Industries

LEMONIZ NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

With the plant paralyzed under the impact of Ryan's death, in March and April 1981 the senior technicians received warnings from ETA not to resume work. The energy crisis worsens. The central government and the company in charge of supplying the north of the State insist that the only solution to ensure energy self-sufficiency in the Basque Country is nuclear energy and, specifically, the commissioning of the Basordas power plant (Lemoiz). However, the organizations that oppose the nuclearization of Euzkadi argue that in order to achieve energy independence it would also be necessary to have enough uranium to supply it and an enrichment plant for said metal. When the time comes for decisions, eyes are directed towards the Basque Government, which still does not have the energy competence provided for in the Statute. Curiously, on April 9, the Government transferred power over energy, industry and mines to the Department of Industry of the Basque Government. The question jumps again to the Basque Parliament where the PNV leans towards Sa Lemoiz although conditioned (to the verification of the quality of the construction, to the elaboration of an emergency plan and to the fact that a popular consultation is carried out ), a position that comes to reinforce the support for Iberduero of the UCD and AP, while the PSOE remains in uncertainty, although expressing its non-opposition in principle to nuclear energy. On December 16, after a year marked out by more than 200 ETA attacks against Iberduero, the Basque Parliament accepted the conclusions drawn up by the Commission of Inquiry, which argued that, despite the irregularities committed by Iberduero in various phases of the work , its construction was adjusted, at present, to all existing legal-administrative requirements. They vote in favor of the report PNV, UCD and AP (28 votes) and against PSOE, EE and PC (11). With this background -HB, EMK, PC and EKI do not have parliamentary representation in Vitoria-, the G. Vasco, the G. Central and Iberduero sign, on March 22, 1982, an agreement for the implementation of Lemoiz in June 1983. Lemoiz -says Vice President Mario Fern ndez- must work since the energy future of Euzkadi demands it. The Basque Government proposes three conditions that must be met for it to be put into operation: 1. Auditing and, where appropriate, the rectification of deficiencies that become apparent as a result of it. 2. The realization of the emergency plan that must be approved by the competent authorities. 3. The existence of control over its operation. The referendum was evaded due to government imposition (García Egocheaga's statements in Euzkadi n. 50, 1982, p. 11). On April 5, E. Jaurlaritza created the Ente Vasco de la Energía, SA, Sociedad de Gas de Euskadi and the Sociedad de Gestión de la C. Nuclear de Lemoiz,-SA By virtue of the agreements, the plant and the energy They will continue to be the property of Iberduero, which will provide energy support of 42.4% to the CAV compared to 1.6% in 1982. The Basque Entity will be of a transitory nature until it is approved by the Basque Parliament. Confident in this agreement, the workers of Lemniz resume their tasks.