On 12 June, the Court of Appeals in Caen dismissed a suit filed by Greenpeace France. The court rejected all claims made against COGEMA and ordered the environmental group to pay legal costs.
The court first concluded that COGEMA had not violated the law. The filtration system on the waste discharge pipe at the La Hague plant is in compliance with regulations in force, as the Directorate of Nuclear Installations Safety (DSIN), which regularly monitors the site, has indicated.
At issue were a few particles larger than 25 microns found in water samples taken by Greenpeace France at the mouth of the pipe. The court concluded that they present no danger, since they come from wastewater and rainwater.
The court therefore turned down the Greenpeace France petition seeking an order to halt the releases as well a request for additional analyses, ruling that tests already done have confirmed that the liquid releases from the La Hague plant comply with laws and regulations.