The French Nuclear Safety Authority (Autorité De Sûreté Nucléaire, ASN) has decided to refuse or suspend the accreditation of laboratories run by Electricité de France (EdF) for monitoring radioactivity in the environment around its plants.

I'm wondering if we can find data on whether the leak was serious or not, and if it's true that the French do not cover up or lie about nuclear problems, as the rest of the world does.  EdF says this about their program:

According to EdF, the laboratory on each of its sites carries out systematic measurements and sampling of air, water, fauna and flora within a 5 kilometre radius of the nuclear power plant. The results of these tests along with others, such as water temperature measurements, are published by the sites every month. A complete environmental report is published by the plants every year and submitted to the nuclear regulatory body, public authorities, members of the local information committees and other interested parties.

In other nuclear news, Britain is saved from the crisis in gas supplies brought on by blind trust in the free market, but this time not by the French.  E.on and RWE, two German utilities heavily active in offshore windpower, have agreed to build 6000 MW of new Atomkraft for the struggling nation.  This should also make moot whether the UK should join the Euro or not, as the control of most of the companies in the former UK is moving toward the mainland, what with acquisitions so cheap and all.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin