Galicia, Spain – An alarming piece of news is stirring up Galicia: reports of more than a thousand barrels of radioactive waste on the seabed off the Galician coast have prompted the regional government, the Xunta de Galicia, to take action. In light of this potential environmental catastrophe, the Xunta is urgently demanding clarification from the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN).
Xunta de Galicia Demands Transparency from the CSN
In an official letter to the Secretary General of the CSN, María José Echevarría, Director General for Environmental Quality, is requesting comprehensive information about the alleged waste. The Xunta de Galicia reminds the CSN of its responsibility for nuclear safety and radiation protection, including the monitoring and control of radioactive materials.
The urgency of the request stems from reports that the French oceanographic vessel “L’Atalante” is said to have located the aforementioned thousand barrels. The Xunta expresses its strong interest in technical and environmental monitoring of the findings by the CSN to stay abreast of developments.
BNG Again Demands European Investigation
The BNG MEP Ana Miranda has also once again contacted the European Commission. She is calling for a comprehensive investigation into the radioactive waste linked to oil spills off the Galician coast between 1940 and 1985. Miranda criticizes that the EU has not yet adequately fulfilled its responsibility in investigating the Atlantic trench.
This is already the BNG MEP’s fourth inquiry on this matter. Miranda emphasizes that it is unacceptable that Galicia may have been exposed to European waste without the EU taking concrete action so far. She points out that the European Commission itself has acknowledged the existence of nuclear waste off the coast of Galicia but has lamented the lack of updated studies on its effects and repeated delays in monitoring radioactivity in the sea. In light of the current “L’Atalante” expedition, the BNG now expects concrete forecasts and the conduct of its own study by the European Commission.
