Well, for nuclear oversight in all of France, I already mentioned the stonewalling of measurements of Chernobyl fallout -- a rather strong case of "if we don't look for it, it doesn't exist". I also don't think that IAEA and Euratom oversight is different for Brunsbüttel, though Sellafield is another thing, being known to have been in breach of Euratom rules. (But again, check the frequency of Euratom control visits to La Hague.)
There were La Hague issues after those you cite. Not on the level of Sellafield, but still.
There is a leukemia cluster controversy for that site too, in 1997 measurements at a wastewater pipe exit showed radiation levels up to 500 times above background, from not only liquid waste but solid in grains up to twice the permitted diametre, there was controversy about excessive inert gas and increasing iodine release in the air, more recently similar measurements of groundwater contradicted official reports.
What's more, La Hague was also part of the German Castor scandal I passingly mention in my own diary: inproper handling of the containers and bad information flow about external contamination and damage they measured. Also worth to point out that while the French authorities referred to international limits still above the values measured at that pipe, the pipe's contamination was above levels where in Germany they would be considered waste to be disposed of in concrete.
But at least they stopped pouring concrete over highly radioactive material. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
At the time of Chernobyl, Pierre Pellerin said what was true - that the Chernobyl cloud was passing over France and was clearly detected - and what his professional judgment was - levels were too low to be a threat and justify public action.
One thing is that his judgment was debatable and Pellerin was problably treating bio-concentration too lightly.
The other thing is that Mamère, who was the chief editor and main anchor of the midday news on Antenne 2, spun Pellerin's words and reported flat-out that government was denying that the Chernobyl cloud was passing over France.
The two, Mamère and France 2, were condemned for defamation in 2001, 2002, 2003 until the European Court of Human Rights decided that lying was a human right in 2006.
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Whose measurements? That CRIRAD joke? Controversy? Sure. There's a controversy between evolution and biblical creationism where I live. So what's the point?
Also worth to point out that while the French authorities referred to international limits still above the values measured at that pipe, the pipe's contamination was above levels where in Germany they would be considered waste to be disposed of in concrete.
And don't worry, it's treated as waste and it shows up in the ANDRA inventory. La Hague, item 6b
Nature des déchets :Concrétions issues du nettoyage de la conduite de rejet (34,7 m3) Radio-nucléides : PF PA Classe : FMA-VC
There again my point. The supposed "secrecy" is a myth.
Nope, the case is not reducible to the Mamère-Pellerin libel case. You conveniently forget about the leaked report by Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy and other recent re-evaluations. That was in late 2005. Read here and here. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
But again, Criirad is involved and I hold those guys to be first class wankers. So I expect the whole thing to dissolve in a non-lieu.
