Dominance of the IAEA from Storm van Leeuwens Comments on: Kvanefjeld Project. Environmental Impact Assessment

Dominance of the IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency is an organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Established independently of the United Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute [http://www.iaea.org/About/statute.html], the IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly and Security Council; its total Membership counts 159 states [http://www.iaea.org/ About/Policy/MemberStates/]. Official publications of the IAEA have to be approved by all member states of the IAEA. The globally authoritative status on nuclear matters of the IAEA follows from above mentioned facts.

The IAEA is often called the ‘nuclear watchdog’, due to the frequent publicity regarding surveillance and inspections of nuclear installations in less stable countries which could be used for the production of nuclear weapons. IAEA’s promotional activities are much less visible in the media..

It is a misconception to regard the IAEA as an independent scientific institute, for two reasons:

• • the IAEA, has the promotion of nuclear power in its mission statement,

  • its official publications have to be approved by all member states of the IAEA.

  • Politicians should be aware of the promotional and political aspects and of biased or incomplete information from the IAEA.

    • Information on nuclear matters to the public and politicians originates almost exclusively from institutions with vested interests in nuclear power, such as: IAEA, World Nuclear Association (WNA, the official representative of the Western nuclear industry), Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) in the US. The views of the Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) rely heavily on the IAEA and the WNA. The IAEA plays a dominant role in the statements of the nuclear world concerning nuclear security and health effects of dispersion of radioactive materials into the human environment. 

    • From page 31

      • • • Comments on:Kvanefjeld Project. Environmental Impact Assessment,

          • Greenland Mineral and Energy Limited Draft, October 2015, prepared by Orbicon A/S

          • by

          • Jan Willem Storm van Leeuwen, MSc

          • independent consultant, member of the Nuclear Consulting Group Ceedata, Chaam, The Netherlands storm@ceedata.nl

          • 22 January 2017