About 1,000 demonstrators protested yesterday outside a German nuclear power plant that hopes to ship its radioactive waste to France sometime soon. The German government recently lifted a two-year ban on such shipments, which had been imposed after it became clear that past shipments were leaking radiation well above permitted levels. The demonstration occurred even though German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin said on Saturday that France has effectively refused to accept nuclear waste from German power plants. Nuclear industry officials have said that some of the country’s 19 reactors may have to close prematurely because space to store waste onsite is running out. Meanwhile, Austrian protesters on Friday blocked all 15 border crossings to the Czech Republic in the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations after the Czech Republic started up a nuclear plant 30 miles from the Austrian border.
