Protected Marine Areas at Risk from Dredging Muds
Conferences, symposiums, chitchat and roundtables… So far, Protected Marine Areas are large spaces in which everyone wants to protect what they hold most dearly, aka, their own interests, even when those are as murky as dredging muds. The road to bringing reason to the active minorities, who are often polluting the most, is still long.
La Rochelle is, in this regard, quite edifying. As part of the extension and deepening of the pleasure-boating port of Minimes – for the benefit of trimarans, catamarans and monohulls, 1 million m3 of radioactive sludge and other pollutants must be extracted from the access channel to the old port by October 2011, and these extractions will be scattered at sea around the Pertuis Charentais Natura 2000 site. This 456,000 hectare area is described as one of the most productive marine ecosystems within the French waters, and several endangered species such as sturgeon, shad, and porpoises reside there. It is also an important economic resource for the professional fishermen, who, thanks to diversified techniques, supply auction and regional markets. Oyster ponds on the islands of Ré and Marennes-Oléron are labeled as part of the Pertuis Charentais.
Nuclear Power Plants Floating Around the World
The first Russian Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) was launched at the end of June 2010 (photo #1), the two nuclear reactors with a capacity of 35 MW x2 will be installed, according to the Russian authorities, before 2012. However delays are possible. This new nuclear activity is worrying, particularly because dealing with radioactive waste from Russian ice breakers and nuclear submarines as well as their dismantling continue to be a heavy burden.
Nuclear Power Plants Floating Around the World
The first Russian Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) was launched at the end of June 2010 (photo #1), the two nuclear reactors with a capacity of 35 MW x2 will be installed, according to the Russian authorities, before 2012. However delays are possible. This new nuclear activity is worrying, particularly because dealing with radioactive waste from Russian ice breakers and nuclear submarines as well as their dismantling continue to be a heavy burden.
