From: Greenpeace vessel MV Solo tracking Pacific Pintail
Date: WED 22-MAR-95 08:03:25 GMT - DAY 28, PART I
http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/28.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)The Pacific Pintail is at 0800 GMT in position latitude 55 degrees and 56 minutes south and longitude 074 degrees and 50 minutes west, on a course of 316 degrees with a speed of 12 knots.
The Chilean authorities this morning have demanded the Pacific Pintail leave the Chilean 200 mile EEZ provided that this would not pose a threat to the ship's safe navigation. The Pacific Pintail's captain in a message to the Chilean Naval authorities stated that he expects heavy weather conditions later today, and that as a consequence he preferred to stay on his current course.
The Chilean Naval authorities subsequently granted the Pintail permission to continue on its course out of reasons of safe navigation, until it had passed the storm front. At that time they demanded the Pacific Pintail turn west. The Pintail's captain agreed that after the current storm front passed it would sail directly out of Chilean's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Yesterday, Chile's Foreign Minister, Jose Miguel Insulza, said that a "very strong protest" will be delivered to the governments of Japan, France and the UK over the high level nuclear waste shipment through Cape Horn. Such steps are necessary he said "in order to prevent a recurrence of this kind of activity, since we understand that this took place in the framework of a long-term programme" of high level nuclear waste shipments. Insulza also reaffirmed earlier statements by Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mariano Fernandez, to the effect that Chile will "try to strengthen international rules to prevent this kind of thing".
On March 16th, the Chilean government adopted a resolution forbidding the Pacific Pintail to sail in its territorial and jurisdictional waters, (Resolution 12600/67 of March 16th, by the Chilean Maritime Authority, General Directory for the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine, DIRECTEMAR). What follows is a preliminary translation of this resolution:
The Chilean Maritime Authority, "considering that:
1. It is the duty of the Maritime Authority to foresee the threat to the marine environment, as well as to human health, life and security in the seas, posed by the passage through national sovereign an jurisdictional waters of the British ships Pacific Pintail or European Shearwater, carrying a shipment of cylinders with vitrified nuclear wastes containing 16.800.000 Curie units of radioactivity.
2. According to the principles of the new Law of the Sea, the exercise of the right (to free) navigation should not have a negative effect on the protection and preservation of the marine environment and the conservation of live resources, the coastal State having the duty to take care of the same.
3. That the available international means are neither enough nor appropriate to address the unforceable consequences of a radioactive catastrophe.
4. That the above mentioned transport violates the "precautionary principle", which is embodied in the 1992 Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development.
5. The relevant international bodies, the International Maritime Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency, following the recommendations issued by the IMO Committee for the Protection of the Marine Environment, are carrying, in association with UNEP, an in-depth study of the transport of radioactive materials by sea, in order to adopt a Code on the Safe Transport of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel (INA).
6. Until the adoption of more stringent international regulations, to address the actual safety requirements for the transport of radioactive substances, it is necessary to ban the passage through waters under national jurisdiction of all those ships carrying such substances.
7. Particularly severe weather conditions in the far South (of the Continent) and the Cape Horn route specifically, increase the ordinary risks of navigation.
In its preamble the Resolution, besides citing relevant national Chilean legislation, refers to "Article 1 and all other articles of the 12 November 1981 Lima Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Zone in the Southeastern Pacific".
Greenpeace applauds the efforts of the Chilean government in its commitment to its responsibilities to protect the marine environment in the waters under its jurisdiction from the possible effects of an accidental release of highly radioactive waste, as well as its concern and care for the safe navigation of the Pacific Pintail. There is no doubt that an accident involving the Pacific Pintail could result in long term and possibly irreversible degradation of the delicate environment of the Antarctic coasts and waters surrounding Cape Horn.
Greenpeace calls on Chile and Argentina to adopt further national legislation to prohibit the transit, sailing and stay of plutonium and nuclear waste shipments in the waters under their jurisdiction, and to seek the support from the international community in the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific to close the current gap between Chilean jurisdictional waters and the Antarctic Treaty Area. This gap would allow the nuclear waste carriers of Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL), the owner/managers of the Pintail, to select the Southern route around Cape Horn for its future transports of spent nuclear fuel, nuclear waste and plutonium.
If additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste is required, please contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++871-1301166--$10 per minute), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: ++44-171-226-3151). Photo, video or other media requests to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: ++44-171-8330-600).
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)
From: MV Solo
Date: WED 22-MAR-95 21:31:49 GMT DAY 28, PART II
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF 2400 GMT TODAY MATCH 22, SOLO'S PHONE NUMBER WILL CHANGE TO: ++874 - 1301166, FAX : 874 - 1301167
At 2100 GMT, the Pacific Pintail is at latitude 54 degrees and 36 minutes south and longitude 078 degrees and 56 minutes west, on a course of 290 degrees with a speed of 12 knots.
In discussion with the Chilean Navy this morning, the British flagged freighter Pacific Pintail told Chilean authorities it would leave the Chilean Exclusive Economic Zone as soon it would be possible to do so without jeopardizing the ship's safe navigation. These concers are an indication of the dangers posed by weather conditions to these radioactive waste shipments i the waters around South of Cape Horn.
At 2100 GMT the Pacific Pintail was at a distance of 180 miles off the Chilean Coast and Greenpeace estimates that the vessel will leave Chilean jurisdictional waters around 2400 GMT tonight to start on her journey to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Greenpeace applauds the Chilean government's efforts to protect the marine environment in its jurisdictional waters from the possible effects of an accidental release of highly radioactive waste, as well as its concern and care for the safe navigation of the Pacific Pintail. There is no doubt that an accident with the Pacific Pintail could result in long term and irreversible degradation of the delicate environment of the Antarctic coasts and waters surrounding Cape Horn.
For additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++874-1301166), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: 44-171-226-3151). Photo, video, or other media requests should be made to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: 44-171-8330-600).
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)