The Belgium’s nuclear policy.
After the Japan crisis all the world woke up about the nuclear activity. Althoug in Belgium we do not suffer from possible radioactive fallout. At 10.000 km from Japan experts, politicians and everyone who have their say speak about the nuclear activity. In belgium they are 7 reactors : 3 in Tihange en 4 in Doel (nearly anvers). They are also 2 centres of nuclear research at Mol and Fleurus. But they are also 3 nuclear central in France nearly the border en 1 in Netherlands as you can see on this map. The nuclear energy provides 55% by the total consummating energy here in Belgium. The belgian reactors are built in the 70’s en will normaly close in 2025 according to the 2003 law that aimed to phase out nuclear power. Despite the age of our nuclear power plants the security level is good but the situation isn’t so far saved ! The japanese couldn’t predict this accident as here in Belgium but the risk is one of 20.000 to have a major accident in Europe. For Greepeace it’s to much !
The nuclear power emergency in Japan has prompted new safety concerns about Belgium’s nuclear programme and could lead to a major reassessment of its energy policy. The environmental group Greeapeace has intensified its opposition to nuclear power. They say that to prevent a same accident Belgium must move quickly to alternative energy sources. But government officials have started to calm people : they say that Belgium does not sit on a geological fault line and is not a risk of any quake-provoked accident. The Interior Ministry’s crisis is conscious of the risks by an accident and say that’s better to draw up emergency procedures now than to improvise in the event of an accident. That’s why the belgian government (or what’s left) was already planning an information campaing to reassure the public about the true risks of nuclear accidents : people living within a 20 km radius of a nuclear site will receive a brochure and will be able to collect free iodine