A passion for "Le Nucléaire"
Robert Arnoux
Serve ITER as ITER serves Saint-Paul-lez-Durance: Roger Pizot
After having involved the local governments in financing the ITER program, Saint-Paul's mayor is having a Guesthouse built for students and visiting scientists.
Roger Pizot, 62, left school when he was 14, but when it comes to things nuclear, he's close to being an expert. For almost three decades, first as deputy, then as mayor of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance since 1995, he's been "à tu et à toi" — that is, on very friendly terms — with all CEA-Cadarache directors and scores of prominent scientists. He has met science ministers and high commissioners for Atomic Energy, physicists from all over the world and has provided his no-nonsense, down-to-earth opinion and advice to the early promoters of the ITER project. Saint-Paul's mayor wants to serve ITER as ITER is serving Saint-Paul, bringing the village pride and popularity. After a brand new "commercial centre" with ten shops, an Internet Café and a restaurant, Pizot is having a guesthouse built at the edge of the village's "zone artisanale ", two kilometres south of Cadarache. The guesthouse will consist of 77 cosy studios and small apartments, which, by next spring, will be available for visiting scientists and students