Algeria begins second cleanup of former French nuclear test site

Algeria started a second operation on Sunday to clear radioactive waste from a former French nuclear test site in the Sahara Desert, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.

The work is under way at the Beryl E2 test tunnel in In Ekker, in the southern province of Tamanrasset, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Algerian crews are carrying out the work under the ministry's supervision, working with the national agency that handles the rehabilitation of former French test sites.

The process involves locating contaminated areas, collecting nuclear waste and placing it in purpose-built concrete containers, which the ministry said will meet national and international safety standards.

The ministry accused France of avoiding its responsibilities and refusing to hand over records and maps that show where the waste was buried.

It added that the remaining contamination continues to hold back development in In Ekker and Reggane, in Adrar province in the southwest.

Algeria carried out its first partial cleanup on Feb. 14 at Taourirt Tan Affella in In Ekker, the Algerian Press Service reported.

France conducted its first nuclear test near Reggane on Feb. 13, 1960, when Algeria was under French colonial rule.

The test was code-named Gerboise Bleue, or Blue Jerboa.

France carried out 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966, continuing the program for four years after Algeria won independence in 1962.

Algeria has long sought access to records and maps of the tests and burial sites so it can identify contaminated areas and address their effects.

Disagreements over the colonial era continue to strain relations between the two countries.