This year's referendum on nuclear renaissance in Italy will have an overly familiar feeling amid fears of a possible radiation release in Japan.
This year's referendum on nuclear renaissance in
Italy
will
have an overly familiar feeling amid fears of a possible radiation release in
Japan
.
Italians are scheduled to vote between April 15 and June 15 on whether they
want to block the government's policy of bringing nuclear plants back, after a
referendum almost 25 years ago decided to scrap the facilities.
In 1987, Italians voted to abandon nuclear energy because of the disaster at the
Chernobyl
power station in
Russia
the
previous year. Italian energy companies and engineers have been sulking ever
since.
With images of human suffering, damaged food stock and destroyed homes,
opponents of nuclear power walked over the nuclear supporters.
Today's opponents will be sure to pick on the possible nuclear meltdown risk at
the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in
Japan
caused from Friday's massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
In recent years Italian government officials have promoted the safety of
nuclear plants by taking
Japan
as an
example on how such facilities can be suitable in places vulnerable to large
earthquakes.
Italy is prone to earthquakes as can be seen from the 2008 tremor that hit the
central city of L'Aquila, leaving about 300 people dead, the 1997 quake that
severely damaged Assisi or the one at the start of the 20th century that
flattened the cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria.
All this won't make life easier for a government that wants to generate around
25% of Italy's future electricity from nuclear energy, or plans by Enel and
Electricite de France to jointly build four reactors for a combined investment
of EUR18 billion.
The majority of
Italy
's
regions have already stated they don't want a reactor in their area.
This means that the still-to-be-determined referendum date is likely to be set
as late as possible, or Sunday June 12, to try to get as much distance as
possible from the nuclear troubles in
Japan
.
So it won't be only be the Japanese who are following the unfolding events at
the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi complex--many in
Rome
will
be watching too.
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