[CPEO-MEF] 1968 nuclear crash in Greenland

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

MEPs urge Denmark to act over 1968 nuclear air crash

Press Release
European Parliament
Petitions
May 10, 2007

Parliament voted by 544 votes to 29, with 40 abstentions, in favour of a 
resolution tabled by the Petitions Committee calling on Denmark to take 
belated action in relation to the alleged health consequences of the 
1968 crash in Greenland of a US plane carrying nuclear bombs.

On 21 January 1968, a US B-52 bomber with several nuclear weapons on 
board crashed near the Thule Air Base in North-Western Greenland, 
releasing several kilos of weapons grade plutonium. The plutonium 
contaminated the immediate snow and ice at the crash site and was 
carried by high winds and water over an extensive area.

After clean-up operations - in which Danish workers volunteered to 
participate alongside US personnel - the US conducted regular medical 
monitoring of its air force staff. No similar monitoring was conducted 
by the Danish Government of the Danish civilian workers or the 
Greenlanders, many of whom continued to work at the Thule base and live 
in the area for several years thereafter.


...

For the entire press release, see
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/021-6476-129-05-19-902-20070507IPR06415-09-05-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm

--


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org


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