For the first time in years: Castor transport with nuclear waste rolls through the Saarland

For the first time in years: Castor transport with nuclear waste rolls through the Saarland

An important event in Germany's nuclear policy has come into the spotlight, since for the first time in years a Castor transport with radioactive waste is rolling through the Saarland. This special transport is a return of highly radioactive residues that come from the processing of fuel elements of German nuclear power plants and were previously treated in France and England.

There is different information about the details of the transport. The train with four Castor containers started in France on Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled to arrive in Philippsburg near Karlsruhe on Wednesday. However, no confirmations for departure or schedule were officially published. However, the federal police have already confirmed that transportation through the Saarland runs and is currently in Neunkirchen, as the Saarland radio reported.

protest against transport

In the middle of these developments, resistance is formed. A vigil at the train station in Philippsburg organized opponents of nuclear power for Wednesday evening. This should take as long as the train is on and will continue on Thursday at 7 a.m. The protesting express severe concerns about the transport of these dangerous waste. According to "Anti-Atom Südwest", highly radioactive nuclear waste is a dangerous heritage for future generations. The critics demand that no further transport campaigns should take place without a solution for a repository.

The transport itself concerns waste that has been stored in an interim camp in the disused Philippsburg nuclear power plant since 2007. Except for the four containers that are now expected, 102 places are already occupied. The operation of the intermediate storage is currently approved by 2047, an extension is likely because there is still no fixed camp for highly radioactive garbage.

The last big Castor transport to Germany took place in November 2020. This transport, which included six containers and led to Biblis from the British reprocessing in Sellafield, went without any significant incidents. The question remains exciting how this transport will go, especially against the background of the growing resistance.

The anti-atom movement took the situation as an opportunity to draw attention to the unresolved question of the final bearing. As long as there are no safe long -term solutions, you will request an immediate setting of all the transports of nuclear waste. The processing of these sensitive topics is essential to minimize possible dangers and risks.

For further information on the background and developments in this matter, the article from www.lessteIiel.lu referred.