Going underground: fault lines exposed in Europe's nuclear waste disposal strategy
- 10 years ago
Spurred into action by an EU directive, and after decades of apparent inactivity, EU members are finally tackling the vexed issue of how to deal with nuclear waste.
The favoured solutions involve stocking the ultra-toxic material deep underground and it is those that we turn the spotlight on in this edition of Reporter, produced by Hans Von der Brelie.
We visit two sites where work is already underway and at which billions of euros have literally been poured into holes in the ground.
At the ANDRA facility in eastern France work has begun on entombing the country’s 80,000 cubic metres of waste in a layer of clay half a kilometre below the ground where, it is argued, it will be safe for all time. Back on the surface local villagers are very concerned, their own research having fuelled their fears.
We look at both sides of the argument.
In Finland they take a slightly different approach; drilling deep into the bedrock to bury the waste.
We also get privileged access to the site on a remote Finnish peninsula where this work is taking place.
Our reporter sees the silos where the material will be stored after being encased in copper. What he saw gives rise to some troubling questions.
Take a look at the video.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WEB BONUS 1:
Esa Härmälä, Director General of the Energy Department in the Finnish Ministry of Economy, explains the pro-nuclear energy decision of Finland and the Finnish concept of the nuclear waste repository to be built. Euronews met him in Helsinki, to listen to the full interview (English language), please use this link.
WEB BONUS 2:
Interview with the French anti-nuclear activist Corinne Francois (Bure Stop 55), fighting against the planned nuclear waste repository in Bure (Meuse/Haute-Marne). Euronews met her in Bar-le-Duc, to listen to the full interview (French language), you can use this link.
WEB BONUS 3:
Interview with the French anti-nuclear activist Francois Mativet (Bure Zone Libre), fighting against the planned nuclear waste repository in Bure (Meuse/Haute-Marne). To listen to the full interview (French language), please use this link.
WEB BONUS 4:
Here is a link you can use to listen to the interview with Alain Rolland, Technical Director of ANDRA/Bure, explaining to euronews the reasons why France wants to put its nuclear waste into a deep underground repository. Use this link (Interview in French language).
The favoured solutions involve stocking the ultra-toxic material deep underground and it is those that we turn the spotlight on in this edition of Reporter, produced by Hans Von der Brelie.
We visit two sites where work is already underway and at which billions of euros have literally been poured into holes in the ground.
At the ANDRA facility in eastern France work has begun on entombing the country’s 80,000 cubic metres of waste in a layer of clay half a kilometre below the ground where, it is argued, it will be safe for all time. Back on the surface local villagers are very concerned, their own research having fuelled their fears.
We look at both sides of the argument.
In Finland they take a slightly different approach; drilling deep into the bedrock to bury the waste.
We also get privileged access to the site on a remote Finnish peninsula where this work is taking place.
Our reporter sees the silos where the material will be stored after being encased in copper. What he saw gives rise to some troubling questions.
Take a look at the video.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WEB BONUS 1:
Esa Härmälä, Director General of the Energy Department in the Finnish Ministry of Economy, explains the pro-nuclear energy decision of Finland and the Finnish concept of the nuclear waste repository to be built. Euronews met him in Helsinki, to listen to the full interview (English language), please use this link.
WEB BONUS 2:
Interview with the French anti-nuclear activist Corinne Francois (Bure Stop 55), fighting against the planned nuclear waste repository in Bure (Meuse/Haute-Marne). Euronews met her in Bar-le-Duc, to listen to the full interview (French language), you can use this link.
WEB BONUS 3:
Interview with the French anti-nuclear activist Francois Mativet (Bure Zone Libre), fighting against the planned nuclear waste repository in Bure (Meuse/Haute-Marne). To listen to the full interview (French language), please use this link.
WEB BONUS 4:
Here is a link you can use to listen to the interview with Alain Rolland, Technical Director of ANDRA/Bure, explaining to euronews the reasons why France wants to put its nuclear waste into a deep underground repository. Use this link (Interview in French language).