Environmentalists concerned over decommissioning of nuclear plant

The deconstruction of the nuclear plant Isar 1 in the southern German state of Bavaria is proceeding as planned, according to the state’s environment ministry. But environmentalists are concerned that radioactive fuel elements remain in the plant as deconstruction gets underway, public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk reports. Erwin Hadersbeck of citizen initiative Isartal says there had been numerous warnings against leaving fuel elements in the plant. Christian Barth of the Bavarian environment ministry said the plant is regulated and monitored “as if it was still in operation” and that the radioactive fuel elements will be removed “in due course.” The deconstruction of Isar 1 is slated to cost more than 1 billion euros, and will take well into the 2030s, the article says.

Read the article in German here.

See the CLEW dossier The challenges of Germany‘s nuclear phase-out for background.