HANOVER, Germany, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The roof of a chamber in an old salt mine used for storage of nuclear waste is unstable and pieces could collapse, German officials reported this week.
About 6,000 drums of waste are stored in the mine in Lower Saxony. No additional waste has been brought to the Asse mine since 1978.
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection learned of the problems with the mine late last month, Deutsche Welle reported. The office made the information public quietly Wednesday with a posting on its Web site.
Hans-Heinrich Sander, the Lower Saxony environment minister, said he was only told about the problems this week, although federal officials said they had been giving him information as it became available.
The drums stored at the mine are only weakly radioactive, the office said. Officials said the ceiling in the storage chamber will be reinforced.
