AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Bishops: “No nuclear power station in Rio Negro”

Thursday, 10 August 2017 environment   bishops   economy  

www.ahorarionegro.com

Neuquen (Agenzia Fides) – During a meeting chaired by Bishop emeritus Virginio Bressanelli diocesan Administrator of Neuquén, the highest Catholic authorities in Patagonia (Argentina) rejected a plan announced by the provincial government and the Mauricio Macri administration to build a nuclear power station in Rio Negro.
According to a report sent to Fides, the Bishops said "today the conditions for the execution of this project do not exist", while recognising "the country’s need to increase its production of electrical power, the job opportunities the power station would offer, they stress the urgency to generate other types of energy which do not give off gases responsible for climate change".
However the Bishops point out that a nuclear plant "produces dangerous refuse which remains radio-active for a long period of time and implicates a very high cost." They also said "the consequences of a failure or accident are extremely serious and irreparable ", expressing "little confidence in proper control ".
The Bishop say their intervention does not "intend to define scientific questions, or take the place of politics, but rather encourage honest and transparent dialogue ". (CE) (Agenzia Fides)


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