Opposition to French nuclear refit grows

More than 10,000 demonstrators march in Cherbourg, France, on Saturday to protest the construction of a new kind of nuclear reactor, the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. PHOTO: EPA

More 10,000 French activists marched in silence on Saturday to honor victims of the Chernobyl disaster 20 years ago, part of a larger protest denouncing France's plans to build more nuclear reactors.

Environmentalists in the rain in the northern port city of Cherbourg, near the site where nuclear-dependent France plans to build the first in a new generation of nuclear power plants. Several protesters held up a sign that read simply "non."

According to Stephane Lhomme, spokesman for the group Sortir du Nucleaire, an alliance of some 718 groups seeking to phase out nuclear power, "this is a very strong mobilization in this neck of the woods which is hard to reach and marks a turning point in France's energy policy."

The new nuclear plant is billed as more efficient, safer and environmentally friendly than current models. However, environmental activists argue that nuclear power is inherently dangerous, and say that the development of a new generation of plants will slow the search for alternative energy sources.

Sortir Nucleaire claims that the estimated cost of 3 billion euros (US$3.6 billion) to build the reactor could be directed towards the development of other energy sources, which would in 15 years create 15 times more jobs and produce double the energy compared to a nuclear reactor.

"Nuclear power is not an alternative to the energy problem, neither at the European level nor at the international level," said Jose Bove, an anti-globalization activist and participant in the demonstration.

France the only European country that continued making new nuclear plants after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

It is also the most nuclear dependent country in the world, with 59 reactors churning out nearly 80 percent of its electricity. About 30 of the aging reactors will be in need of replacement starting around 2020 -- which is where the new generation of plants comes in.

Activists Cherbourg observed 15 minutes of silence at the start of the march. Later, they lay down on the ground as sirens blared to simulate a nuclear accident.

In front of the local office of power utility Electricite de France, demonstrators piled up hundreds of cans, symbolizing nuclear waste.

Police 10,000 people marched, while organizers put the figure at 30,000. Protesters came from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The new plant in Flamanville, near Cherbourg, is a joint Franco-German project. It is expected to enter service in 2012.

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