French Nuclear Plants Kill 5.9 Billion Aquatic Organisms Yearly
Internal EDF documents show reactor cooling systems kill at least 5.9 billion fish, crustaceans and jellyfish annually. Planned new reactors at Penly and Gravelines would raise the total to 7.7 billion.
Le MondeInternal documents from France's electric utility show that reactor cooling systems kill at least 5.9 billion fish, crustaceans and jellyfish each year. The figures come from 38 site-specific studies conducted between 1981 and 2025. A network of NGOs obtained the documents and added the mortality counts from plants where data were available.
Four new reactors planned at Penly and Gravelines in northern France are projected to raise annual deaths to 7.7 billion. Estimates for proposed EPR2 reactors at Bugey remain unavailable. The utility states that the cooling systems have no effect on species survival. The network says the revival of France's nuclear program will worsen the impact on aquatic life.
