Temelin restarted amid fresh anti-nuclear protests in Austria

Technicians at the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power station restarted the plant's first reactor on Tuesday, amid fresh protests from Austrian anti-nuclear opponents. A spokesman said the reactor, shut down since late February for repairs to the plant's turbine, would operate at low levels during a brief testing period. The second of Temelin's two reactors will be started up for the first time next week, and both units are scheduled to be fully operational by the end of the year. The Austrian-based Anti-Atom Community said on Wednesday the Czech Environment Ministry "completely ignored" safety standards when it approved 78 building modifications at the plant. The claim was the latest in a series of protests from Austria.