Opponents of Schacht Konrad insist on final repository decision
On Friday, opponents of the Konrad repository want to remind people at the site in Salzgitter of the pending decision to halt construction. The alliance announced in advance that one of the speakers will be Salzgitter's mayor Frank Klingebiel (CDU). Afterwards, the critics plan to march with torches and lanterns to the so-called Konradhaus in the Bleckenstedt district, just a few hundred meters away.
The evening's message is aimed at Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens). In April, he had promised to decide on the application to revoke or withdraw the planning approval decision before the end of the year if possible. Meyer should be reminded of this announcement by as many people as possible, said Ludwig Wasmus from the executive committee of the Schacht Konrad working group in advance.
Schacht Konrad is a disused iron ore mine in which up to 303,000 cubic meters of low and medium-level radioactive waste is to be stored. It is the first final repository for this waste to be approved under nuclear law in Germany. The operator is the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) based in neighboring Peine.
This year, the BGE initially announced a delay in completion of around two years. This was followed just a few days ago by the announcement that the estimated costs of around 4.6 billion euros are likely to rise to around 5.5 billion euros. Critics feel vindicated by the "cost explosion" and believe that a new search for a site is overdue.
The alliance, which includes the nature conservation organizations Nabu and BUND, the city of Salzgitter, the IG Metall trade union and the Landvolk, complains that the planned repository does not meet today's scientific and technical requirements. Important aspects such as retrievability and long-term safety had not been taken into account or had not been considered at all.
In 2002, the Ministry of the Environment in Hanover granted approval for the construction and operation of the facility. Since 2007, Schacht Konrad has been converted into a repository for radioactive waste with negligible heat generation. The draft decision on the submitted application is currently being finalized, the ministry announced with regard to this Friday's action. "As promised by Minister Meyer, we are currently assuming that a decision on the application will be made this year," a spokesperson told dpa.
Critics argue that the continued use of nuclear power at Schacht Konrad contributes to environmental pollution, begging the question of whether it's truly environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, they assert that the cost escalation of the project should prompt a reconsideration of the choice of location, as the proposed site does not fully meet today's scientific and technological requirements regarding retrievability and long-term safety.
Source: www.dpa.com
