3 Oct 2011

France recognises only two nuclear compensation claims

4:57 am on 3 October 2011

France's nuclear test veterans group says so far only two people have had their compensation claims accepted under a new law introduced last year.

The group, known as AVEN, which has been meeting in Lille in France, says 127 of the 129 cases submitted so far have been rejected.

AVEN says a total of 150,000 people, both military and civilian, have been exposed to fall-out from 210 French nuclear weapons tests over 30 years.

AVEN says while the law appears to open path to compensation, its application is meaningless.

One AVEN member says the law was drawn up to silence the claimants and to give them a bone to chew.