From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOUTH AFRICA: GREEN GROUP CHALLENGES SECRECY IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:09:14 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Africa, southern
Reference: Environment; Science & Industry
Title: SOUTH AFRICA: GREEN GROUP CHALLENGES SECRECY IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY


an inter press service feature

by eddie koch

johannesburg, dec 21 (ips) -- draconian laws that throw a veil
of secrecy over south africa's nuclear industry are the target
of attack by the country's most vocal environment group,
earthlife africa.

spurred on by an accident last week at a nuclear reactor
plant in pelindaba, 30km east of pretoria, the green activist
group says it will conduct a major campaign to protect the
public's right to know about nuclear hazards that affect their
health and safety.

henk coetzee, representative for earthlife's pretoria branch,
said his organisation was deeply concerned about ''draconian
secrecy clauses'' in the nuclear energy act which allowed the
government to suppress information about almost any aspect of
the industry.

the environment group's outrage was prompted by an accident
at the pelindaba nuclear plant which sent a 100kg plume of
uranium dust into the air above a nearby residential area.

immediate indications are that the dust was not radioactive
as it was released at an early stage of the uranium enrichment
process that takes place at the nuclear installation. but
earthlife is concerned because they have, so far, been unable
to obtain data about the chemical cloud and where it settled.

''we have been in contact with residents from broederstroom
near the pelindaba nuclear reactor and together with them we
are planning a challenge to a law which allows the minister of
energy affairs to suppress vital public information in the
case of a nuclear accident'', says coetzee.

earthlife claims that the dr waldo stumpf, executive director
of the atomic energy corporation (aec), refused to provide
the organisation with data about the leakage of uranium dust
into the atmosphere.

the aec confirmed the incident last week saying an accidental
release of uranium hexafluoride ocurred at pelindaba site on
dec. 9 as a result of a flange seal breakage on a condenser.
(more/ips)


south africa: green (2)

the incident was of a serious enough nature to require its
immediate report to the council for nuclear safety as well as
the inter national atomic energy agency (aea), earthlife africa
says.

''the exact amount of material released will be determined
later but it is estimated that a maximum of 100kg was
released'', the aec statement said.

''uranium hexafluoride immediately reacts with moisture in
the air resulting in the formation of solid uranyl fluoride.
therefore the effect of the release was mostly confined to the
inside of the building. a small quantity of the material was,
however, released to the atmosphere'', the aec admited.

coetzee says his organisation is dissatisfied by the way the
aec informed the public about the matter.

the aec issued a press release only after the organisation
had been tipped off about the acccident by an employee at the
plant. ''if this had not happened the public may never have been
informed about the incident'', says coetzee.

clauses in the nuclear energy act give the government vast
powers, through the minister in charge of nuclear energy, to
suppress information about nuclear accidents.

earthlife's lawyer peter lazarus notes that an extraordinary
clause in the act states: ''the minister may, whenever he
deems its necessary in the interests of the security of the
republic, with the concurrence of the corporation, exempt any
person or category of persons or any institute for a defined or
undefined period...from any provision of this act''.

there is no legal obligation on the government to make
information about accidents available to the public anyway.

earthlife will write to president f.w. de klerk lodging a
protest about sweeping secrecy clauses and urging him to review
the legislation as a matter of urgency.

nick ligthelm, public relations officer for the aec, stressed
that that the law was aimed at protecting the nuclear industry
from sanctions and sabotage.

''it was never the intention of the act to keep matters
relating to health and safety from the public. you must
remember that this law has its origins in a period when there
were strict sanctions against the nuclear industry in this
country. it is unlikely that the minister of the chief
executive will withhold information of this nature''.

earthlife is not happy about these guarantees.

''the public have a right to know about environmental matters
that may affect their health and safety.  we believe this right
should be enshrined in the constitution and the laws of the
country'', says coetzee. (end/ips/ek/fc/oa/92)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.african:7264 soc.culture.african.american:13320