Ascó: We Want To Store Nuclear Waste
January 26th, 2010
Ascó City Council today voted to approve its candidature to host Spain’s new centralised temporary storage (ATC), a facility that will house nuclear waste in Spain. However, the current President of the Generalitat (Catalonias Goverenment), José Montilla, also announced his opposition to the facility being located in Catalonia.
With members of Anti Nuclear organisations and many locals gathered outside the headquarters of the municipality and in the plenary hall, the uproar at the time of the vote had caused confusion in the counting of votes and its decision. They were finally ratified as seven in favour and two against, according to the Mayor of Ascó, Rafael Vidal.
Ascó, together with Yebra in Guadalajara, are the two contenders to be the chosen to host the nuclear storage facility. The government will officially designate the elected town at a meeting of the Association of Municipalities in Nuclear Power Plants (AMAC), to be held in Madrid in due course.
During his speech, the mayor of Ascó defended the nuclear installation in the town cemetery, he considers that it is “an opportunity for the future” to “cope with the de-industrialization” of the region of Ribera d’Ebre. In this sense, the entire region of Ribera d’Ebre would be involved in the management of the new centre, which will result in economic benefits and “make it possible to continue living in this part of the country.”
The Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, today stressed that the location of the nuclear waste store, whether Yebra or Ascó, will be decided “by consensus”, and highlighted that this is not a “politically motivated” decision.
