Rhineland-Palatinate joins legal action against Tihange 2 reactor

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate will join the legal action of Aachen city region against the continued operation of Belgian nuclear reactor Tihange 2. With its decision of July 12, 2016, the Council of Ministers follows the proposal of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Environment.
 
The legal action is directed against the continued operation of the Tihange 2 nuclear reactor, whose safety has not yet been proven according to international experts. Investigations showed several thousand cracks in the reactor pressure vessel.
 
The city region's matter is supported by some 60 municipalities from three countries. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has also recently joined the lawsuit.
 
Ulrike Höfken, Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of the Environment was satisfied with the decision of Ministry Council and said: "The continued operation of this ticking time bomb is irresponsible. A nuclear accident in Tihange would lead to radioactive contamination of air, water, and food in the region and far beyond. In the interest of our citizens, we are therefore fighting for the shutdown of the nuclear power plant on all political and legal levels."
 
Dr. Ute Jasper and Dr. Laurence Westen from the law firm of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek support all plaintiffs, jointly with Belgian law firm blixt.
 
Dr. Ute Jasper is one of the best-known lawyers for public procurement and public infrastructure projects. She advises federal and state ministries, municipalities, and companies. Ute Jasper heads Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek's "Public Sector & Public Procurement" department. For years, she has been ranked number 1 in JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms, most recently in its 2015/2016 issue, and according to "Law Firms in Germany" is the "premier contact on the market" for infrastructure.