A Bulgarian nuclear expert and environmental groups urged the European
Commission Friday not to approve the construction of the Belene atomic
plant in Bulgaria, warning the site was in a seismic zone.
"The Commission, and President (Jose Manuel) Barroso, are
unfortunately playing Russian roulette with our citizens and our
societies," said Guerorgui Kastchiev, former head of Bulgaria's nuclear
safety authority.
The groups expressed concern the European Union's executive
arm would meet next month to greenlight the Belene project near the
border with Romania, an endorsement that would entitle the government
to apply for millions of euros in E.U. loans.
But Kastchiev, now a nuclear physicist at Vienna's Institute
of Risk Research, and the green groups, said the commission was
preparing to endorse the project without studying all the risks.
In 1977, around 120 people died in an earthquake in the village of Svishtov, some 14 kilometers away from the site.
The plant is expected to be operational in 2013, with the
Russian specialist Atomstroyexport being responsible for building it.
The green groups underlined that Atomstroyexport is 84%
owned by Russian energy giant OAO Gazprom, and complained the
commission would be helping the new E.U. member become more dependent
on Russian energy.
The E.U. has been on a drive to reduce its dependency on
Russia for energy supplies since Gazprom switched of its natural gas
supplies to Ukraine during a harsh winter in January 2006 which caused
disruption in Europe.
Greenpeace Europe nuclear expert Jan Haverkamp underlined
Belene was an important test-case, as other central European countries
are considering plans for new nuclear power plants or reviving old ones
from communist times.
Serious preparations were being made for up to nine plants,
he said, with some of them also planning to seek loans through the
E.U.'s nuclear agency Euratom.
"Belene is only the first of a long list of controversial
nuclear schemes that were conceived during Soviet times and are now
finding their way back onto official agendas," the groups, also
including German NGO Urgewald, said.
Belgian, German and Italian companies are among those vying
for a 49% stake in the Belene Power Company, which will run the plant,
expected to cost at least EUR4 billion.