Letter to the editor bnn 2.2.16 free trade fairs ippnw the third

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the third way
on the debate about the demolition of nuclear plants: the doctors' organization ippnw is calling on federal environment minister hendricks to examine the option of an indefinite and permanent closure of the nuclear power plants. the demolition of decommissioned nuclear power plants produces not only highly radiant materials but also large amounts of building materials such as steel and concrete that are slightly radioactively contaminated. if limit values are not met, these materials should be stored in household waste landfills or fed into the normal economic cycle. but even a small amount of additional radiation exposure poses a health risk. the release of radioactive material is therefore unacceptable for health reasons. according to the atomic energy act, nuclear power plant operators are free to decide whether they want to dismantle their nuclear power plants immediately or “lock them up” for a few decades. the “immediate” demolition is expected to take two to three decades. the prerequisite is that final storage capacities for low- and medium-level radioactive waste are available. however, the “final storage facility” “konrad shaft” intended for this purpose will not be operational in the foreseeable future. in the concept of “safe containment” with subsequent dismantling, after the fuel elements have been removed, the entire radioactive control area of the nuclear power plant would be enclosed for around 30 years so that some of the remaining radioactivity can decay. with this concept, the demolition should then take place afterwards. the industry has so far consistently decided to dismantle nuclear power plants immediately. the third alternative – that of an indefinite and permanent closure of the nuclear power plants on site, i.e. without subsequent demolition – has not yet been examined. however, if the site conditions at the nuclear power plant allow it, this option would be preferable to dismantling. the atomic energy act should be supplemented to include this decommissioning alternative. wolfgang oberacker linkenheim-hochstetten






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