Cadarache at 50 represents potential for nuclear catastrophe

The nuclear center at Cadarache – which houses close to 50 nuclear installations as well as an enormous inventory of radioactive waste, turns 50 years old on October 14, 2009. The facility is built on a fault line that is the most seismically active in France and close to another that registered the highest level of seismic activity the country ever recorded (in 1909).  In the case of an earthquake or serious accident, the release of plutonium and other radionuclides into the surrounding environment could transform Provence into a sacrifice zone devoid of inhabitants for thousands of years.  On a daily basis, Cadarache has leaked radioactivity into the nearby Durance river and into the environment. Cadarache is also the chosen location for the international fusion boondoggle know as ITER, a project that will likely never see fruition. It is time to end this unacceptable risk, says the Cadarache watchdog group, Mediane pour sortir du nucléaire, a position supported by the national network, Sortir du Nucléaire, of which Beyond Nuclear is a member.