Social Democrat Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel called on Merkel and Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to give up their nuclear course in order to preserve "the security of German citizens." In an interview with Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily, Gabriel said "the recent incidents in Krümmel prove we cannot justify the protracted use of older power plants." Indeed the Kruemmel reactor in the northern state of Schleswig Holstein only roared back to life at the end of June after a fire in 2007 forced its closure for two full years. And in the few days since its reopening, the plant has twice been removed from the national grid. Action not investigation The plant's Swedish operators, Vattenfall, say the latest shutdown, which put out the majority of traffic lights across Hamburg and left thousands of homes in the region with a reduced electricity supply, was the result of a short-circuit. They say they are investigating the cause, and have not indicated when normal operations might resume.
Social Democrat Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel called on Merkel and Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to give up their nuclear course in order to preserve "the security of German citizens."
In an interview with Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily, Gabriel said "the recent incidents in Krümmel prove we cannot justify the protracted use of older power plants."
Indeed the Kruemmel reactor in the northern state of Schleswig Holstein only roared back to life at the end of June after a fire in 2007 forced its closure for two full years. And in the few days since its reopening, the plant has twice been removed from the national grid.
Action not investigation
The plant's Swedish operators, Vattenfall, say the latest shutdown, which put out the majority of traffic lights across Hamburg and left thousands of homes in the region with a reduced electricity supply, was the result of a short-circuit. They say they are investigating the cause, and have not indicated when normal operations might resume.
