Atomic Dump Planned

The federal government's proposal to store nuclear waste near the town of Morsleben faces opposition from the government of Saxony-Anhalt, the state's Environment Minister Petra Wernicke told the Mittleldeutsche Zeitung.

The 1.5 million euros ($2 million) above-ground Morsleben facility would be built near an atomic storage site in an old salt mine that is scheduled for closure. The proposed type and quantity of atomic waste to be stored at Morsleben remains unclear.

No official decision

The governmental agency in charge of radiation protection told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung it was not ready to comment on the issue and noted that no building plans for the facility have been presented.

While Wernicke confirmed that no official announcement has been made, she said the state government has already received information about the construction costs and timeline.

The Morsleben facility would act as a substitute for an atomic storage facility in the city of Hanau that closed in 2005, Wernicke said.

"After closing Hanau, the government has not searched for other alternatives," she said. "Now, a quick solution is needed, and Saxony-Anhalt should be the stopgap."

The state government wants Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel to go over the plans and look for other alternatives.

Morsleben has been used since 1971 as a storage area for low- and mid-level radioactive waste.

Long-term solutions needed

Germany continues to search for long-term solutions for storing its high-level radioactive nuclear waste. Earlier this year, a court in the state of Lower Saxony overturned lawsuits aimed at keeping a former iron ore mine from being converted into a permanent nuclear waste storage facility. That facility will not store highly radioactive waste.

The most toxic waste continues to be sent to the eastern German town of Gorleben, which is considered a "temporary" storage facility.