 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
IAEA needs funds for nuclear emergency response: ElBaradei
Vienna (AFP) June 16, 2009 UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei warned Tuesday that the agency would not be in a position to respond to a nuclear emergency like Chernobyl if member states did not increase its funding. In tough-talking comments to the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board during a budget debate here, ElBaradei said that if the watchdog did not have adequate funding "if we have an accident tomorrow, we will not be able to fulfil our responsibilities." The final decision lay in the hands of the member states, the IAEA chief insisted. "At the end of the day, it's your budget. If you come to me and say you'll cut there and there, then it's your budget," ElBaradei told the closed-door session. AFP obtained a recording of his remarks. But countries had to be clear about the implications of such a move, he warned. "I and my colleagues will not assume any responsibility (if) in a couple of years from now, we see another Chernobyl, or a nuclear terrorist." ElBaradei is asking its 145 member states for a major cash boost over the next two years: an 11-percent rise in funding for 2010 plus a further 1.5-percent hike in 2011. The nuclear watchdog estimates it needs 336 million euros for its day-to-day operations next year, up from around 300 million euros in 2009. That figure was expected to rise to 341 million euros in 2011. The United States is the single biggest contributor to the IAEA, followed by Japan and Germany. US President Barack Obama has called for funding to be doubled over the next four years, while other countries, such as Germany, are pushing for zero budget growth. ElBaradei has long argued the IAEA is underfunded as it needs more manpower and equipment to cope with a growing interest in nuclear energy technology worldwide, and the increased proliferation concerns connected with that. But pushing through the proposals could be tough at a time of global economic crisis. It has been proposed that IAEA borrow money to cover the extra funding. But such a mechanism would threaten the agency's work in the long term, ElBaradei warned. "The whole idea that either we have to borrow or stretch out our hand ... is really a bastardisation of an international organisation," he said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
France's ONET to decommission shut Bulgarian nuclear reactorsSofia (AFP) June 15, 2009 French company ONET Technologies signed Monday in Sofia a contract to begin decommissioning four shut nuclear reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy plant, company officials said. Safety concerns by Brussels prompted Bulgaria to shut the four 440-megawatt reactors ahead of joining the European Union in 2007, leaving only two 1,000-megawatt units still operating at the nuclear plant. ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook