German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin (R) stays with a delegation in a cage as they visit a 840 metre deep underground shelter, that may be used as a potential permanent nuclear waste storage facility in Gorleben February 11. Trittin, who met yesterday environmental groups and residents of the area around Gorleben, the socalled "Wendland," will visit the temporary nuclear storage facility later today. Thousands of environmentalists and residents protested in 1997 against the transports of highly radioactive spent fuel rods, socalled castors, to the temporary nuclear storage facility in Gorleben.

CHA/JDP