TOP officials in the newly elected French government are planning to
permanently mothball Superph茅nix, the world鈥檚 largest fast-breeder
nuclear reactor near Lyon.
Dominique Voynet, the new minister of the environment, said last week that
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin was committed to her plans to shut down the
controversial reactor because of its excessive costs and abysmal service record.
Since Superph茅nix was first hooked up to the national power grid in 1986,
it has run at full capacity for only 10 months.
