WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2925/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Council. US training for Rwandan army
C 102/150 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 4. 98 (98/C 102/223) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2923/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (17 September 1997) Subject: Plutonium in teeth of teenagers in Ireland and Britain A study commissioned by Britainís Department of Health has detected plutonium in teeth of teenagers in Britain and Ireland, with the highest levels in those living close to the Sellafield nuclear complex. The study, which has been published in Science of the Total Environment, examined a sample of 3 300 teeth taken from teenagers during orthodontic treatment from Wexford to Antrim in Ireland and from Kent in England to the Scottish Highlands. Average plutonium levels were 7 millibecquerels per kg within 75 km of Sellafield, 5 millibecquerels within 75 to 225 km and 3 millibecquerels beyond 225 km. Nick Priest, who carried out the research while head of biomedical research at AEA Technology at Harwell, has concluded that the plutonium found in these samples áalmost certainlyí came from aerial emissions from Sellafield. Another possibility, he stated, was that some particles from Sellafieldís marine discharges may have been blown back from the Irish Sea in sea spray and breathed in through the lungs and entering the bloodstream, before lodging in bone, teeth and the liver. Has the Commission studied the findings of this report? Has it made any representations to the British authorities about it? What action does it propose to take in the light of this study and to ensure that no further radioactive pollution is caused by Sellafield? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (20 October 1997) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to her oral question H-656/97 during question time at Parliamentís September 1997 part-session (1). (1) Debates of the Parliament (September 1997). (98/C 102/224) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2925/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Council (16 September 1997) Subject: US training for Rwandan army The French newspaper Le Monde (August 28th 1997) has reported that the US army is providing combat and guerilla warfare training to the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan army. Le Monde has claimed to have seen a Pentagon report confirming this matter. The military training programme appears to have begun in 1994. Nine US military instructors are currently training 60 Rwandan officers, according to the report. The Rwandan army has been accused of massacring hundreds of thousands of Hutus in eastern Zaire. Has the Council made any representations to the US authorities about this report? Does it believe this military cooperation may have breached the UN-imposed arms embargo on Rwanda in any way? What action does the Council plan to take on this matter?