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作者Peter Starck 06.26.00
哥本哈根－一些環保團體說，昨天，一個以保護東北大西洋海洋環境為成立宗旨的團體昨天通過一項贊成以乾式儲存核廢料，而不使用再處理方式的決議。
一位綠色和平組織發言人在電話中表示，英國與法國是歐洲僅有的採用核廢料再處理方法的國家，但是卻沒有參與這項決議。綠色和平組織在奧斯陸－巴黎十五國會議中(15-nation Oslo-Paris Commission, OSPAR)為一觀察員的身分。
在這份決議文件中提到：「現在所有與核廢料再處理過程所產生的放射性物質之排放或丟棄相關許可，都應該被視為優先事件，由具有合法資格的國家級管理機構重新評估。」
這項決議要求各個簽署國家對於核廢料的處理採用非再處理的方式，例如乾式儲存。
「我們樂於見到這樣的結果，這是反對再處理運動向前邁進了一大步」。英國綠色和平組織一位資深科學家海倫華勒斯這麼告訴路透社(Reuters)。「當然，除非英法兩國決定要簽署這項決議，否則無法實行」。
丹麥、愛爾蘭、荷蘭、比利時、瑞士、瑞典、西班牙、葡萄牙、冰島、德國、挪威及芬蘭等國家均投票贊成這項決議，這已經通過了必須有四分之三多數贊成的規定，而盧森堡並沒有參與表決。
代表丹麥環境保護署(Danish Environment Protection Agency)的發言人說「在十五國當中有十二國投了贊成票，這也就是說我們是基於絕對多數的贊成票才做成此一決議」。
他說「很遺憾地，我們未能讓英法兩國也在多數之列」。
OSPAR會議並沒有開放給媒體採訪，直到格林威治時間今天七點三十分才召開一場記者會，同時也沒有關於這項表決的官方確認聲明。
污染的工廠
綠色和平組織表示，位於英國西北部由國營大不列顛核能燃料有限公司(British Nuclear Fuel Ltd, BNFL)所經營的Sellafield工廠，以及位於法國北部由國營Cogema公司所經營的La Hague工廠，這兩個核廢料再處理工廠傾倒在大西洋東北區域的放射性廢料就佔了該區域放射性廢料傾倒總數的90%。
在OSPAR決議中所提到的全國性核廢料再處理的重新評估正在這兩個國家進行中。
華勒斯說：「對於以這樣方式被孤立的英法兩國而言，這實在是一大難堪。」
OSPAR決議對於投贊成票的國家具有法律上的約束力。綠色和平組織表示，他們相信OSPAR決議內容將對增加對於法國與英國的政治壓力，最終將會刺激兩國政府關閉La Hague與Sellafield這兩家核廢料再處理工廠。
BNFL最大的客戶，英國能源公共事業(Utility British Energy)曾說選擇以乾式儲存替代核廢料再處理的方式，可以節省三分之二的費用。
提到英國曾經對於促進環境保護相關議題做出承諾的紀錄，華勒斯說：「如果他們確實是認真的話，他們就必須在這個節骨眼上改變心意，並率先採用乾式儲存法來替代再處理法」。
在1990年代初期，當OSPAR進行取締從船舶、海上平台及飛機上的核廢料海拋行為時，英國與法國一開始都採反對的態度，但在一年之後，英法兩國卻都改變其態度並且加入協議。
全文與圖片詳見: http://www.topica.com/t/16
版權歸屬 環境信託基金會(陳均輝譯，蔡季勳審校)
中英對照譯稿請見：http://news.ngo.org.tw/issue/energy/sub-energy00080101.htm
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Story by Peter Starck 06.30.00
COPENHAGEN - The group set up to protect the northeast Atlantic marine environment adopted a resolution yesterday to favour dry storage of spent nuclear fuel over reprocessing, environmental groups said.
Britain and France - the only countries in Europe operating nuclear reprocessing facilities - abstained, a spokesman for Greenpeace, which has observer status at the 15-nation Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR) meeting, said by telephone.
"Current authorisations for discharges or releases of radioactive substances from nuclear reprocessing facilities shall be reviewed as a matter of priority by their competent national authorities," the resolution text said.
It called on signatory countries to implement the non-reprocessing option, for example dry storage, for spent nuclear fuel management.
"We welcome this as a huge step forward in the campaign against reprocessing," Greenpeace UK Senior Scientist Helen Wallace told Reuters. "Of course it won't be implemented until the UK and France actually decide that they are going to sign up," she said.
Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Germany, Norway and Finland voted for the resolution, which thus won the three-quarters majority needed for passage. Luxembourg did not vote.
"Twelve out of the 15 voted in favour so we got a qualified majority behind the decision," a spokesman for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency said.
"Regrettably, we did not manage to bring the UK and France onboard," he said.
The OSPAR meeting was closed to the media until a news conference at 0730 GMT on Today and official confirmation of the vote was not available.
POLLUTING PLANTS
Sellafield in northwestern England, run by state-owned British Nuclear Fuel Ltd (BNFL), and La Hague in northern France, operated by French state-owned Cogema, account for 90 percent of radioactive waste pouring into the northeastern Atlantic marine environment, Greenpeace says.
National reviews of nuclear reprocessing mentioned in the OSPAR resolution are under way in both countries.
Wallace said it was a "huge embarrassment for Britain and France to be isolated in this way."
The OSPAR resolution is legally binding for countries voting in favour. Greenpeace said it believed that the OSPAR document will increase political pressure on France and Britain, eventually prompting their governments to close La Hague and Sellafield.
Utility British Energy, BNFL's biggest customer, has said it could save two-thirds of its spent nuclear fuel management costs by opting for dry storage instead of reprocessing.
Noting that Britain had pledged to improve its environmental protection record, Wallace said: "If they are really serious, then they have to change their mind on this position and go ahead and implement dry storage instead of reprocessing."
When OSPAR banned sea dumping of nuclear waste from ships, platforms and aircraft early in the 1990s, Britain and France initially opposed the ban. Both changed position and joined the accord one year later.
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