ALSACAT-2014-10-31-FESSENHEIM-1
National and regional media - TV, press, the Internet - had reported in October 2017 many overflights of French nuclear power plants by "drones".
The media almost never gave the slightest detail: no description of the so-called "drones", no description of their operations, no mention of witnesses, no source, no time, only some dates and some names of Nuclear power plants.
Among the overflights, one was mentioned as having taken place above the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in the Haut-Rhin department on October 31, 2014.
It is in the regional newspaper L'Alsace for November 3, 2014, the the "least poor" information was published:
According to Richard Héliot, commander of the Gendarmerie Company of Soultz-Guebwiller in charge of the sector, the overflight took place on Friday, so October 31, 2014, around 9 p.m..
Three members of the PSPG (Specialized Gendarmerie Protection Platoon) based at the site of the Fessenheim power station had seen two luminous spots moving "quite fast" over the peripheral controlled access zone, the most remote from the plant.
The "craft" therefore did not fly over the nuclear part of the plant itself. This was observed with the binoculars, but the nocturnal conditions and the position above the projectors of the plant did not allow to see if it carried a camera or any other equipment. Its size was estimated at about one meter in diameter.
The other regional newspaper, Les Denières Nouvelles d'Alsace, evokes the observation, adding that EDF (the national power co) has filed a complaint that morning at the Gendarmerie of Blodelsheim. In addition, late afternoon the next day, a large number of Gendarmerie officers and a helicopter had been mobilized on site apparently after the call of a resident who reported an object in the sky. The Gendarmes patrolled the entire area with the support of the helicopter, "but it was a false alarm."
Since then, in next four years, absolutely nothing more had been said or found, inasmuch I could find out.
| Date: | October 31, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Time: | ~09:00 p.m. |
| Duration: | Not reported. |
| First known report date: | October 31, 2014 |
| Reporting delay: | Minutes, hours. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Fessenheim |
| Place: | At the atomic power plant of Fessenheim, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 47.903 |
| Longitude: | 7.562 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 1 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adults. |
| Witness(es) types: | Gendarmes in survey of the nuclear power plant. |
| Reporting channel: | Gendarmes on survey duty reporting to their boss, then the Press? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | At nuclear power plant, UFO in the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Not reported. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | ? |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Totally insufficient information. |
[Ref. lae1:] NEWSPAPER "L'ALSACE":
On 10/30/2014 10:56 p.m., updated at 11:01 p.m.
Among the ten nuclear sites overflown by drones, between the 5 and 20 October (L'Alsace for yesterday), is also included the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, reports Greenpeace in a statement. The anti-nuclear NGO also denies any involvement in these overflights. 55 Greenpeace activists had achieved a dramatic intrusion on the site of Fessenheim, on March 18 (March 19, L'Alsace). "We are very concerned about the occurrence and recurrence of these suspicious overflights without any response on their origin being provided by either EDF or by the police," said Yannick Rousselet, Greenpeace spokesman.
[*] Note: If one notes this date, the sighting would have been known by the newspaper L'Alsace one day before it occurred! But this is likely a misprint, as the web page file name gives the 31 as date: "2014/10/31/survol-de-drone-la-centrale-de-fessenheim-aussi".
Another, more likely possibility is that there was an overflight of Fessenheim already, between October 5 and 20, 2014.
[Ref. fr31:] FR3 - FRANCE REGION 3 ALSACE:
Drones flew over seven French nuclear power plants in October. Incidents "without consequences" EDF announced, filing a complaint. Was the Fessenheim plant part of it? Yes, according to the Greenpeace NGO.
The first flight "of an aircraft similar to a drone" was detected October 5 over the plant in deconstruction of Creys-Malville (Isère), according to EDF.
The other overflights took place above the Gravelines (Nord), Cattenom (Moselle), Blayais (Gironde), Bugey (Ain), Chooz (Ardennes) and Nogent-sur-Seine (Aube) plants, according to EDF, who complained to the gendarmerie and alerted the public authorities.
The anti-nuclear NGO Greenpeace, which "denies any involvement", however, says that the Fessenheim nuclear power plant is added to the list and has also experienced one or more flights of drones.
[Ref. dna1:] NEWSPAPER "DERNIERES NOUVELLES D'ALSACE":
A drone flew over the Fessenheim plant for a few minutes on Friday shortly after 10 p.m.
EDF filed a complaint this morning at the gendarmerie in Blodelsheim. Late in the afternoon on Saturday, an important means of police and a helicopter were mobilized on site following, it seems, the call of a resident who reported an object in the sky. The Gendarmes patrolled the entire sector with the support of the helicopter but it was a false alarm. "It will become a real psychosis, now, when going to walk along the canal, we will have to look in the sky", a couple of hikers joked.
[Ref. afp1:] AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE:
Paris - Five nuclear power plants were overflown Friday night between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, by drones, we learned from two sources close to the file.
The plants of Penly (Seine-Maritime), Flamanville (Manche), Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux (Loir-et-Cher), Dampierre-en-Burly (Loiret) and Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) were each overflown in the evening, the sources said.
Solicited by AFP, neither the Ministry of Interior nor the police nor EDF were willing to confirm.
Thursday evening already, Penly and another plant in Tarn-et-Garonne were overflown at 9 pm by drones that had not been neutralized because they do not pose a direct threat to the safety of installations, assured a spokesman for the gendarmerie.
EDF had said this week they plan to complain about each of these overflights.
Seven French nuclear plants had already been flown by drones in the month of October, incidents without consequences according to EDF but which raised again the issue of security of the sites linked to the atom.
The Interior Ministry said on Thursday that these overflights, all detected, posed no danger to the safety of the overflown installations; which are supposed to withstand earthquakes of high magnitude or airliner crash.
The overflight of nuclear power stations is prohibited within a radius of five kilometers and 1,000 meters above sea level around the sites. It is punishable by one year imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine.
(©© AFP / 1 November 2014 11:34)
[Ref. fr32:] FR3 - FRANCE REGION 3 ALSACE:
Fessenheim nuclear plant
Five nuclear power plants, including the Fessenheim plant were flown Friday night between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, by drones, do we learn from two sources familiar with the matter.
with AFP
Published 11/01/2014 | 12:00 updated 11.01.2014 | 7:31 p.m.
The plants of Penly (Seine-Maritime), Flamanville (Manche), Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux (Loir-et-Cher), Dampierre-en-Burly (Loiret) and Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) were each flown in the evening, the sources said.
Fessenheim that was flown over at 22h.
Solicited by AFP, neither the Ministry of Interior nor the police nor EDF were willing to confirm. Thursday evening already, Penly as well as another plant in the Tarn-et-Garonne were overflown at 9 pm by drones that had not been neutralized "because they do not pose a direct threat" to the security of the facilities, a spokesman for the gendarmerie assured . EDF had said this week they plan to file a complain about each of these overflights.
Interview with Claude Brender, Mayor (SE) of Fessenheim
Seven French nuclear plants had already been flown by drones during the month of October, incident of "no consequences" according to EDF but which raised again the question of the security of the sites linked to the atom. The Interior Ministry said Thursday that these overflights, "all detected" represented "no danger to the safety of the overflown installations; which are supposed to withstand earthquakes of high magnitude or airliner crash".
The overflight of nuclear power stations is prohibited within a radius of five kilometers and 1,000 meters above sea level around the sites. It is punishable by one year imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine.
"We must stop to minimize the risk"
The NGO Greenpeace and the Nuclear Exit Network estimated Saturday that the government had to "break the silence" and "stop to minimize the risk" as a result of a new overflight of nuclear power plants by drones Friday night. "The scale of these operations and the hardware used are increasingly worrying," said Yannick Rousselet in a statement of the NGO. "The Interior Ministry must now break the silence and stop minimizing the risk repeating that these overflights are no problem," he said.
In a statement, the network "Sortir du nucléaire" also denounced "an attitude of denial" of the authorities, qualified an irresponsible attitude. "According to the network of anti-nuclear associations," the crash of a drone could actually pose a threat to the security of the sites, as is the possibility of a release of an explosive from a guided missile." "A drone can also be used to make plans for an air attack on a larger scale "suggests the Nuclear Exit. (...)
In a statement, Greenpeace indicates that six sites were overflown last night and not five: Fessenheim, Flamanville, Penly, Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux, Dampierre and also Belleville-sur-Loire (Cher).
[Ref. nau1:] NORMANDIE ACTU:
[...]
i-Télé [TV News channel] reported by the way, that a new drone overflight would have happened for the second time in two nights, Friday, October 31, 2014, at Penly and Flamanville, in the Channel, but also in Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux in the Loir-et-Cher, in Dampierre-en-Burly in the Loiret and Fessenheim in the Haut-Rhin.
[...]
[Ref. son1:] SITE WEB "SORTIR DU NUCLEAIRE":
March 6, 2015
EDF makes a complaint for a prohibited overview of the Fessenheim plant
11/01/2014
On October 31, 2014, the Fessenheim plant monitoring teams detected the illegal presence of an aircraft comparable to a drone on Air perimeter of the plant.
In accordance with our procedures, the authorities were immediately notified.
This overflight had no impact on safety and plant operation.
The plant management has filed a complaint with the gendarmerie of Blodelsheim on November 1, 2014.
[Ref. lin1:] NEWSPAPER "LIBERATION":
Field report
By Noémie Rousseau, Special correspondent in Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) - November 2, 2014 at 8:06 p.m.
The old plant was overflown Friday, antinuclear people are patrolling.
"Drones? They go above my head," sweeps an employee at the outlet of the Fessenheim plant. The site was flown over Friday shortly after 10 p.m.. Another EDF agent, leaning on the PMU [sweepstakes] counter, asks: "who benefits of the crime?" And his father before his beer also speculate "Who benefits of this: the ecologists who want to lobby to close the plant, isolated individuals who tinker in their garden, or an offensive organized evil people... in any case, to speak of strength, this will give ideas to lunatics and trigger a psychosis." His says he waits for information from the management. "If there is a security problem, they will tell us, everything is transparent. This is a sensitive area like many others, but less than some chemical plants."
Besides, a group opens a bottle of Crémant wine. "We love our plant, let's hop it runs 50 more years." According to them, it is Greenpeace who did it, "they will eventually tell." "There are many gendarmes, but the by time they spot the drone, crisscross the area, the guy is already far away. Perhaps there should be a radar set," a lady tries. Nobody is worried, "for the moment". Though, at least one person worries. Saturday at 04:30 p.m., the police deployed significant resources around the site after a call reporting an unidentified flying object. False alarm.
"Since Fukushima, it takes me to the guts," says Lucien Jenny, posted on the German side embankment, overlooking the two reactors. He came in with his electric motorcycle recharged with a photovoltaic pergola. Apart ducks squads, nothing in the air. In the water, a black mass is floating on the other bank. He approached. "A diver?" wondered the "vigilant citizen." With a score of other antinuclear people, Jenny Lucien form an informal group whose objective is to keep the plant under scrutiny. The loudspeaker of the site gives instructions, inaudible at that distance. The trained eye of Julien immediately spots a crane and a kind of red ladder along a reactor. Work? "Anyway, we know nothing. If there is a glitch, an EDF guy said we would apply the wet finger policy of looking at where the wind comes and run away in that direction," he recounts. At an event, he sported a "Stop the DIY" hat, "People of the plant" corrected him: "Stop tinkering."
Besma Ben Sédrine, also a "vigilant citizen", works a few miles away, at the development of high-powered heat pumps. "There is no evacuation instructions, everything is just bullshit." Like the iodine tablets. "I actually received some, but for this to be effective, it must me ingested several hours before the accident, and EDF will not say anything." Sometimes she sees a smoke, helicopters. She remembers the last incident, in April, the control room was flooded. "It took them seven weeks to repair because replacement parts were not found, the plant is too old."
The no-fly zone within a radius of five kilometers makes them laughing gently. They take out a map: "Within less than three kilometers to the east, there is an airstrip once used by the US and German army, now reserved for leisure activities."
The pools in the plant that are used to cool the fuel rods are tubs of concrete, which could be vulnerable to a missile carried by a military drone - not the same kind as those used in recent days. "I tend to believe Greenpeace when they say it's not them. But whether a communication operation or not, the problem remains. Especially, to pilot a drone by night you need to be a pro," says Lucien Jenny. As for the domes of the reactors, "they would not resists the crash of a two-seater plane." At EDF, we are assured that Fessenheim has the same level of protection as other French plants, all validated by the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).
Sabotage the power plant? Nothing could be simpler, however, to hear the antinuclear lobby. "You enter here like you enter a bakery, for proof: the "open doors" operation by Greenpeace. With team changes, holidays, illnesses, there are only seven or eight policemen stationed within the site," Lucienbelieves. An absurd claim, the electrician says, recalling again the highest level, in Alsace and elsewhere, of protection of nuclear plants.
But Lucien is not reassured "Fessenheim is a symbol, it is the oldest plant, the most dangerous and the most criticized, located in the heart of Europe, in the tri-border area. This makes it a prime target."
Noémie Rousseau - Special correspondent in Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin)
[Ref. 20m1:] "20 MINUTES":
PLANET - Like four French plants, Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) was overflown Friday night by a drone. The management files a complaint...
[Photo caption of the plant:] The Fessenheim nuclear power plant. - G. Varela / 20 Minutes
Gilles Varela
Published on 02/11/2014 at 10:06
Updated 02/11/2014 at 10:06
The Fessenheim plant was overflown by a drone Friday night like four French atomic plants. On its website, EDF states that "the Fessenheim plant monitoring teams detected the illegal presence of an aircraft comparable to a drone on the Air perimeter of the plant." EDF also states that "in accordance with our procedures, the authorities were immediately notified."
For his part, the vice president (EELV) [Ecologist party] of the Assemblée Nationale [Cogress] Denis Baupin called for a "strengthening of the security" of the plants. "No one today seems able to identify who is behind these operations, even though the devices flew on the plants simultaneously at several hundred kilometers away, and nothing can guarantee the good intentions of those who operate this," he said.
For now, the mystery remains unsolved but EDF wants to be reassuring: "This overflight had no impact on the safety and operation of the plant. The plant management filed a complaint with the Gendarmerie of Blodelsheim on November 1, 2014", EDF states, which had already affirmed this week that it would file a complaint for systematically [sic].
The overflight of nuclear power plants, prohibited within a radius of five kilometers and 1,000 meters above sea level around the sites, is punishable by one year imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine.
[Ref. lae2:] NEWSPAPER "L'ALSACE":
After the overflight of the power plant Friday night, police and anti-nuclear remain in limbo.
On 04/11/2014 5:00 by Olivier Brégeard, updated the 03/11/2014 at 23:10
"We have very little evidence," admits Richard Héliot, company commander of Soultz-Guebwiller, responsible for the sector. Friday at 9 pm, three members of the PSPG (specialized platoon protection of the gendarmerie) based on the site spotted two bright dots moving "quite fast" above the controlled access zone - the more peripheral - of the plant. The object had therefore not overflown the actual nuclear part. It has been observed with binoculars, but the night conditions and its position above the plant projectors did not allow to see whether it carried a camera or some other equipment. Its size was estimated to be about one meter in diameter.
As with the intrusion of Greenpeace activists in March, the police have nevertheless found that the craft is not a threat to the facility. "Otherwise, they would have had the means to shoot it down," dais commander Héliot. Thirty gendarmes were quickly mobilized. The German authorities were immediately informed, they organized checking on the other side of the border. in vain. The alert system was strengthened further in and around the plant, including searches of vehicles and an helicopter on permanent alert. Enough to, apparently, apprehend the perpetrators of this action in case of recurrence.
Yannick Rousselet, in charge of nuclear campaigns at Greenpeace France, notes however that the plant of Dampierre (Loiret) was overflown again Sunday night! He also notes that three drones flew along the Penly (Seine-Maritime) plant, that Pierrelatte was overflown for more than an hour, with a strong luminous outpour, six plants have been "visited" the same night across France... According to Greenpeace, citing "several concurring and trustworthy opinions" (but no eyewitnesses), a first overflight of Fessenheim took place early last week, "Sunday night or Monday" (L'Alsace for October 31).
"It looks like a show of force," Yannick Rousselet analysed. Greenpeace believes that it is no small drones toys, but pre-programmed devices (not radio controlled), from off-range. Therefore difficult to detect and intercept.
Repeating that his organization is not behind these actions, Yannick Rousselet asks: "It is not in the culture of classic anti-nuclear movements, which would have also neither the financial capacity nor the operational capacity. We do not believe in industrial espionage, all information are well known. We initially believed in a surprise safety drill, but it would not have continued after the first EDF complaints. Is it the emergence of a new form of activism? Did the State receive or will they receive some claim? We have no leads, and that worries us."
Commander Héliot is equally perplexed: "Who benefits from this? Terrorists would taken action directly. Is it a new pressure group? A On a free demonstration, in the manner of some hackers? It's very strange, but it forces us to remain engaged. "
In a statement, the local anti-nuclear associations (CSFR, Stop Fessenheim, Alsace Nature...) rejected any involvement in the operation. While grasping the opportunity to express once again their "great concern" about a potential terrorist threat.
[Ref. raa1:] "RAMA":
Post subject: Overview of French nuclear power plants: alien demonstration
19/10/2014 - Verification on a Greenpeace website: "In six cases out of ten, that is to say, in the Gravelines nuclear power plant, Blayais, Cattenom to Nogent-sur-Seine, and Bugey Chooz, EDF [national power co] filed a complaint against X and published information on the website of the plant. According to other sources, the site of Superphénix (Isère), the Office of Atomic Energy site at Saclay in the Essonne, the Pierrelatte nuclear plant (Drôme) and Fessenheim nuclear power plant are added to the list and also experienced one or more drone overflights. The offending overflights occurred sometimes on the same day in four remote sites, Bugey, Gravelines, Chooz, Nogent-sur-Seine on October 19 for example, indicating a major operation."
[Ref. myo1:] FORUM "LES MYSTERES DES OVNIS":
17
Fessenheim
Friday, October 31, 2014
At about 10:2 p.m. luminus pts over plant, size about 1m
The Fessenheim plant was overflown by a drone Friday
[Ref. nor1:] "LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR":
By Arnaud Gonzaga
Posted on 24-11-2014 at 3:38 p.m.
19 sites were overflown. Some have been the same day and almost at the same time, like ons October 31, 2014, where five sites (Flamanville, Dampierre, Penly, Saint Laurent-les-Eaux and Fessenheim) were overflown between 7 pm and 10 pm, these 5 sites are scattered on the French territory.
Some overflights were done with one or more aircraft, as at Flamanville on October 31 or November 14 at Golfech.
The situation is serious. The army set up ANGD radar sets (low altitude radar), deployed over 100 soldiers as in Cattenom on November 12, 2014, frequently made "Gazelle" helicopter fly as recently at Golfech, during alerts of overflights of these aircraft.
[Ref. avx2:] SITE WEB "AGORAVOX":
by Patrick Samba
Saturday, December 6, 2014
[...]
This latter assumption applies in case these would be isolated antinuclear geeks (a new generation of activists, for example, or the pylons debunkers, the group of Tarnac...), as mentioned by Greenpeace, which also denies any liability. But the famous NGO remains highly suspicious. It would thus be isolated groups, but determined to expose the irresponsible lie of the invulnerability of the nuclear sites.
This option is also to remember if one incriminates those who signed the solemn appeal to the shutdown of Fessenheim with a deadline of December 31, 2014, signed by many representatives of parties (Noël Mamère, Martine Billard (PG) [leftist party] Corinne Lepage (CAP 21) [Ecologist/centrist], Julien Bayou (EELV) [Ecologist party], Isabelle Attard (Nouvelle Donne), Clémentine Autain (Ensemble!) [leftist movement] ...), in association or not with Greenpeace. They can actually be either suspected of having initiated or covered the operation, particularly as no denial has been issued contrary to what Greenpeace and the Nuclear Exit Network did. Furthermore one of the promoters of the call received several emails of veiled threat, which is a sign that they interfere.
And do not rule out a possible collusion of all these aforementioned groups or a part of them.
[...]
[Ref. avx1:] "AGORAVOX" WEBSITE:
In the absence of information by competent authorities on the identity of unmanned drones flying over nuclear sites, we were left in using deductions, rather than attempt to validate our various computations by the greater or lesser from
[...]
And that's why they signed and this call and this forum entitled, brace yourself: "Drones are not ours! But the closure of Fessenheim, Mrs Royal [Minister for exology], it could be you."
Is it not the glaring evidence of their guilt?
"But on the contrary", you may retort rushed and angry for having been fooled by a long and uninteresting reading, "they deny itany liability in this drones case!". And this is where you would be in the greatest mistakes, where you would be just blind. And unfair not to give more confidence to the one that brought you to this exciting outcome. For it is precisely the proof that they are the culprits!
Consider two minutes:
- What did Greenpeace do in this very mysterious drones affair?
- Greenpeace denied.
[...]
[The long article provides no tangible evidence, just claiming that these drones are used by Greenpeace precisely because Greenpeace denies it...]
[Ref. odi1:] "OVNI DIRECT" WEBSITE:
Summary and the latest info on flights over French nuclear plants by UFOs
[...]
Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin) on October 31.
[...]
If they are still sure that drones are causing the overflights of these plants, why do they not broadcast captured images? Would their official aim ultimately not be to find the perpetrators? How would the screening of a video have compromised the investigation ??
[Ref. pmc1:] PARIS MATCH - YAHOO NEWS:
Paris Match - Wed 25 Feb.. 2015
In four months, two-thirds of the 19 French nuclear plants were overflown one or several times. And the plants are not the only ones affected by these disturbing aerial inspection tours: on the night of January 26 and 27, the military site of Ile Longue in the harbor of Brest, where the four French nuclear ballistic missile launcher submarines are housed, was also visited.
Just in the evening of October 31, 2014, no fewer than six sites were visited between 6 pm and 10 pm: the plants of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux (Loir-et-Cher), Dampierre en Burly (Loiret), Belleville-sur-Loire (Cher), Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin), Flamanville (Manche) and Penly (Seine-Maritime).
Such simultaneity on a vast extent of territory supposes an organization and faultless logistics, not in the scope of a group od pranksters equipped with commercial drones.
"The overview of nuclear power stations is prohibited within a radius of five kilometers and 1,000 meters above sea level around the sites. The airspace above the nuclear power plant is monitored by the air force, as part of a regulation with EDF [national power co]", says AFP [French news agency].
Still, after three months of overflights that question the safety of the French nuclear fleet, no arrests have been made, no drone was shot down and no serious clue is considered, at least publicly. We do not even know what types of devices are used: "The testimonies of policemen gathered on the Cres-Malville site speak of overflights in weather conditions of 70 km / h winds and with rain. We have helicopters in Golfech that were following these drones for 9 km. We have a drone that circulates between Flamanville and the Hague on 18 km. The thesis of small drones that one pilots nose on the fence does not hold", summarizes Yannick Rousselet, for Science et Avenir [Popular science magazine], in charge of the campaign on the nuclear at Greenpeace.
[Ref. jmd1:] JOEL MESNARD:
This ufologist indicates that on October 31, 2014, in the evening the sites of nuclear power plants overflown according to the media by "drones" broke all records, and he lists Fessenheim as one of the places.
|
I think some general information about these "drones flyovers" of French nuclear sites in 2014 may be helpful.
In four months, two-thirds of the 19 French nuclear power plants had been flown over one or more times. On the night of January 26 and 27, 2014, the military site of Ile Longue in Brest where the four nuclear submarines missile launchers are sheltered had also been "visited." In the sole evening of October 31, 2014, six nuclear power stations had been overflown between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.: Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux (Loir-et-Cher), Dampierre-en-Burly (Loiret), Belleville-sur-Loire (Cher), Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin), Flamanville (Manche) and Penly (Seine-Maritime).
According to the law, overflight of nuclear power plants is forbidden within a perimeter of 5 kilometers around sites and 1000 meters in height.
The Government ensures that the airspace above nuclear power plants is monitored by the Air Force, as part of a protocol with EDF.
The reactions of the Government were as follows:
The General Secretariat of Defense and National Security (SGDSN) stated that "all the Government services in charge of the safety and security of the spots of vital importance [...] have been mobilized since the beginning of the overflights to identify those responsible for these acts and to put an end to them."
Ségolène Royal, then Minister of Ecology, had tried to cool citizens down by ensuring that she would "not let anyone damage the reputation of safety of our nuclear power plants." On the "Grand Rendez-vous Europe 1 / i-TV" TV show, she had refused to make any assumption about the identity of the so-called "drones", while ensuring that "we will know soon", which was not the case, as 4 years later, I found no trace of the least arrest or explanation or even the slightest clue.
In Science et Avenir, a popular science magazine, Yannick Rousselet, head of the antinuclear campaign at Greenpeace, had assured that the drone hypothesis "does not hold", that we do not know what the devices were. He said: "The testimonies of gendarmes collected on the site of Crès-Malville speak of overflights in weather conditions of winds of 70 km / h and with rain. We have helicopters at Golfech who follow these drones for 9 km. We have a drone circulating between Flamanville and the Hague for 18 km. The thesis of small drones that are remotely piloted with one's nose on the fence [of the plant] does not hold."
In the Sud-Ouest newspaper, Pascal Pezzani, director of the Blayais nuclear power plant, said: "Here, we did not see any drones, we saw a UFO and there was no impact on the safety our sites."
As it seems these were UFOs in the strict sense of the term - unidentified flying objects - ufologists obviously took over the matter.
Ufologist Claude Lavat wrote on December 6, 2014. an "open letter" to Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian assuring that the army is dealing with extraterrestrial technology, and that there could soon be "an aggravated number of these demonstrations with ostensible demonstrations vis-à-vis an 'unprepared' public", a baseless prophecy that proved wrong.
Xavier Passot, then head of the GEIPAN, responsible within National space Center CNES for investigating and informing about UFO reports, explained that "the GEIPAN was not asked about this recent case of overflight of nuclear power plants", "nor by EDF, neither by the gendarmerie, nor by any witness on this case", that the GEIPAN "has no activity on this matter, expect for reading about in the press." He recalled that "we have no mission to seek unexplained observations." He added: "We are of course very curious about the exact origin of these flying machines, but given the heavy resources already deployed by the gendarmerie on the matter, the contribution of GEIPAN on this case would be very meager."
On France Culture, Xavier Passot added: "I did not personally receive any testimonies. All the witnesses of these overflights are employees of the nuclear power plants, but I know that a person saw something near Golfech and contacted the Gendarmes. The observation was classified 'drone.'" And: "I do not even know on which criteria all these objects have been identified as drones. I hope it's on good criteria but I'm not absolutely sure."
Now, what about the alleged "overflight" of the Fessenheim power plant?
What about the alleged "overflight" of the Fessenheim power plant?
The first report that I found was on the website of the newspaper L'Alsace, and was dated: "The 30/10/2014 22:56". It turns out that the article would be based on a statement from Greenpeace stating that there was a drone flight over Fessenheim "between October 5 and 20".
Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, the other Regional newspaper, speak of an overflight of Fessenheim "a few minutes this Friday shortly after 10 p.m." so on October 31 shortly after 10p.m.; which is oddly close to the time of publication of the previous source. DNA also reported a "false alarm" on Saturday, so the next day October 31, 2014.
Libération gives "Friday" and "shortly after 22 hours." AFP, and FR3 Alsace, say it occurred on 31 October 2014 between 7 p.m. and midnight, and indicate that the flight over Fessenheim was "around 10 p.m."
It was L'Alsace who gave the most information on the observation: according to Richard Héliot, commander of the Gendarmes company of Soultz-Guebwiller, in charge of the sector, this took place "Friday around 9 p.m.". Three members of the PSPG (specialized gendarmerie protection platoon) based at the Fessenheim site had seen two luminous dots moving "quite fast" over the most peripheral, controlled access area of ??the power plant. The "craft" therefore did not fly over the nuclear part itself. It was observed with the binoculars, but the nocturnal conditions and its position above the projectors of the plant did not allow to see if it carried a camera or any other equipment. Its size was estimated at about one meter in diameter.
What can we say? Not much. From a strictly ufological point of view, it could have been be a drone, an airplane, two satellites, extraterrestrial craft, two Chinese lanterns... every guess is equally good. for now.
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Above: the Fessenheim nuclear plant with its two reactors as seen from the German side of the river Rhine.
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Above: the plant seen from the sky, with the "forbidden" area in lighter color.
Totally insufficient information.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
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| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | January 23, 2018 | Creation, [lae1], [fr31], [dna1], [afp1], [fr32], [nau1], [son1], [lin1], [20m1], [lae2], [raa1], [myo1], [nor1], [avx2], [avx1], [odi1], [pmc1], [jmd1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 23, 2018 | First published. |
