French deny atoll at risk from explosions

Press, 10 December 1981, Page 2

French deny atoll at risk from explosions

NZPA Paris France has rejected claims of increased radioactivity at its nuclear centre on Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific and plans more nuclear tests in spite of trade union criticism, according to French Government officials. Press reports that underground nuclear tests were slowly destroying ' the atoll and allowing radioactive material to leak into the ocean, led the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) to say on Monday, that he had sought clarification from France. A French Goverment official said that France had briefed New Zealand regularly on security measures at the atoll and was ready to answer New Zealand experts’ questions on safety precautions. The French Minister of Defence, Mr Charles Hernu, told the Senate last week-end that there were no security problems at the centre, he denied French trade union

allegations that the atoll was sinking because of the repeated blasts. Defence Ministry officials quoted Mr Hernu as saying there had been no increase in radioactivity on Mururoa, and said that he had guaranteed the safety of military and civilian staff working there. Press reports have said that a gap 800 m long and another 35cm to 70cm wide had been opened in the atoll below sea level. Trade unionists had said that radioactive material had leaked into the Pacific. Other reports said the tests had so badly damaged parts of Mururoa that the French military might have to move the test centre to another atoll in French Polynesia. The Defence Ministry and the Atomic Energy Commission have denied the reports, and have, rejected charges by the Socialist-led C.F.D.T. Trade Union Federation that nuclear pollution in the Mu-

ruroa area had doubled since the summer. The C.F.D.T. said tar had been sprayed to confine plutonium fall-out to the ground, but strong winds had dispersed the plutonium. The newspaper, “Le Matin,” said yesterday that five underground nuclear explosions had taken place on Mururoa since President Mitterrand had come to power in May. “The atoll is sinking 2cm with each explosion, or a total of 1.5 m since the underground tests began in 1975,” the newspaper said. France keeps secret the size of its nuclear explosions, but most are believed to involve less than 20 kilotonnes. Defence officials say the tests are aimed at miniaturising weapons so that they can be carried more easily by missiles and aircraft. The officials said testing at Mururoa took place in a shaft about two-thirds of a mile down, deeper than the site for American tests in Nevada and deep enough to prevent leaks.