Nuke is no good

DO YOU want a nuclear plant in yourvicinity? This will be the question whichresidents of the Kostroma district innorth-east Russia will answer in a referendum to be held on December 8. Thereferendum came about after a tirelesscampaign by In the Name of Life, a community action group, which is againstthe completion of a nuclear powerplant in Kostroma. What irks environmentalists is the fact that the plant iscoming up in an earthquake-pronearea. "Its (Kostroma) main wealth lies inits abundant forests, clean lakes andrivers and unpolluted air," said EduardGismatullin of Greenpeace-Russia. Activists from the group have so far collected more than 36,000 signatures, muchmore than the mandatory 10,000 signatures to be presented to the authoritiesfor undertaking a referendum, permitted under the 1993 Constitution.