MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Vessel with nuclear waste en route to Cape Horn?

A vessel loaded with radioactive residual materials left this Monday from Australia en route to France and one of the optional routes is Cape Horn, claim Greenpeace activists in Sydney and Argentina. The other is Cape of Good Hope.

The radioactive material comes from the Australian nuclear reactor Lucas Heights and is travelling aboard the "Fret Mosselle". Five trucks, escorted by heavily armed vehicles and anti riot police positioned in strategic points, crossed Sydney late Sunday night and headed for Botany Bay where the deadly cargo was loaded.

According to Greenpeace Argentina the "Fret Mosselle" in fifteen days time, possibly November 13, could be entering Chilean and Argentine waters heading for Cogema, France where the radioactive waste will be unloaded early December.

Apparently the material to be reprocessed can be used in the manufacturing of nuclear weapons of massive destruction.

"If the Cape Horn route is chosen, we expect a strong and joint reaction from the governments of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, as happened in previous occasions", said Juan Carlos Villalonga from Greenpeace Argentina.

So far Australia has refused to give details of the route alleging security reasons.

The last time a vessel with radioactive waste crossed Cape Horn was the "Pacific Swan" in January 2001 travelling from Japan.

Greenpeace is also concerned that Australia, given the fact that the reactor is of Argentine origin, could eventually demand the radioactive waste be shipped to Argentina, once the Argentine Congress ratifies a bilateral Nuclear Accord.

"We must impede Australia from becoming a country with nuclear waste that threatens the seas of the planet; that is why Argentina must reject the crossing of this vessel by its EEZ and the Argentine Congress must reject the Nuclear Agreement signed with Australia in 2001", stressed Mr. Villalonga.