So far, our government has put all its money on or better in an abandoned salt mine located in Gorleben in the State of Lower Saxony to serve as the permanent radioactive disposal site.
Citing the Anglo-American Wikipedia: The name "Gorleben" has become infamous both nationally and internationally because of plans to build a national deep geological repository for radioactive waste there, along with interim storage units. The waste comes from Germany's nuclear power plants, was reprocessed in France at La Hague, and the unusable remains are then sent back to Germany in spent nuclear fuel shipping casks for final storage.
A strong opponent to the Gorleben storage site is Anna Countess of Bernstorff, who was honored in Freiburg last week with the Kant-World-Citizen-Prize 2011. She is an admirer of our designated green Governor (Ministerpräsident), for he had agreed to start a search for a high-level radioactive waste disposal site in Baden-Württemberg.
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| Abandoned salt mine Gorleben |
The past Black-Yellow government had consistently refused such action, arguing that one first has to show that Gorleben is no good. In fact, it had never been good for the Countess as part of the land on top of the Gorleben site belongs to her. No wonder she is vehemently opposed to any radioactivity in her - although deep-lying - basement. Slightly more objectively than this "not in my basement" attitude, Green Peace has declared a risk of water infiltration into the salt mine. Lately, the news of natural gas diffusing into the cavern has created an "explosive mixture" for any further discussions.
When our designated governor considered the possibility of radioactive storage in Germany's South-West, he certainly had the Opalinus clay in mind. This geological formation has been under investigation in Switzerland for many years because of a long-term safe haven for waste from their power reactors. Mighty layers of this particular clay are found in the North of Switzerland but somewhat delicately extend into Germany. Opalinus clay may, in fact, be better suited than salt as a geological storage medium since the stuff is waterproof and, due to its elasticity, will heal any developing geological faults, thus keeping the storage cavern tight for generations.
Generally hailed as a courageous step, the consent to search for the storage site in our "Ländle" is worth what it is: another brainwashing of the people. The investigation of the Opalinus clay formation will just cost taxpayers' money and - taking the Swiss example - continue for years well beyond the responsibility of any present government.
When our designated governor considered the possibility of radioactive storage in Germany's South-West, he certainly had the Opalinus clay in mind. This geological formation has been under investigation in Switzerland for many years because of a long-term safe haven for waste from their power reactors. Mighty layers of this particular clay are found in the North of Switzerland but somewhat delicately extend into Germany. Opalinus clay may, in fact, be better suited than salt as a geological storage medium since the stuff is waterproof and, due to its elasticity, will heal any developing geological faults, thus keeping the storage cavern tight for generations.
Generally hailed as a courageous step, the consent to search for the storage site in our "Ländle" is worth what it is: another brainwashing of the people. The investigation of the Opalinus clay formation will just cost taxpayers' money and - taking the Swiss example - continue for years well beyond the responsibility of any present government.
Anyway, the answer to all the search and research is already clear from the start: storing radioactivity into Opalinus clay will bear a residual risk (Restrisiko) just significant enough to justify the statement of those living around: Not in my basement.
Let's face it: we simply don't know how to protect future generations against the radiological risk and consequences of all that artificial radioactivity we have produced and are still producing.
Let's face it: we simply don't know how to protect future generations against the radiological risk and consequences of all that artificial radioactivity we have produced and are still producing.
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