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Canadian Anti-Nuke Action

Hello! this just in today from Europe - Let's do what we can to stop the funding of substandard nuclear reactors K2R4 in Khelminsky and Rivne, Ukraine!

- Leigh and Darrick: thomson@eagle.ca

nb. emails to Prime Minister Chretien call also arrive in his office as hard copy faxes: Go to the "Fax the Feds" website at

http://www.net-efx.com/faxfeds/

then scroll down to "Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien" and click on it. Cut and paste the "Letter to G7 leaders" below, or write your own quick note, even simply "Please stop EBRD

funding of the hazardous K2R4 nuclear reactors in Ukraine". Send the email as you normally would, and it will arrive as a fax in the Prime Minister's office.

The G7 leaders are leaving shortly for Cologne...

----------
> From: jfrijns@antenna.nl
> Subject: STOP K2R4; CAMPAIGN UPDATE JUNE
> Date: June 7, 1999 9:23 AM
> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Stop EBRD money for the   
> K2/R4 Nuclear Reactors  
> in the Ukraine  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~               
> 
> NEWS UPDATE  
> June 7nd 1999  
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Need to know something, (un)subscribe to this list?   
> mail to Johan Frijns   
> 
> All information also at   
>   
> Updated regularly with latest news!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> 
> IN THIS ISSUE    
> - Update on K2R4    
> - Timeline    
> 
> - URGENT; June 9, German government decides on K2R4; send  
> letters !!!! 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Dear friends,    
> 
> Once more I bother you with what seems to be an endless saga,   
> namely our efforts to stop the European Bank for Reconstruction   
> and Development from financing the completion of two nuclear   
> reactors in the Ukraine.  
> 
> Maybe you are getting a bit tired of it and are not paying attention to 
>  these messages anymore. There are so many things competing for  
> your scarce time; why would you choose for some obscure project  
> in the Ukraine to work on....  
> 
> But HEY, the story seems endless but it is coming to a climax soon,  AND
> WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Now, even more than when we 
>  started this in September, it is crucial that you stay involved in it   

> 
> If we manage to stop this project it not only means that there are two 
>  dangerous nuclear reactors less to worry about; it also effectively 
puts
> the EBRD forever out of the business of financing such  reactors. This
> will make it more difficult for the nuclear industry in  Central Eastern
> Europe to finance their deadly trade.  
> 
> On the other hand, if K2R4 will be financed, it could start a whole  wave
> of similar projects where Western industry will be engaged in  the
> upgrading of old reactors, so as to extend their life-cycle instead 
>  of closing them.  
> 
> You wouldn't want this to happen, would ya? So, stick with us for  
> another few months and we will win this!  
> 
> greetings, Johan Frijns    
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    
> NEWS UPDATE ON K2R4    
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    
> 
> Get ready for the climax; July 20th!  
> 
> The endspiel has begun; it is now almost hundred percent sure that   the
> Board of the EBRD will decide upon the K2R4 project - the   proposal to
> finance the completion of two half built VVER 1000 MW   nuclear reactors
> in the Ukraine by the EBRD - at their last Board   meeting before the
> summer, on Tuesday July 20th.  
> 
> Project Management of the EBRD has approved the project  
> proposal, which means that it is now up for Final Review by the  
> Board. This despite the fact that the Ukrainian government has not  
> agreed on the conditions set by the Bank.  
> 
> More specifically, the Ukrainians do not agree with the separation of 
>  the Chernobyl  nuclear power station from the state company  
> Energoatom, the setting up of a separate company within this one to 
>  collect payments and the privatization of regional power distribution
> companies according to a schedule coordinated with the bank.  These
> conditions were formulated by the Bank to ensure that the  payment of
> energy bills improves significantly so that the project  sponsor will be
> able to repay the loan. 
> 
> German developments  
> 
> Despite the date now set for Board approval, there remains strong  
> opposition to the project. As has been mentioned several times  
> already in earlier updates, Germany (member of the G7 and  
> currently chairing the European  Union) is the key country in the  
> whole process. On June17th, the German Parliament will vote on a  
> resolution by the Greens and the SPD fraction urging the  
> government not to support the project. Probably to save  
> embarrasment, the German government is deciding on its position  
> this week, Wednesday June 9th (see below). 
> 
> Other developments 
> 
> Parliaments of EBRD member countires finally seem to become  
> aware of the K2R4 case. Last month, a so called Early day motion  
> was brought up for discussion in the British Parliament. In Italy, on
25th
> May, Hon. Scalia, together with Hon. Paissan, from the Green Party
> presented a resolution in the Parliament on K2R4, demanding  the
> government to withold support for K2R4 and opt for gas powered 
>  plants instead. in the Netherlands, a meeting between NGOs and  
> political party specialists lead to a promise to raise the matter in the
> parliament as well. 
> 
> You are urged to try to get your parliament to adopt a resolution as
well.
> So far, only Austria, Malta and Norway have explicitly spoken  out
against
> the project, with Belgium, Denmark, Germany,  Luxembourg and Sweden
> stressing that all criteria must be met  before the project can be
> approved. There are no official positions  from other countries!!! If you
> want to get more information on how to 
>  proceed, contact us. 
> 
> 
> Open Letter to G7 leaders  
> 
> The last update contained an open letter addressed to the leaders of 
>   the G7 countries. 180 NGOs from 34 countries signed the letter to   G7
> leaders, which will be handed to them at the G7 summit in   Cologne, June
> 19-20. Should you be in Cologne for the G8 meeting. 
>  Please let us know so that we can arrange something to raise 
> media  attention on K2R4. 
> 
> You can still sign; if you support the letter or if you need a copy 
> please contact Petr Hlobil at energy@bankwatch.org.  The closing date for
> signing is June 15  
> 
> ~~~~~~~~    
> TIME LINE    
> ~~~~~~~~    
> 
> June; time when outcomes of Public particpation procedure must be 
>  available to the public    
> 
> June 9: Decision of German government on K2R4  
> 
> June 17th; Resolution on K2r4 in German Parliament  
> 
> June 19-20; G7 meeting in Cologne, Germany 
> 
> July 20th; EBRD Board decision on K2R4    
> 
> September; Presidential elections Ukraine    
> 
> .... and if we don't manage to stop it ....;  
> 
> January 2000 Planned begin of construction in Khmelnitksy    
> January 2001 Planned begin of construction in Rivne    
> 
> -this could also be delayed, with Rivne only starting when    
> Khmelnitsky is  nearly complete-    
> 
> January 2003 Operation of Khmelnitsky 2    
> January 2004 Operation of Rivne 4    
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    
> LETTER TO GERMAN GOVERNMENT    
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    
> 
> The German Government will  decide on its position on the EBRD  
> loan for the K2R4 project on Wednesday June 9th 1999. The  
> position of G7 member Germany is  crucial; should the German  
> government decide not to support the project in the EBRD Board, it  
> is over, schluss, kaputt for K2R4.  
> 
> The timing of this decision is remarkable, as the German Parliament  
>  is going to vote on a resolution on K2R4 on June 17th. Both   
> government parties, SPD and Greens, are supporting this resolution  
>  asking the government not to approve the project. Apparently the   
> government does not want to be embarrassed by an approval of this  
>  resolution two days before the G7 meeting begins in Cologne.  
> 
> Apparently there exists disagreement in the government on what to   
> do, with both the Minister of Environment Trittin and of foreign   
> affairs Fischer -both Green party- against it, but the Prime Minister
> Schroder in favour of the loan. Given that the German government   has
> decided on a phase out of its own nuclear industry -albeit with   no
> timeline attached to it- it would be more than strange if they would 
>  support the construction of reactors in the Ukraine.   
> 
> This said, the German nuclear lobby -Siemens!- is very strong and   
> fights for its survival; contracts in Central Eastern Europe are  
> crucial.  
> 
> Send a fax!  
> 
> Let the German Kanzler know your concerns abour the project;   
> send him a letter before Wednesday June 9th. It might look   
> like this has no influence but be assured that many many people will  
>  do the same and it will make clear to the German government that   
> there exists worldwide opposition to the project.  
> 
> You can use the example letter below but your own words might be   
> more convincing. Use the letterhead of your organisation   
> if possible. Be polite but clear.  
> 
> Thanks a lot!  
> 
> 
> EXAMPLE LETTER TO SCHRODER:  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> His Excellency  
> Chancellor Gerhard Schröder  
> Federal Republic of Germany  
> fax +49 228 56 2357  
> 
>         
> 
> Dear Mr. Chancellor:  
> 
> I am writing to you on behalf of our organisation regarding the   
> Khmelnitsky 2 and Rivne 4 Nuclear Power Plants Completion Project 
>   (so-called K2/R4). We recently learned that you are going to take 
> a   decision on Wednesday, June 9th, 1999 regarding the German   
>  position on this project.  
> 
> We hope that you will follow the suggestions of your own   
> Parliamentary Faction which has put forward a Motion calling on the 
>   German Government to vote against this loan in the EBRD Board.   
> Similarly to the SPD and Green Members of Parliament, we see   
> great potential to finance non-nuclear alternatives for Chernobyl   
> (such as gas turbines or energy efficiency projects).  
> 
> As Ukrainian President Kuchma wrote in his letter to U.K. Prime   
> Minister Tony Blair, the K2/R4 project "was proposed by Western   
> partners as an alternative to the Ukrainian bid to build a steam-gas
power
> plant". This Ukrainian proposal would also address the   problem of
> insufficient peak load facilities which is currently one of   the major
> constraints in the Ukrainian energy sector. We hope that   you will not
> continue the strong pro-nuclear policy of your   predecessor, Chancellor
> Helmut Kohl. Even though in past years the 
>   Ukrainian Government has begun to actively promote the K2/R4   
> nuclear project, in May 1999 the Ukrainian Ambassador in   
> Germany, Anatolyj Ponomarenko, said that the "Ukraine is ready for 
>   compromise" on this project.   
> 
> We think that this position better reflects the situation in the Ukraine,

>   where only 9% of Ukrainians support this nuclear project (result of  a
> recent SOCIS-Gallup International opinion poll). These results  
challenge
> the April 1999 statement of EBRD President Horst Koehler 
>   that EBRD projects require the "support of the people".  
> 
> Currently, the Ukraine is in a critical financial situation. A loan for
> K2/R4 could make the situation even worse, especially as cost   overruns
> and construction delays are highly probable for nuclear   projects. The
> situation in the energy sector is quite critical because   the deep
> economic crisis in Ukraine has led to very high rates of   non-payment of
> energy bills. Energoatom (Ukraine's state-owned   nuclear energy company)
> has for a long time not been able to reach 
>   targets for cash collection set by the World Bank Financial   
> Recovery Plan for the Energy Sector in April 1998.  
> 
> It is clear that K2/R4 could not be licensed in any Western country   as
> they fall well below modern Western safety standards.   Furthermore,
> Energoatom is planning to begin operating these   reactors before
> implementation of all safety measures: the company 
>   will only correct some of the known safety problems at the first  
> refuelling. Therefore, even the designated (but unsatisfactory) safety 
>   level will only be reached after three years of operation. These  
> safety problems are compounded by the fact that Ukrainian workers  
>  in nuclear power plants have not been receiving their salaries.   
> Further, the K2/R4 project would consume a large portion of funding 
>   going to the energy sector. This could lead to further decreases in  
>  the safety of other nuclear power plants, which are already   
> struggling with lack of financing for maintenance as well as workers'  
>  salaries.  
> 
> For all of the above reasons we appeal to you to instruct the German 
>   Executive Director of the EBRD to vote against this project in the 
EBRD
> board and to instruct the Bank to develop a financial scheme  
>  to support non-nuclear energy projects for the Ukrainian energy   
> sector.  
> 
> Sincerely,  
> 
>   
> 


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