Temelin Gets IAEA Sign of Approval

The drawn-out Czech-Austrian dispute over the Temelin nuclear power plant in south Bohemia, located just sixty kilometers from the Austrian border, took a new turn over the weekend when the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Muhammad El Baradei threw his weight fully behind the Czech Republic. In an interview for Monday's edition of the Austrian paper Profil Mr. El Baradei said that Temelin posed no danger to the environment and indicated that the plant's opponents in Austria were obsessed with its existence rather than concerned about its safety.

The interview was bad news for Austrian anti-nuclear activists who had been pushing their government to take the Temelin dispute to an international court. Earlier this year the Austrian government commissioned a legal study to assess its chances of winning such a dispute. The verdict was - practically none. Now, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency - Nobel Peace Prize winner - Muhammad El Baradei has confirmed this opinion. "I do not have the slightest fears for Temelin and I can say so with a clear conscience since I live in Austria," Mr. El Baradei told the paper, advising Austrians to stop focusing on the plant's existence and focus instead on its safety.

Now maybe the Austrians can get back to work on starting Zwentendorf.

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