[sacw] [ACT] SAANP (30 Jan 00)

Harsh Kapoor act@egroups.com
Sat, 29 Jan 2000 21:16:05 +0100


South Asians Against Nukes
30 January 2000
-----------------------------------
Rediff on the Net
29 January 2000

Indonesia warns India, Pak on nuke arms: AFP

Indonesia has cautioned India and Pakistan against building a nuclear
arsenal, saying such arms should only be used as a "diplomatic weapon,"
The Times of India reported on Saturday.

"It is ironical that India, which is still a developing country,
acquired a bomb. So did Pakistan," Indonesian President Abdurrahman
Wahid told the daily in an interview.

India conducted a series of nuclear tests in May 1998 and declared
itself a full-fledged nuclear weapons state. Pakistan replied with its
own explosions, triggering fears in the West of an arms race.

The Indonesian leader, who is scheduled to visit India soon although
dates have yet to be announced, said a nuclear arms race would be
costly.

"It is better to spend money on development than on nuclear weapons,"
the daily quoted Wahid as saying in Jakarta.

"The thought that India would be attacked by a nuclear power is crazy,
and so it is with Pakistan. But both sides accuse each other. So the
quarrel will never end," Wahid said.

However, he said India's security concerns also extended to its eastern
borders with China. "We must remember nevertheless that for India the
China factor is also important. Atomic arms should be used as means of
pressure, as a diplomatic weapon, not as a real one," Wahid said.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country with 180 million people,
was a close ally of India, home to more than 120 million Muslims, when
they were members of the Non Aligned Movement. But since the collapse of
the Soviet Union, they have drifted apart.

Wahid said he wanted to strengthen economic and political ties between
the two nations to "meet the challenges of the post Cold War era."

Indonesia would also seek closer ties with other Asian nations ---
including India and China --- in its quest to build a "truly multi-polar
world," he said.

"Regional groupings like ASEAN, SAARC and others must try to develop a
unique system. It will not be an alternative to the United Nations," he
said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

___________

#2.
John Hallam
=46riends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 2042
=46ax (61)(2)9517-3902 ph (61)(2)9517-3903
nonukes@f...
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd

The following letter concerning the Koodankulam nuclear power plant, has
been faxed over the last 2-3 hours from (12 noon - 3pm, 29/1/2000 Sydney
time) to the Prime Minister of India, A. B. Vajpayee, the Department of
Atomic Energy, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the Nuclear Power
Corporation, (AERB), the Minister for Power and Non-Conventional Energy
Sources, and the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well as the
President of Shri Lanka. (Tamil Nadu CM's fax and Min of Power's fax see to
be turned off for now, everyone else OK).

Names are sorted by country then in the order in which they signed. FOE
groups at end.

Enjoy!

=46ROM:

SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, NAGERCOIL, TAMIL
NADU,
COALITION FOR AN EGALITARIAN AND PLURALISTIC INDIA
INDIAN PEOPLES ASSOCIATION IN NORTH AMERICA
UNDA/OCIC, RNC RD CALCUTTA,
SAH VIKAS SOCIETY, DELHI,
=46RIENDS OF NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN,
SOUTH ASIANS AGAINST NUKES,
PARISAR, PUNE,
COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNAL AMITY, MUMBAI, INDIA,
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE MEDIA,
ANTI-NUCLEAR FORUM, CALCUTTA, WEST BENGAL,
INSAAF INTERNATIONAL, BHATINDA, PUNJAB, INDIA,
WOMENS CENTRE, MUMBAI, INDIA,
'MAITREE' WOMENS ACTIVISTS NETWORK, CALCUTTA, WEST BENGAL,
KINARA BACHAO SANGARSH SAMITI, BOMBAY, INDIA,
JANANEETHI, THRISSUR, KERALA, INDIA,
RASTRIYA JAGRITI MANCH, INDIA,
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC FORUM, BANGALORE INDIA,
DOCUMENTATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE, JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION,
MUMBAI, INDIA,
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLES MOVEMENTS

SDPI, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN,

ECODEFENSE RUSSIA,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, RUSSIA,
ANTINUCLEAR CAMPAIGN IN THE EX-USSR,
CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, RUSSIA,
TOMSK AGENCY FOR BIOCOMPUTERS AND HUMAN ECOLOGY,
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE, REPUBLIC OF SAKHA, YAKUTSK, RUSSIA,
RAINBOW KEEPERS, RUSSIA,

NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL CENTRE OF UKRAINE, KIEV,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, ODESSA, UKRAINE.,
=46OR MOTHER EARTH BELARUS, MINSK, BELARUS,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, TURKMENISTAN,
INSTITUTE FOR BIODIVERSITY IN CENTRAL ASIA, TURKMENISTAN,
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT OF MOLDOVA,

GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL, AMSTERDAM,
WORLD INFORMATION SERVICE ON ENERGY, AMSTERDAM,
ZHABA COLLECTIVE, AMSTERDAM,
MDB ENERGY PROJECT, NETH,
=46OR MOTHER EARTH NETHERLANDS,
INDIA COMMITTEE OF THE NETHERLANDS, UTRECHT, NETH,
GLOBAL ANTI-NUCLEAR ALLIANCE, THE HAGUE, NETH,
AMOK, GRONINGEN, NETH,

ANTI-ATOM INTERNATIONAL, VIENNA,
UPPER AUSTRIAN PLATFORM AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS,
CENTRE FOR ENCOUNTER AND ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE, BAD ISCHL, AUSTRIA.

HNUTI DUHA, CZECH REPUBLIC,
BIU - BUERGERINITIATIVE UMWELTSCHUTZ, CZECH REPUBLIC,
CENTRUM ENERGIE, CZECH REPUBLIC,
GREENPEACE FINLAND,
=46IRST PEOPLES, FINLAND,
GREENPEACE NORDIC/DENMARK
OOA DENMARK,
PEOPLE OF THE EIFFEL AGAINST NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, GERMANY,
IPPNW GERMANY (BERLIN)
WORLD ECONOMY, ECOLOGY, AND DEVELOPMENT, BONN,

WOMENS INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM, FRANCE,
WOMENS INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM, GENEVA,
INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU, GENEVA,

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY CENTRE, NEW ZEALAND,
WILPF AOTAEROA,

WORLD COURT PROJECT, LONDON, U.K.,
YOUTH AND STUDENT C.N.D., LONDON, U.K.,
WEST MIDLANDS CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT,
THIRD WORLD FIRST SOCIETY, STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY, U.K.,
SWANSEA EARTH ACTION, UNIVERSITY OF SWANSEA, WALES, U.K.,
DROITWITCH EARTHRISE, WORCS, U.K.,
SCOTLAND AGAINST NUCLEAR DUMPING, UK.,
OXFORD UNIVERSITY ONE WORLD GROUP, OXFORD, U.K.,
CENTRE FOR HUMAN ECOLOGY, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND,

CITIZENS NUCLEAR INFORMATION CENTRE, TOKYO, JAPAN.,
GREEN PARTY TAIWAN, TAIPEH, TAIWAN
GREEN KOREA UNITED,
ASIAN REGIONAL EXCHANGE FOR NEW ALTERATIVES (ARENA) HONG KONG
WORLD FUTURE STUDIES FEDERATION, BACOLOD, PHILLIPINES,
CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE STUDIES, (CHRPS) KALOOKAN CITY, PHILLIPINE=
S,
WALHI NGO FORUM, SULAWESI, INDONESIA,
EARTH ACTION CONGO, BRAZZAVILLE,
GREENPEACE MEXICO

GLOBAL RESOURCE AND ACTION CENTRE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, N.Y.,
PROPOSITION-1 COMMITTEE, WASHINGTON DC., USA.,
SAVE WARD VALLEY, CALIF, U.S.A.,
THE NUCLEAR RESISTER, U.S.A.,
WASTE NOT, NY, USA.
WASTE ACTION PROJECT, U.S.,
NUCLEAR INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SERVICE, (NIRS), U.S.,
NUCLEAR-FREE NEW YORK,
AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE, SAN FRANCISCO, US.,
ALLIANCE FOR NUCLEAR ACCOUNTABILITY, WASHINGTON, USA.,
HUMBOLT ORGANISED FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, US,
ALLIANCE TO CLOSE INDIAN POINT, NY., US.,
NEW HAMPSHIRE PEACE ACTION,
CITIZENS PROTECTION OHIO, USA.,
REDWOOD ALLIANCE, CALIFORNIA, USA.,
GRANDMOTHERS FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL,
COALITION FOR NUCLEAR POWER POSTPONEMENT,
COMMITTEE AGAINST PLUTONIUM ECONOMICS, DELAWARE, USA,
GREEN DELAWARE, USA.,
COMMUNITY ORGANISING CENTRE, COLUMBUS, OHIO,
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION OF NATIVE AMERICANS., USA.,
ALLIANCE FOR SURVIVAL, CALIF, U.S.A.,
SOUTHERN COALITION OPPOSING PLUTONIUM ENERGY,
NUCLEAR GUARDIANSHIP PROJECT, BERKLEY, CA., USA.,
LAWYERS COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR POLICY,
WOMENS ACTION FOR NEW DIRECTIONS, MASS., USA.,
PRAIRIE ISLAND COALITION, USA.,
CITIZENS PROTECTING OHIO, USA.,
SACRED EARTH NETWORK, MASS, USA.,
SHUNDAHAI NETWORK, NEVADA, USA.,
STOP CASSINI FLYBY, USA.,
PEACE ACTION NEW MEXICO, USA.,
CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK, USA,
DON'T WASTE ARIZONA, PHOENIX, ARIZ, USA.,
NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION, SANTA BARBARA, CALIF, USA.,
EAST BAY SANCTUARY MOVEMENT, BERKLEY, CALIF, USA.,
REDWOOD PEACE COALITION, ARCATA, CALIFORNIA,
NEW JERSEY PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, NJ., USA.,
PUBLIC CITIZEN CRITICAL MASS ENERGY PROJECT,
EARTH DAY COALITION, CLEVELAND OHIO,
CHENANGO NORTH ENERGY AWARENESS GROUP, PLYMOUTH NY, USA.,
DON'T WASTE MICHIGAN, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, USA
NEVADA NUCLEAR WASTE TASK FORCE, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA.,
MONMOUTH COUNTY CITIZENS FOR CLEAN AIR AND WATER, NJ., USA
=46OOD NOT BOMBS, ATLANTA, USA.,
BALTIMORE GREEN PARTY

INTER CHURCH URANIUM COMMITTEE, SASKATOON, CANADA,
NEW GREEN ALLIANCE CANADA,
GREEN PARTY CANADA.,
CANADIAN VOICE OF WOMEN FOR PEACE,
GREEN CAMPUS SOCIETY, REGINA, SASK, CANADA.,
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CONCERN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, TORONTO,

ENVIRONMENT CENTRE OF W.A., PERTH, W.A., AUST.,
NORTHERN TERRITORY ENVIRONMENT CENTRE, DARWIN, NT, AUST,
JABILUKA ACTION GROUP VICTORIA,
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, NSW., AUST.,
ARID LANDS ENVIRONMENT CENTRE, ALICE SPRINGS, N.T.,
MINERAL POLICY INSTITUTE, SYDNEY, AUST.,
AUSTRALIAN PEACE COMMITTEE, S.A., AUST.,
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, PERTH, W.A., AUST.,
NATIVE FOREST ACTION NETWORK., AUST.,

=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRALIA,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH NETHERLANDS,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH COSTA- RICA,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRIA (GLOBAL 2000)
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH FINLAND, HELSINKI,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH EL SALVADOR,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH UKRAINE,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH GEORGIA/GEORGIA GREENS, TBILSI, GEORGIA,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH SLOVAKIA,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH U.K.,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH DENMARK, COPENHAGEN,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH LITHUANIA/LITHUANIAN GREEN MOVEMENT,
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH CYPRUS
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH MACEDONIA
=46RIENDS OF THE EARTH GERMANY (BUND)

TO:
THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER, A.B. VAJPAYEE,
SOUTH BLOCK NEW DELHI, 110-004
=46ax 91-11-301-6857, 91-11-301-9545,

MINATOME RUSSIA, FAX +7-095-239-2535

DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY, DR. R. CHIDAMBARAM,
=46ax 91-11-301-3843, 022-204-8476.

NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION OF INDIA
=46AX 91-22-555-7278, 91-22-556-3350

ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD (AERB)
=46ax 91-22-5562344 / 5565717

THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR POWER AND NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES,
20 SHRAM SHAKTI BHAVAN, RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI 110-001. Fax 91-11-371-7519

THE HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU,
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, ST GEORGE FORT, MADRAS,600-005 Fax 91-44-235-0570

THE HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF KERALA,
SECRETARIAT, MAHATMA GANDHI ROAD, THIRUVANATHAPURAM, 625-001.
=46ax 91-471-333-489.

THE HON. CHANDRIKA BANDARANAIKE KUMARATUNGA,
PRESIDENT OF SHRI LANKA, 94-1-333-703 94-1-44-66-57

PRESIDENT OF THE MALDIVES, 1-212-661-6405

RE: KOODANKULAM NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT.

Dear Prime Minister, Minatome, Minister for Energy, Department of Atomic
Energy, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, and Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh,

The above and undersigned organisations and people express deep concern
over the Indian Government's decision to commission 2 x VVER1000/392
nuclear power plants on the east coast of Southern India at Koodankulam in
Tamil Nadu State.

The reasons for our deep concern are as follows :

1) There are grave and serious unresolved technical and safety questions in
the Russian VVER-1000/392 reactor design chosen for the Koodankulam
project. (discussed below). If these important technical and safety
questions are to be resolved satisfactorily, it would cost an additional US
$ 1-2 billion, in addition to the present cost of US$4billion, (16,000
crores of rupees approximately). It is an undesirable drain of India's hard
- earned revenue. It is sure to affect India's overall development in the
next millennium. Moreover, the decommissioning cost will be not less than
US $5 billion, an avoidable burden on the future generations.

It is essential that the Detailed Project Report now in preparation, deal
with these problems, and that it be released in full for public comment.

2) Accidents in nuclear power plants can never be ruled out. Unlike
accidents in other engineering fields, accidents in nuclear power plants
would always be devastating as was the case with the Chernobyl accident in
the former USSR. The Chernobyl accident affected badly farm life and
forests in Sweden over 2000 Km from Chernobyl. An accident in Koodankulam
plant would affect not only the Tamilnadu and Kerala States but also the
entire Indian sub-continent and even neighbouring Sri Lanka.

The VVER-1000/392 design will be the first of its type any where in the
world. It is nothing but propaganda to say that VVER-1000/392 design is a
safe and proven design. The control system for this design intended for
India is being developed by Siemens Germany as a new assignment and
Koodankulam will be the testing ground for it. Problems with control
systems and I&C in European VVER plants have been compounded and made worse
by attempts to 'upgrade' those systems with western- designed new systems,
notably from Siemens.

The specific technical and safety problems of the VVER1000/320 series,
are briefly outlined in the next paragraphs. It is clear that DAE and the
NPC and AERB have not considered these problems and it is essential that
they do so. The Detailed Project report is an appropriate forum in which
to discuss these matters in detail, so that they may be the subject for a
process of public comment.

The NPC has reassured us repeatedly that the design of plant chosen is
'completely safe'. According to Mr. S. K. Jain, chief engineer of the
Koodankulam project, the Russian reactors are 'extremely safe' and have
'many significant safety enhancement features'.

It may be true that the VVER-1000/392 reactor design that has been chosen
has some advantages over some western- style reactors, and it is true that
the VVER type reactor is not the same as the Chernobyl-type RBMK design.

But the fact is that all reactor designs without exception are inherently
risky. There is no reactor design and no reactor type that presents
acceptable levels of risk for the society as a whole, and the consequences
of any accident will last for hundreds of thousands of years.

It is also the case that the VVER-1000 reactor design has quite specific
safety problems which Mr. Jain's reassurances do nothing to clear up. The
specific variant of the VVER 1000 design that has been chosen, the
VVER1000/392 design, will be the first of its type anywhere in the world,
and will therefore be a prototype.

This means that India will be building two of a completely untried reactor
design. The concerns over the collapse of Russian construction
infrastructure outlined above, and the delays and cost overruns in other
VVER projects are not even acknowledged by DAE.
It is essential that these be taken into account.

The VVER-1000/392 reactor design is based on the VVER-1000/320 reactor
design, which has many operating reactors in Russia and Eastern Europe. A
variety of problems have arisen with attempts to complete and 'upgrade'
these reactors to so-called 'western' nuclear safety standards. While the
commitment by the NPC to the latest international design standards is
laudable, NPC makes no reference to the problems with the VVER1000/320
model which have been indicated in IAEA documentation, especially with
reference to the R4K2 plants. It is not at all clear if adequate design
changes have ben made in the VVER1000/392 design, to deal with these
problems.

These problems are set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency in a
publication known as the 'Issues Book'. According to the Issues Book, these
problems are the following:

* The possibility that the steel reactor pressure vessel may become
brittle, due to the effect of neutron bombardment of the steel. This would
make it possible for the vessel to crack open violently during an
emergency. This would probably (according to safety analyses by the US-
DOE) propel the head of the pressure vessel out through the containment
roof, causing a major radioecological catastrophe.

The government, when the detailed project report is done, needs to ask very
detailed and searching questions about steel composition, neutron flux, and
RPV integrity.

Concerns over RPV integrity and embrittlement have surfaced in hearings on
US plant safety in the 1970s, and again in hearings on plant life
extension in the 1990s. Concerns over RPV integrity in the VVER1000 plant
design due to a high concentration of nickel in the welds opposite the core
region have been outlined in the IAEA Issues Book [IAEA-EBP-VVER-05 March
1996p17]

* - The possibility that control rods may fail to insert properly
during an emergency. This has already occurred at a number of VVER-1000
plants in Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as in French PWR plants.

In many plants in France, costly replacement of the entire control rod
mechanism has had to take place. Failure of the control rods to insert
during an emergency is a serious failure, akin to having no brakes on a
car.

According to the IAEA, Rovno-3 has experienced control rod drop problems
repeatedly. Problems have also been experienced in 1992 at the
Zaphorozhye-1 plant.

* The possibility that small tubes in the plants steam-generators
may fail, leading to uncontrollable leakage of very highly pressurized and
radioactive primary coolant into the low-pressure secondary system. This
can lead to a loss of coolant accident with subsequent core meltdown if it
is large, as well as causing damage to other parts of the plant.

This has been a concern with respect to the VVER1000 design since the early
1990s. Steam- generator problems, according to 1992 IAEA workshop, account
for 21% of all VVER1000 outages.

In 1982, half the bolts of the closure head of the steam-generator header
at Rovno-1 actually sheared off.

* Problems with instrumentation and control systems and with
properly integrating Western (presumably Siemens) control systems and
Russian components, which have proven very difficult at the Temelin plant
in Czech Republic, accounting for much of the large cost overrun.

* Problems with the detailed plant layout that have resulted in
there being a particular spot in the plant where main steam-lines cross
with important emergency systems. A main steam-line break such as might be
caused by a big primary to secondary leak, can here result in the main
steam line rupturing, and in turn destroying other essential safety
systems. It is essential that when the DPR for Koodankulam is done that
this issue of design is tackled.

We have outlined a series of specific issues that pertain to VVER-1000
safety. It does not follow from this that only VVER-1000 reactors or even
only Russian reactors have these kinds of safety problems. These are in
many cases problems that have been recognised for many years in Western
(US, French and German) reactor designs also. It is simply the case that
safety issues of one sort or another are inherent in ALL nuclear
technology, and all reactor designs.

We would oppose any specific plant design at Koodankulam. No plant type,
and no plant design, is the right design, since all nuclear technology
without exception is inherently unsafe.

3) VVER1000 projects in Eastern Europe suffer from unreasonable escalating
cost estimates and hence have become the subject of strongest controversy
and opposition. The Temelin nuclear plant in the Czech Republic is
currently three years late in start-up, and the cost escalation is expected
to be over US$1billion (4,000 crores of rupees). According to recent Czech
government reports, it will be at least another 2 years delayed and another
US$1.2billion in cost overrun. It is quite possible that the Temelin VVER
project will collapse. Opposition both at domestic and international level
to the R4K2 project in the Ukraine has also been growing.

4) The collapse in the Russian nuclear construction infrastructure is even
more a cause for concern. Most of the best Russian engineers have left the
country, and construction programs for nuclear reactors within Russia have
all come to a grinding halt. It appears that the Department of Atomic
Energy of India has not made a full and correct assessment of these serious
developments and for reasons not known the Government of India is not being
given a full and complete picture of these serious developments which are
bound to reflect in the installation and commissioning of 2000 MW
Koodankulam project.

5) The temperature rise of the sea at Koodankulam is bound to affect
fishing and the discharge of radioactive pollutants into the sea is bound
to damage the health and the environment of the people there. The
experience already gathered shows that while the Madras Atomic Power Plant
at Kalpakam near Madras runs and discharges to sea at its present rated
capacity of 350 MW, the sea water temperature rises from 85 to 140 degrees
=46. As a result, the fishermen at Kalpakam are able to catch only dead fish=
=2E
More over, the radiation levels mounted from the nuclear waste discharge
has already damaged the health of the people and the environment at
Kalpakam sea coast. If 350 MW could inflict such a damage at Kalpakam, what
would be fate of the fishermen and their environment at Koodankulam when
2000 MW nuclear plant (discharging roughly 6-7,000MwTh into the sea) goes
into operation ? Will it not turn the Tamilnadu coast into killing fields ?

6) The problem of safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel coming out of nuclear
power plants, could not be resolved even by the developed countries. Public
opposition to the construction of nuclear power plants led to abandoning
the plans to construct new nuclear power plants in USA, Canada, UK,
Germany, Sweden, Russia and other countries and it will be unwise for India
not to learn from the experience in these countries which are already
paying a heavy price for cultivating nuclear power to meet their energy
requirements.

7) The additional fuel processing needed for feeding the Koodankulam
nuclear plant would further pollute the already polluted under-ground water
belt in Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The fuel needed for
all the India's nuclear power plants is processed by the Nuclear Fuel
Complex (NFC) at Hyderabad a land locked city. The present installed
capacity of the ten nuclear rectors in India is 1845 MW. While processing
the fuel for the existing 1845 MW capacity, the NFC is discharging daily
50,000 tons of nuclear waste water and much of this radioactive discharge
has already polluted the under ground water belt upto 10 kilometres radius
around the NFC. The Department of Atomic Energy itself has warned the
people of Ashok Nagar village near NFC not to drink well water. If the
present 1845 MW fuel processing has already polluted the underground water
belt at Hyderabad, what will be the situation at Hyderabad if an additional
2000 MW fuel for Koodankulam is to be processed ? Will it not make
Hyderabad a burial ground ?

8) India is blessed with rivers. The utilisation of hydro potential of
India is not even 25 percent. By constructing small and medium size
hydro-power plants, one could get not only electrical power but also,
irrigation, drinking water, navigation and fisheries and damage to the
environment will be nil or negligible. On the other hand, the nuclear power
plants pollute the environment with dangerous nuclear radiation the effect
of which remains for thousands of years threatening all forms of life on
earth. By avoiding the costly Koodankulam project, India could also find
funds for developing alternate sources of energy such as solar, wind and
tidal power.

Therefore, a relevant question is whether any nuclear reactor development
of this kind is in the interests of the Indian people ?

We believe that the interests of the Indian people will be put to total
jeopardy by the Koodankulam project and a public review of the entire
project is urgently needed.

The failure of the NPC, DAE and AERB to consider or even to acknowledge the
safety problems of VVERs in Eastern Europe is a matter that is in urgent
need of correction. These matters must be dealt with in detail in the
detailed project report, which must be made available for public comment in
full.

We call on you to cancel the entire project forthwith.

Yours Sincerely,

S.P. Udayakumar, South Asian Community Centre for Education and Research,
Nagercoil, TN,
Kamlesh Pande, Pune , India,
Kashyapa Yapa, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Az, USA.,
Prof. I.K. Shukla, Coalition for An Egalitarian and Pluralistic India,
Satish Kolluri, University of Massachusetts,
Nitin Malhotra, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA., USA.,
Bir Ganguly, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA., USA.,
Kiran Bhadiraju, University of Minnesota, USA.,
Rahul Pandey, IIT Bombay, India.
K.B. Pande, Pune,
John Dayal, India,
Anand Patwardhan, Bombay, India,
Hari P. Sharma, Indian Peoples Association in North America,
=46r. C.M. Paul, President, UNDA/OCIC, RNC Rd, Calcutta,
Prof Ziauddin Sardar, Editor, Futures,
Shubha Chacko, Centre for Education and Documentation, Bangalore, Karnataka,
Jharana Jhaveri, Anurag Singh, Sah Vikas Society, Delhi,
Vidhi Parthasarathy, Friends of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Madison, Wisc,
Harsh Kapoor, South Asians Against Nukes, Combaillaux, France,
Sujit Patwardhan, PARISAR, Pune, India,
Sukla Sen, Committee for Communal Amity, Mumbai, India,
Vijaya Mulay, Centre for Development of Alternative Media, India,
Professor Dinesh Mohan, Indian Institute of Technology,(IIT) Delhi, India.,
S. Swaminathan, Chief Design Engineer, IIT, Delhi,
Kunal Chattopadhyay, Anti-Nuclear Forum, Calcutta, West Bengal,
Dr Vineeta Gupta, General Secy, INSAAF International, Bhatinda, Punjab,
Ammu Abraham, Womens Centre, Mumbai, India,
Maitree (Womens Activists Network), Calcutta, West Bengal,
Kinara Bachao Sangarsh Samiti, Bombay, India,
Manojkumar Saranathan, Rockville, MD., USA.,
Prasad Subramanian, George Mason University, USA.,
Nandita Ghosh, Fordham University., NY., USA.,
George Pulikuthiyil, Executive Director, Jananeethi, Thrissur, Kerala, India=
,
V. B. Rawat, Namaita Rawat, Sanjay Rai, (Lucknow), Prof D. Prempati
(Delhi), Rastriya Jagriti Manch, India.,
V. Krishna Ananth, Journalist, Chennai, India,
Bhanu Das, Peoples Democratic Forum, Bangalore, India.,
Allwyn D' Silva, Documentation, Research and Training Centre, Justice and
peace Commission, Mumbai, India,
Sukla Sen, EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity) Mumbai, India,
Venugopal Elumalai, Boulder Co., USA.,
Meera Udayakumar, St Paul, Minn, USA.,
Vikram Vyas, Jaipur, India,
Sanjay Joshi, India.,
Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, Pune, India.,
Dr Ravi Arvind Palat, University of Auckland NZ.,
Vasudha Dalmia, University of Calif, Berkley, USA.,
Arjun Guneratne, Macalester College, St Paul, MN, USA.,
Twinkle Chopra, Ahmedabad, India.,
Nilanjan Dutta, Journalist, Calcutta, India,
Helder de Oliviera, JNU, New Delhi, India.,
Vimal Bhai, Convenor, National Alliance of Peoples Movements, India.,

Tanveer Ahmad Meer, SDPI, Pakistan (Islamabad)
Shirkat Gah, Lahore Pakistan,
=46erda Tarzi, Istanbul, Turkey,

Valdimir Sliviak, Social- Ecological Union, Russia,
Alisa Nikoulina, Antinuclear Campaign in the Ex-USSR,
Alexandra Koroleva, Baltic Regional Resource Centre of Ecodefense,
Galina Ragouzhina, 'Ecodefense' Russia,
Profesor Alexey Yablokov, Centre for Russian Environmental Policy,
Gennady Andreev, Tomsk Agency for Biocomputers and Human Ecology, Tomsk,
Russia,
Valentina Dmitrieva, Environmental Education Centre, Republic of Sakha,
Yakutsk, Russia,
Olga Miryasova, Rainbow Keepers, Russia,

Yury Urbanski, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, Kiev, fx380-44-221-280=
8.
Alla Shevchuck, Social-Ecological Union, Odessa, Ukraine,
Andrey Zatoka, Chair, Social- Ecological Union/Institute for Biodiversity
in Central Asia, Turkmenistan,
Linas Vainius, Lithuanuan Green Movement, Lithuania,
Ira Lobko, For Mother Earth, Belarus, Minsk, Belarus,
Vladimir Garaba, Environmental Movement of Moldova,

Ben Pearson, Nuclear Campaigner, Greenpeace International, Amsterdam,
Dirk Bannink, World Information Service on Energy, Amsterdam,
Ophelia Cowell, MDB Energy Project, Netherlands,
Daniel Schwartz, The Zhaba Collective, Amsterdam,
Marjan Willemsen, For Mother Earth, Netherlands,
Gerard Oonk, India Committee of the Netherlands, Utrecht, Neth,
Ak Malten, Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance, The Hague, Netherlands,
=46rank Slijper, AMOK, Groningen, Netherlands,

Josef Puehringer, Anti-Atom International, Vienna, Austria,
Upper Austrian Platform Against Nuclear Power Plants
BIU- Buergerinitiative Umweltschutz, Czech Republic,
Centrum Energie, Czech Republic,
Jan Beranek, Hnuti Duha, Brno, Czech Republic,
Matthias Reichl, Centre for Encounter and Active Non-Violence, Bad Ischl,
Austria,

Dr Karl Lindemann, People of the Eiffel Against Nuclear Technology, Germany,
Xanthe Hall, IPPNW Germany, Berlin,
Heike Drillisch, World Economy, Ecology and Development, Bonn, Germany,

Reguel Stienbock, Greenpeace Finland,
Pentti Malaska, Futures Research Centre, Helsinki Finland,
Ulla Lehtinen, Chair, First Peoples, Finland,
Pentti Malaska, DTech, Former President, WFSF, Finland,
Bjorn Hejskov Neilsen, OOA Denmark,
Tarjei Haaland, Greenpeace Nordic/Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark,

Commander Rob Green, Disarmament and Security Centre, Christchurch, NZ,
Ravi Arvind Palat, University of Auckland, NZ.,
Megan Hutching, National Secy, WILPF Aotearoa, NZ.,

World Court Project, London, UK.
Tigger Mc Gregor, Youth and Student CND, London., UK.
Jenny Maxwell, West Midlands Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, UK.,
Steve Conn, Strathclyde University, Third World First Society, U.K.,
Kenneth James Moon, Swansea Earth Action, University of Swansea, Wales, U.K.=
,
Droitwitch Earthrise, Worcs, UK.,
Lorraine Mann, Scotland Against Nuclear Dumping, UK.,
John Manoocheri, Oxford University One World Group, Oxford, UK.,
Kathleen Sullivan, Centre for Human Ecology, Edinburgh, Scotland,
Solange Fernex,Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, France,
=46elicity Hill, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, NY, Gene=
va,
Cora Weiss, Vice-President, International Peace Bureau, Geneva,
International Peace Action,

Mika Obayashi, C.N.I.C., Tokyo, Japan,
Nichigu Asanga, Buddhist Monk, Member, Abolition Caucus,
Seok Kwang Hun, Green Korea United, Seoul, S. Korea.,
Green Party Taiwan, Taipei Taiwan,
Aditi Chowdhury, Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA) Hong
Kong,

Tony Stevenson, World Future Studies Federation, Bacolod, Phillipines.,
Harley, Coordinator, WALHI NGO Forum, Sulawesi, Indonesia,
Jean-Clautaire Ferreys Poule, Executive Director, Earth Action Congo,
Brazzaville,

Alice Slater, Global Resource and Action Centre for the Environment, NY, US.
Ellen Thomas, Chair, Proposition - One Committee, Washington DC, USA.,
Michel Marriotte, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, US,
Molly Johnson, Save Ward Valley, California, US,
Ellen Connett, Waste-Not, NY, US.
Bill Smirnow, Nuclear- Free New York, NY, USA.
Greg Wingard, Executive Director, Waste Action Project, US.
Sandra Schwartz, American Friends Service Committee, Pacific Mt office, San
=46rancisco, CA.
Susan Gordon, Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Seattle, Washington, USA=
=2E
MH Segal, Humboldt Organised for People and the Environment, US,
Barbara Hicknell, Coordinator, Alliance to Close Indian Point, NY., US.
Charmaine Subjec, Air, Water Earth, Arizona.
Sean Donahue, New Hampshire Peace Action,
Susan Alzner and Leigh Lytle, Earth Challenge, US,
Chris Trepal, Earth Day Coalition,
Joe Mirabile, Eco-Bridge, San Francisco,
Alica Mc Combs, President, Earthwins,
Linda Peertz, Safe Energy Communication Council, US,
Susan B. Griffin, Chenengo North Energy Awareness Group, N.Y.,
Pat Birnie, Arizone Safe Energy Coalition, Ariz, US.
Nukewatch USA, Wisconsin,
Harvey Wasserman, Citizens Protection, Ohio,
Michael Welch, Redwood Alliance, California,
Barbara Weidener, Grandmothers for Peace International,
Elfrieda Berryhill, Chair, Coalition for Nuclear Power Postponement,
Bernard J. August, Chair, Committee Against Plutonium Economics, Delaware,
U.S.,
Allan Muller, Director, Green Delaware,
Mark D. Stansbury, Community Organising Centre, Columbus, Ohio,
Grace Thorpe, National Environmental Coalition of Native Americans, USA.,
Marion Pack, Executive Director, Alliance for Survival, California, USA.,
Christine Witowski, Southern Coalition Opposing Plutonium Energy,
Wendy Oser, Nuclear Guardianship Project, Berkley, CA., USA.,
Elizabeth Shafer, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy.,
Chuck Johnson, Centre for Energy Research, Salem Oregon,
Susan Shaer, Womens Action for New Directions, Mass, USA.,
Bruce A. Drew, Prairie Island Coalition,
Harvey Wasserman, Citizens Protecting Ohio,
Bill Pfeiffer, Sacred Earth Network, Massachusettts, USA,
Reinhard Knutsen, Shundahai Network, Nevada, USA.,
Jonathan Mark, Stop Cassini Flyby,
Beryl Schwartz, Peace Action New Mexico,
Deborah Katz, Citizens Awareness Network, Ma, Ct, Nb, Vt, USA,
Stephen Brittle, Don't Waste Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.,
Carah Ong, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, Calif, USA.,
Geoffrey Cook, Co-Chair, East Bay Sanctuary Movement, Berkley, Calif, USA.,
Michael W. Stowell, Co- Chair, Redwood Peace Coalition, Arcata, Calif.,
Manojkumar Saranathan, Rockville, MD.,
Marc H. Lavietes, MD., President, New Jersey PSR.,(Physicians for Social
Responsibility)
James Riccio, Public Citizen Critical Mass Energy Project,
Prof Dennis Brutus, Co-President, Jubilee2000Afrika, Univ of Pittsburgh, USA=
=2E,
Prof Jim Boland, Assoc. Prof. of Education, University of Wilmington, Ohio,
USA.,
Chris Tepal, Earth Day Coalition, Cleveland Ohio, USA
Chenango North Energy Awareness Group, Plymouth NY, USA.,
Corrine Carey, Don't Waste Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
Judy Treichel, Executive Director, Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, Las
Vegas, Nevada, USA
=46redrique Apffel-Marglin, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Centre of
Mutual Learning, Smith College, Northampton, Mass, USA.,
Charles Amjad-Ali, Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.,
Mary Jo Christian, Monmouth County Citizens for Clean Air and Water, Tinton
=46alls, NJ, USA.,
Lehar Sethi Zaidi, CA., USA.,
Joseph E. Schwartzenberg, Dept of Geography, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Bob Darby/Tom Ferguson, Food Not Bombs, Atlanta, USA.,
David A. Kraft, Director, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Evanston, Il,
USA.,
Russell Kujan, Baltimore Green Party,
Richard N. Salvador, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, Honolulu, Hawaii.,

Joan Russow, President, Green Party, Canada,
Anne Adelson, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace,
Niel Sinclair, New Green Alliance, Canada,
Marion Penna, ICUC, Saskatoon, Canada,
Rosalie Bertell, International Institute of Concern for Public Health,
Toronto, Canada.,
Victor Lau, Green Campus Society, Regina, Sask, Canada.,

Irene Bloemink, FOE Netherlands,
John Hallam, Nuclear Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Sydney,
Gabriel Rivas-Ducca, FOE Costa-Rica,
Briggite Parnigoni, Friends of the Earth Austria (Global 2000).
Jan Kunnas, Chair, Friends of the Earth Finland, Helsinki,
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth El Salvador (CESTA/Chair,
=46OE-International)
Viktor Khazan, Friends of the Earth Ukraine (Zeleney Zvit) Ukraine,
Linas Vainius, Vice-Chair, Lithuanian Green movement/FOE Lithuania
Manana Kochladze, FOE Georgia/Georgia Greens, Tblisi, fx 995-32-35-16-74.
Juraj Zamkovsky, Friends of the Earth Slovakia, Bratislava,
Rachel Western, Friends of the Earth U.K.,
Laars Skaarup Mainz, Friends of the Earth Denmark, Copenhagen,
Kika Pitsillidou, Friends of the Earth Cyprus, Limassol, Cyprus,
Dr Angelika Zahrnd/Stefan Rostock, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND)
Daniela Stojanova, Secy, Friends of the Earth Macedonia,

Jabiluka Action Group, Victoria,
Merril Findlay, Imagine The Future Inc, Fitzroy, Aust,
Rowena Skinner, Environment Centre of W.A., Perth, Aust,
Liam Phelan, People for Nuclear Disarmament, NSW., Aust.,
Deborah metters, Arid Lands Environment Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Aust,
Igor O'Neill, Mineral Policy Institute, Sydney, Australia,
Beryl Brugmans, Northern Territory Environment Centre, Darwin, NT., Aust.,
Graham Daniell, People for Nuclear Disarmament, Perth, W.A.,
Irene Gale AM, Australian Peace Committee, Adelaide, SA.,
Tim Cadman, Native Forest Action Network, Aust.,