Vattenfall escapes responsibility for German nuke accidents
The Swedish state-owned power company Vattenfall has reorganized so it will escape having to pay compensation should there be an accident at one of its reactors in Germany.
The change comes three years after it was revealed that the Swedish company had signed an agreement taking responsibility for its German operations. At the time then Minister for Enterprise Maud Olofsson said the situation was unacceptable for one of Sweden’s largest companies.
Now, Swedish Radio News says, Vattenfall has created a German subsidiary which could take the potentially billion dollar blow should there be an accident, shielding the Swedish mother company from responsibility.
Vattenfall says the changes mean the company is more modern and streamlined, but environmental organizations and politicians in Germany say it is using legal tricks to escape its responsibilities.
