Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland’s energy minister, Doris Leuthard, Monday told a press conference that she is putting on hold all plans for new nuclear energy plants until safety norms can be reviewed. The norms would be reviewed by the Federal Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety in the light of findings concerning Japan’s nuclear power plants and their safety following the 11 March earthquake there.
There are fears that the core at a Fukushima plant in Japan may be melting, with little water remaining and specialists fighting since Friday to cool down reactors.
Switzerland has three nuclear power plants that are aging and need to be replaced: Beznau in Aargau, Goesgen in Solothurn and Muehleberg in Bern. Voters in Bern recently agreed, by a narrow vote, to rebuild their plant. Voters in other cantons also have a say, and in Jura and Vaud, citizens go to the polls 15 May, to support or not plans to rebuild the plants. Geneva and Valais are considering similar votes.
The earthquake in Japan was 8.9 on the Richter scale, and Switzerland is considered to be at risk for an earthquake of 7 at the most.
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