Posted on 22-2-02
French
Nuclear
Areva Not Wanted In America’s Cup
From Greenpeace NZ
Auckland, February 20,
Major French
sponsor of the French entry in the America’s Cup feels the pressure
as
New Zealanders demand Areva pull out of the America’s Cup.
Environmental campaigning organisation, Greenpeace has placed
information about Areva on their website and invited people
to send a
message calling on the nuclear company to withdraw their sponsorship
of
the America’s Cup. In less than a week more than 700 people
have sent
messages. “The public have a right to know the true nature of
Areva’s
core business. Unfortunately the media seem more interested
in
Greenpeace tactics rather than why we are opposed to the nuclear
industry’s sponsorship of a sporting event,” says Greenpeace
spokesperson, Bunny McDiarmid.
In France communities opposed to Areva highjacking the America’s
Cup is
growing with sailing and maritime organisations joining with
the
anti-nuclear groups in condemning Areva’s actions. Areva is
not a new
company but the result of restructuring within the French nuclear
industry over the last year –a merger of the nuclear power (Framatome),
reprocessing (Cogema) and electrical connectors (FCI) companies
under
one roof, Areva. Cogema pumps millions of litres of radioactive
discharge
into the sea from its reprocessing facility every year. In 1998,
15
European countries voted for reducing and eliminating radioactive
discharges because pollution from both the UK and French (Cogema)
nuclear facilities were found as far north as Norway and the
Arctic. In
2000 the same countries called on France to consider the alternatives
to
reprocessing.
New Zealand and Pacific governments have also voiced concern
with Cogema
over their production and shipment of plutonium fuel through
the Tasman
and Pacific. The last shipment was in February 2001. Areva is
79% owned
by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), who are responsible
for
the development of Frances nuclear weapons and oversaw nuclear
testing
at Moruroa. In 2000, the Commander of French forces in Polynesia
admitted
fractures in Moruroa atoll could result in the atoll collapsing.
Yet
the CEA still refuse to conduct long term monitoring of the
atoll. “Areva
is a new name for the same old business. We cannot turn a blind
eye to
one of the dirtiest and most dangerous industries hijacking
the
America’s Cup to promote and sanitise their business, and it
is clear
that many New Zealanders will not either. “Greenpeace is not
opposed to
the America’s Cup nor to a French entry. It is possible to have
a
successful America’s Cup event without the nuclear industry
onboard.
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