Controversial fuel elements at Leibstadt nuclear power plant

According to a report in the Berlin daily newspaper "taz", the German company Framatome, which manufactures fuel elements, is threatened with a Display by the German environmental organization Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg. The accusation: In December, fuel elements were delivered to the Leibstadt nuclear power plant without an export license.

However, the nuclear power plant operators disagree. According to a spokesman told the "Aargauer newspaper", the 72 fuel assemblies from December are said to be covered by an export license that the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control received from the supplier. According to the Leibstadt nuclear power plant, the transport permit has also been obtained.

Possible prison sentence of up to five years

However, the legal dispute, which has been dragging on for several months, is likely to continue to occupy the nuclear power plant. The appeal from Baden-Württemberg is currently being heard by the administrative court in Frankfurt. According to the German Criminal Code, the unauthorized export of nuclear fuel carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Since the filed objection against the export license, unlike in a case with Belgium, does not originate from individuals but from an environmental association entitled to file a lawsuit, the starting position in the case of Switzerland is different. In Germany, both the environmental organization and the responsible supervisory authority of the fuel element export to Switzerland are in doubt.

If the French nuclear company Framatome is stripped of its reliability, it would no longer be allowed to carry out any other transports.

Sources: Infosperber, "taz", Aargauer Zeitung