Complaint about lack of environmental assessment at Leibstadt nuclear power plant
Published: Friday, Dec 6th 2024, 10:10
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Residents living near the Leibstadt nuclear power plant have lodged a complaint against the Swiss Federal Office of Energy with the Federal Administrative Court. They criticize the fact that no environmental impact assessment (EIA) was carried out before the nuclear power plant was put into long-term operation.
Switzerland should have carried out such an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on its own initiative under international law, the Trinational Nuclear Protection Association announced on Friday, together with Greenpeace and the Swiss Energy Foundation.
In February 2024, fifteen residents had already submitted a corresponding application to the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). Neither DETEC nor the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) responded to the application.
The directly affected residents are demanding their right to democratic participation, which is part of the EIA. The EIA serves to identify adverse and cross-border effects of long-term nuclear power plant operation on people and the environment and to identify possible alternatives, they added.
The Leibstadt nuclear power plant is due to commence long-term operation in mid-December. According to the press release, Switzerland operates the oldest nuclear power plant in the world, which represents an unavoidable residual risk of catastrophic accidents with huge damage potential.
©Keystone/SDA
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