radioactive waste.
