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Federal Environment Minister Lemke: "That's just dubious"
Photo: Metodi Popov / IMAGO
Actually, the Bavarian nuclear power plant Isar 2 should run longer as part of the emergency reserve.
But as it has only now become known, damage would have to be repaired first.
After the leak became known, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke complained that she had not received any earlier information from Bavaria - and specifically targeted the Union and the Bavarian State Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Thorsten Faithr (Freie Wahler).
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and CDU leader Friedrich Merz both looked at the reactor and spoke to the operator.
"I'm wondering whether they weren't informed about the leak or whether they simply didn't mention the problem at their press conference on August 4 in front of the reactor," said Lemke.
“The question also arises as to why Minister Glauber, after all the head of the Bavarian nuclear supervisory authority, did not draw attention to the problem.
It's just frivolous,' she continued.
On Monday, your company published a statement that the operator of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant, the E.on subsidiary Preussen Elektra, had informed the Federal Ministry last week "about an internal valve leak" in the nuclear power plant.
This does not affect the safety of the facility.
The power plant can also continue to run until the end of operations, which is actually planned, on December 31, it said.
However, for reserve operation beyond this date, as the federal government envisages in the event of a power supply emergency, a repair would be necessary as early as October, Preussen Elektra said.
According to the information, this would be accompanied by a one-week standstill of the reactor.
"We are in the process of evaluating the changed situation and drawing conclusions," explained Lemke.
For an emergency reserve operation from January, "several changes in the law" are still needed, as the minister announced.
In order to clarify the question of repairing Isar 2, talks are now pending with the operator.
"It is true that the operator must now decide very promptly whether to carry out these repairs," said Lemke.
The leak that has occurred makes it clear "that questions of security requirements are being systematically ignored in the political debate about extending the term of the CDU and CSU," criticized the minister.
"For me, the new twist is also a confirmation that an extension of the term by three to four years is not responsible and also not simply possible," said the Green politician.
mic/dpa-AFX
