Nuclear debate rages in Palma once again

The nuclear debate was re-opened in Palma yesterday with the arrival of the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise. Like everyone else, except a select few, even the local government had not been informed that the Enterprise would be sailing into port. The local government were furious and demanded a full explanation. The visit of the last nuclear carrier George Washington in November was marred by incidents involving anti-nuclear protestors and the local government called on the U.S. Navy to give them full warning about nuclear warships visiting the port. Local government minister Antonio Garcias said yesterday that no such warning was received. Meanwhile, the environmental pressure group, Greenpeace, said that the carrier should leave at once and added that the U.S. Navy had acted in an “undercover way”. Greenpeace was as surprised as everyone else because it didn't even have time to get its facts right. According to the environmentalists the Enterprise has been involved in a series of nuclear accidents since commissioning in 1945. However, official U.S. Navy data say that the Enterprise joined the fleet in 1962!