October 3, 2004
Two ships carrying weapons-grade plutonium heading for France have yet to arrive in the English Channel, according to Greenpeace.
The environmental group has its own ship, MV Esperanza, stationed on the border of French and UK waters ready to intercept the vessels as they pass by.
Greenpeace spokesman Shaun Burnie said that the ships were originally expected to arrive at Cherbourg but said it was unclear exactly when they were due to dock.
He explained that the Esperanza was anchored due south of Weymouth, Dorset, and its Greenpeace crew should be able to identify the ships as they pass by.
The environmental protection charity also has members at Cherbourg ready for the ships' arrivals.
He said: "We have received different sources of information suggesting that the ships will arrive either in the next 24 hours or the next 48 hours. The ships were expected to arrive tonight but they obviously have their own plans and whether they are trying to evade us we don't know."
Mr Burnie added that protests were being organised by French environmental groups including planned road blockades to prevent the loads being transported to processing plants.
The ships' cargo of 125 kilograms of plutonium, enough to make around 40 nuclear weapons, is heading for France from the US, where it will be converted into nuclear reactor fuel rods.
The plutonium carriers could pass around 16 miles off the Cornish coast and Greenpeace are waiting between Guernsey and Start Point.
The US government has said the plutonium was being transported by sea as a one-off exercise. The UK registered vessels Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal were carrying the material for the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
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