Strongly rebuffing the Süddeutsche Zeitung report which suggested that Germany was mulling the proposition of sending its nuclear waste to other countries, the country's Environment Minister Peter Altmaier recently asserted that the government will never take such a move.

In response to the Süddeutsche's report, and to compatriot Guenther Oettinger's statement Germany may again accept nuclear power, Altmaier recently said on public radio that the government did not have any plans to export nuclear waste.

Stating that the Süddeutsche `nuclear waste export' report was "the greatest nonsense that I have ever heard," Altmaier said: "There are absolutely no changes in German policies, and most certainly not with me as environment minister."

Despite the fact that the Süddeutsche report came in the wake of a continued squabbling over nuclear waste should be stored within the country - especially after EU's new `atomic waste storage' guidelines could make it easier for member states to ship depleted uranium out of the country -, Altmaier said the government was still persistent in its efforts to find a home solution.

Reiterating that the radioactive waste produced in Germany will be discarded in Germany itself, Altmaier said that the government authorities are currently in the process of cross-party discussions to facilitate a countrywide search for "a permanent storage facility for nuclear fuel rods."