Controversy Surrounding Radioactive Releases
Greenpeace has been campaigning since 1997 for the shutdown of the site, which they claim dumps "one million litres of liquid radioactive waste per day" into the ocean; "the equivalent of 50 nuclear waste barrels", claiming the radiation affects local beaches. They have protested by creating roadblocks and chaining themselves to vehicles transporting materials to and from the site, demonstrating that they could determine which of the otherwise unmarked shipments were carrying plutonium by watching the facility for several weeks. Eric Blanc, deputy director of the processing plant, says that although the plant does intentionally release radioactive material, the annual dose in the vicinity of the plant is less than 20 microsieverts per year, which is equivalent to the dose of solar radiation received during a transatlantic flight. The AREVA NC website emphasizes that they are committed to keeping the dose below 30 microsieverts per year.
Read more about this topic: COGEMA La Hague Site
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