François Hollande acknowledged “solemnly” the contribution of the French Polynesia nuclear deterrent
“This contribution, the one that you have made through nuclear testing, I want to solemnly recognize it today, in front of you,” commented French President under applause. Without French Polynesia, “France would not be endowed with nuclear weapons and thus the deterrent”, he insisted, saying he wanted, on the occasion of his visit to the archipelago to “turn the nuclear page”. The law of 5 January 2010, Morin said law named by former Defense Minister Hervé Morin, has made “advances” but only “twenty” of compensation cases – over a thousand – resulted, said the head of state, who announced an upcoming change of its implementing decree. He pledged that the state supports the development of the oncology department at the hospital in Tahiti. Polynesians consider that the tests are the cause of many cancers in the archipelago.
Facilities dismantling and decontamination of affected atolls strictly monitored
The ‘nuclear debt’ or “Chirac billion” (in French francs, the equivalent of 150 million euros today), an annual grant which aimed to offset the loss of business caused by the cessation of trials in 1996 “will be sanctified” and “its level will be restored in 2017 to over 90 million euros,” promised François Hollande answering to the pressing demand of local officials.
“The environmental consequences of the tests must also be processed” on the atolls that hosted the nuclear facilities. The state will complete including “facilities dismantling and decontamination of the atoll of Hao” and those of Mururoa and Fangataufa will be a “careful vigilance.” France conducted 193 nuclear tests from 1966 to 1996 on Mururoa and Fangataufa.
