About FUNAM Join us Campaigns Achievements News' desk Accusations Your proposals Publications   FUNAM is non-governmental organization (NGO) that links both people and institutions towards a sustainable development.     Environment Defense Foundation (FUNAM) has consultative status at United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).  FUNAM is Global 500 Award from United Nations

Radioactive Ship: FUNAM exhorted the National Government to refuse passage to the “Pacific Swan” through Argentine exclusive economic zone. Article 41 of the National Constitution does not allow the entrance of radioactive waste to the country.- Charges would be brought against the Chancellor. FUNAM suggests actions together with Chile and Argentina to declare a common “non-nuclear zone”. The Argentine official silence in face of the passage of the “Death Ship” is to be noted. Cordoba, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, December 26, 2000. The Environment Defense Foundation (FUNAM) summoned the Argentine Government to stop the passage of the ship “Pacific Swan” through Argentine waters. The president of FUNAM, Biologist Raul Montenegro, sent a registered letter to the Argentine Chancellor, A. Rodríguez Giavarini, demanding that within three days “national authorities and the Navy forbid the passage of the ship ‘Pacific Swan’ through Argentine exclusive economic zone”. He also asked them to notify this prohibition “to the governments of France and Japan, to the companies responsible for generating, transporting and receiving the 192 containers and to the captain of the ship.” Montenegro reminded the government that Article 41 of the National Constitution “forbids the entrance of radioactive waste into the country” and that the Constitution of the Province of Tierra del Fuego, the one most threatened by the shipment, “also forbids this in the article 56, clause 3”. The president of FUNAM, who is also tenured professor of Evolutionary Biology at the National University of Cordoba, warned that if the Chancellor and the National Government do not prevent the passage of the ship “they would be violating the law. The Chancellor cannot continue to look the other way when a floating Chernobyl threatens our territory. If the government does not prevent the passage of the ship ‘Pacific Swan’ within the allotted time stated in the letter, we will take the Chancellor A. Rodriguez Giavarini to Federal court for non-fulfillment of official duties. Those in public office who do not obey the law or do not enforce the law automatically violate Article 248 of the Penal Code.” A Bill is Proposed FUNAM proposed the creation of a bill for a “non-nuclear zone” throughout Argentine exclusive economic zone (EEZ)” and to invite the government of Chile to also articulate its own law. This is the only way that we can prevent the continued exposure of ships loaded with plutonium 239 and radioactive waste.” Suspicions about the National Government Dr. Raul Montenegro added that this law “besides being in agreement with the Constitution would also prevent the shipping of Australia’ future radioactive waste”. After recalling that the contract signed by INVAP and Australia for the sale of a reactor “included this possibility”, he remarked that the Australian wastes would “come by ship from Sydney, they would cross Cape Horn and would be unloaded in the port of Buenos Aires. This would begin after the year 2010. After processing, the radioactive wastes would return by the same route to Australia”. Montenegro asked if this contract which is “clearly illegal” explains the “weak and hesitant position of the government in the case of the passage of the ship Pacific Swan”. Inadmissible risks. Besides demanding that the Constitution be upheld, FUNAM alerted about “unpredictable sanitary and environmental risks” with the Pacific Swan ship. The ship which left France and would cross Cape Horn to finally arrive in Japan, carries 192 containers with highly radioactive waste which add up to 96 million Curies of radioactivity. The Biologist Raul Montenegro indicted that that amount “is close to what was released by the Chernobyl accident.” He added that if the wastes are vitrified “an accident or fire could make the containers sink completely or fragmented into the ocean depths.Should this happen in Argentine territorial waters, within its exclusive economic zone or even farther than that, the fishing industry and tourism would collapse. The south of Argentina would be transformed into a sunk Chernobyl, sunk and evil. Who would visit Tierra del Fuego? Who would buy the fishing products? Who would be held accountable for the economic and environmental damages? Apparently, our government, hesitant and undecided in face of the passage of the ship, does not know that the accident of Chernobyl for example has already cost more than 30,000 deaths and 250 billion dollars”. FUNAM indicated that the radioactive wastes transported “continue to be dangerous for more than 100,000 years and that they contain ”enormous quantities of caesium 137 and strontium 90, two radioactive materials which easily enter the food chain.” Montenegro recalled that the organisms absorbs the caesium 137 “as if it were sulfur” and strontium “as if it were calcium” and that they later accumulate. cesium 137 accumulates in the muscle tissue and strontium 90 in the bone”. Even if these highly rradioactive wastes are vitrified and keep into containers “independent studies have demonstrated that these are not as safe as their manufacturers claim.” They didn´t pass before. In 1995 the Chilean Navy blocked the passage of a ship belonging to the same company which transported radioactive wastes, the “Pacific Pintail” and which had intentions of entering the exclusive economic zone. In 1997, the actions of Argentina and Chile stopped another shipment from passing through Cape Horn. “It is suspicious, indicated Montenegro, that with this precedent they should insist with Cape Horn. It should be investigated if there were previous contacts of the governments of France and Japan with Argentina, and if there was why were they kept secret.”     This material can be used. Please, mention author and source. We will appreciate if you can send copy of the published material to funam@funam.org.ar. Many thanks.