Palma still waiting for results of radiation tests

The Balearic government is still waiting for an answer from Madrid regarding the results of the radiation tests carried out in the Bay of Palma by a special Spanish navy unit in the wake of the controversial visit to Palma by the nuclear-powered United States aircraft carrier the USS George Washington last October. pokesperson for the Balearic government, Antoni Garcias, confirmed yesterday that Palma has yet to receive any form of reply from Madrid. Chief Minister Francesc Antich, who outspokenly said that the warship was not welcome in Palma, wrote to the government, the Ministry for the Environment and the central Government Delegate in Palma, asking for information about radiation levels in the Bay. The aircraft carrier visit to Palma, a city once a popular port of call with the US Sixth Fleet because of the warm welcome, was shrouded in controversy with the environmental organisation Greenpeace, backed up by a small fleet of private vessels, blocking the ship's entry into the bay. There were also calls for the warship to leave Balearic waters from Balearic Socialist Senator Manuel Camara and a protest march was staged through Palma, not quite the reception the US navy was expecting and one that has no doubt cost the local economy dear. Should the US navy's nuclear-powered warships be planning any more visits to Palma in the future, the Balearic government has demanded that it is consulted by Madrid.