Is nuclear energy truly safe when accidents like this continue to happen? M
Published on Saturday, July 12, 2008 by Agence France Presse
French Nuclear Facility to Shut Down After Uranium Leak
LYON, France — French authorities ordered Friday the temporary closure of a nuclear treatment plant in a popular tourist region of southern France after a uranium leak polluted the local water supply.
But site operator Socatri, a subsidiary of French nuclear giant Areva, said it would permanently shut down the facility at the Tricastin nuclear plant in Provence as part of a previously-planned upgrade.France’s ASN nuclear safety authority cited a “series of faults and human negligence that is not acceptable” when it ordered the closure following an inspection at the plant on Thursday.
Residents in the Vaucluse region have been told not to drink water or eat fish from nearby rivers since the leak on Monday night, in which 75 kilogrammes (165 pounds) of untreated liquid uranium spilled into the ground.
Swimming and water sports were also forbidden as was irrigation of crops with the contaminated water.
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French Nuclear Facility to Shut Down After Uranium Leak - CommonDreams.org