NO to nuclear reactors!

The public ecological organizations were making a protest "No — to atomic reactors, Yes — to energy saving" on the 5th of October from 10 till 12 at the Cabinet of Ministers.

Activists of public non-governmental organizations "National Ecological Center of Ukraine", "Voice of Nature", "Ecoclub", "Mama-86", "Green World", "Bachmat" have spoken out against government plans to built 11 new nuclear reactors till the year 2030. The construction is planned in the frame of realization of Strategy of Fossil-Fuel Complex Development in Ukraine till 2030. We came to know about these plans on the 6th of May 2005.

Participants of the picket were standing in front of Cabinet of Ministers with slogans: "No to new reactors!", "Did you ask us?", "Nuclear Power Stations — ALT-F4", "I want to give a birth to a healthy child!", "Dniprodzerzhinsk — 42 mln. tons of rare radioactive wastes in hundreds meters from the Dniper river", "Tschernobyl.net.ua", "Energy-saving — source of energy!". Traditional drums accompaniment drew attention to the drums, which symbolized radioactive wastes. The requirements the participants of the action presented in the appeal to Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Ehanurov, were conveyed to representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Mr. Kornienko S. M., Chief Specialist of Information Policy and Public Relation Department and Zamanaev V. V., Head of Nuclear Energy Sector and Settlement of Tschernobyl Nuclear power station problems of secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine came to the picketer. Mr. Kornienko and Mr. Zamanaev promised to give an answer to written questions of ecological NGO, which took part in organization of the action. In its turn coordinator of the action Yevgen Kolishevskiy ("Voice of Nature") has emphasized, that participants insist on meeting with responsible leaders of the Cabinet of Ministers not later than in October of this year.

The main points of protest of public organizations is their disagreement with nuclear future of Ukraine and with rough violation by the government of Aarhus Convention, article 6 that guarantees civic right to take part on the early stages in decision making concerning building and taking out of service objects of atomic energy.

Ecologists are not against strategic goals of Ukraine to receive energetic independence but call nuclear energy even more dependent because of its high price (it will be necessary to take foreign credits), insecurity for the health of people, (that is already known by Ukrainians), absence of infrastructure of handling with radioactive and used radioactive fuel wastes in the country etc.

Organizers of the action require reconsidering of developed strategy of fossil-fuel complex, taking into account their recommendations, including proposition of active implementation of energy-saving technologies in all fields of household, governmental support of alternative energy development, and providing energy audit in industrial and municipal sectors to analyze energy expenditures and to find ways for their reduction and gradual taking out of service nuclear power complex.

Ecologists think that for stabilization of situation in nuclear power sector, it is necessary first of all to reduce energy expenses in industrial and municipal sectors. These expenses are 50% for today. "We do not request immediate close of Nuclear power stations, today it is impossible. But we request that Government includes into the Program of Development of Fossil-Fuel Complex concrete activities, which aim to reduce energetic expenses in industrial and municipal sectors!" — says Yevgen Kolishevskiy, executive director of ecological organization "Voice of Nature".

"Government cynically neglect its own citizen opinion concerning energetic future of Ukraine, — says Ganna Golubovska-Onisimova, President of All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO "МАМА-86". — Our government still did not settle with official reaction of Ukraine to the International Chornobyl report of UN forum (5—6 September, Vienna), that persuade world public, that because of Chernobyl 56 people was died and not more than 4 thousand will die! To our opinion, in this way the main obstacle for further development of nuclear power — post-Chernobyl fear of possible fatal consequences will disappear."

"Condition of safety of Ukrainian nuclear power stations disturbs us very much. Accomplishment of state program of safety of working reactors was in practice voted down. Ukrainian Parliament (Verhovan Rada) ratified credit agreements with European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and Fond Euroatom in financing modernizations and improvement of reactors safety on Rivno and Chmenitsk region nuclear power stations (that were built in 2004) with delay in one year, — declares Yuriy Urbanskiy from National Ecological Center of Ukraine. — "Administration of the State, that neglects questions of nuclear safety, does not have right even think about plans for capacity enhancing in atomic power industry!"

For further information and photo materials contact:

МАМА-86, Mykailivska str. , 22, 01001, Kyiv-1, Ukraine.
Tel.: +380 (44) 278-77-49, 278-31-01; Tel/fax +380 (44) 279-55-14
Contact person : Оlena Tarasova , [email protected]

Voice of Nature, p.o.b. 341, Dniprodzerzhinsk , Dnipropetrivsk region , 51940
Evgeniy Kolishevskiy, tel. 8 (05692) 6-74-39, mob.tel. 8 (067) 681-13-16
Natalya Vyshnevska, tel. 8 (044) 494-03-54, mob.tel. 8 (050) 545-59-28