Greens want nuclear summit

2004-06-03 13:03

Cape Town - Environmental organisations, backed by labour unions such as the National Union of Mineworkers, have reiterated a call for a parliamentary summit to debate the question of nuclear energy.

A parliamentary summit, during which pro- and anti-nuclear proponents and experts would put their cases to parliamentarians, was cancelled days before it was due to take place on February 16 and 17 this year.

"We believe that if any rational parliamentarian listens to all sides of the story, there is only one conclusion they can come to - nuclear power is not for South Africa, and our country is not to be used as a dumping ground for nuclear waste," read the statement on Thursday.

Activists said the summit would provide an opportunity for those who have been speaking out against nuclear energy to voice their views.

They say affected communities and organisations have tried to participate in official processes such as the environmental impact assessment for the proposed pebble bed modular reactor, and the new radioactive waste policy, but "with the odds stacked against us".

Those calling for the nuclear summit say the challenges are enormous, with community concerns "largely ignored" within the highly technical field.

"In our view, the nuclear industry is a relict of a bygone age when the environmental degradation counted for nothing," they say, arguing that the summit would provide organisations a platform to articulate their views and call experts to counter the "nuclear propaganda" put out by the nuclear industry.

The joint press statement was supported by the Environmental Justice Networking Forum, Earthlife Africa, the Congress of South African Trade Unions in the Western Cape, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Atteridgeville community, among others.

- SAPA