Austrian Chancellor says Temelin needs more safety tests

The Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel has said that his government does not consider the environment impact study on the Temelin nuclear power plant a sufficient guarantee of safety. Speaking after Tuesday's cabinet session in Vienna, Chancellor Schussel said that many questions remained unanswered and that more safety tests would have to be undertaken before the plant was ready to go into commercial operation. The Chancellor said that since the present safety documentation was incomplete he advised postponing the public hearing on Temelin scheduled to take place in Linz on May 9th. In the Czech Republic a public hearing on the outcome of the environment impact study is to take place later today /Wednesday/ in Èeské Budejovice. EU commissioner Henning Ehrstein is to attend the hearing, German and Austrian anti-nuclear activists have not confirmed participation.

Anti-Temelin activists to hold major protest on Friday

Austrian anti-nuclear activists have been putting pressure on the Austrian government to take a tough line with Prague. A spokesman for the Austrian anti- nuclear committee said a major demonstration was being planned for this Friday at the Wullowitz border crossing in Upper Austria to commemorate the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 15 years ago, but above all to highlight problems involving Temelin. Politicians and well-known personalities from the arts world are expected to address the rally and the organisers say that they cannot rule out "spontaneous blockades" of the border.