Netherlands: Greenpeace Protest New Nuclear Power Plant
2009-6-26 5:15
Greenpeace activists in the Netherlands are up in arms.
Dutch utility company Delta has applied to build a second nuclear power plant.
The Netherlands already has one nuclear power plant and protesters think this is more than enough.
[Maike Baretta, Greenpeace Campaigner]:
"Greenpeace is here to show that building a second nuclear power plant in the Netherlands is a really bad idea because it will create an enormous amount of nuclear waste and we don't even know [what to] do with the waste of the first nuclear power plant."
In the past, the Dutch government phased out nuclear power, leaving one plant in Borssele which is owned by Delta and Dutch company Essent.
It's on this site that Delta plans to build its second plant.
A draft proposal has been submitted to the Environment Ministry. Delta then hope to put forward a formal request.
[Peter Boerma, Delta CEO]:
"Well, we see a lot of public support, particularly in the region where we live in, in the province of Zeeland. We also find that in the broader context, in Holland, there is a wider support; people are realizing that CO2 is really the main issue. And therefore, I think a nuclear power plant is [one more] of the issues we can discuss in the coming years. So the public is more open to this type of discussion, and I think rightfully so."
Outside company headquarters, Greenpeace remain convinced that nuclear is not the solution.
The Dutch government has agreed that no new plants will be built during its mandate, which runs until 2011.
Delta expect its proposal to be dealt with after this, and hope the new plant will be up and running by 2018.
