(328.3281) WISE Amsterdam - The Science & Technology Agency (STA) and Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) had originally planned to send it by air. But this caused grave concern among citizens in countries under the proposed flight path. Mounting opposition forced the US government to tighten safety standards for the containers used for the air transport of plutonium (Murkowski Amendment) and the STA and PNC concluded they would not be able to develop such containers by 1992.
Following the decision, the Japanese government decided, 19 December, to assign the Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) to escort plutonium shipments, and allocated an initial 8.3 billion yen from the 1989 supplementary budget. The 6,500-ton armed escort vessel, equipped with a surveillance system, is to be completed in April 1992, at a cost of 20 billion yen (US $140 million).
To avoid any controversy over the question of overseas military deployment, the Japanese government has decided not to assign the Self Defense Force (SDF) to guard plutonium shipments. However, there are still some in the government and the Defense Agency claiming it is a waste of money to build a new vessel while the Maritime Self Defense Force has plenty of warships capable of doing the job. According to one government official who wishes to remain anonymous, a confidential agreement has been reached by the government that if the MSA vessel should ever be considered inadequate to guard plutonium shipments, the situation will be re-examined.
The amount of plutonium returned to Japan is projected to be around 4,000 kg a year. The prototype 285 MW fast breeder reactor "MONJU", scheduled to start operation in 1992, requires 1,400 kg for its initial core and will consume a further 500 kg a year. Another 200 kg will be consumed by JOYO, an experimental fast breeder reactor. In addition, a small amount of plutonium is expected to be used as MOX fuel for experimental burning in thermal reactors. Shipments of plutonium from Europe are therefore likely to create a large surplus. Increasing numbers of Japanese people are now going to become aware of the possibility of proliferation posed by this surplus, as well as the danger of the shipments themselves. Close international collaboration is urgently requested to stop all plutonium shipments!
Source: The above article is from NUKE INFO TOKYO, Jan/Feb. 1990
Contact: Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, 3F Watanabe Bldg., Higashiueno 2-23-22, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110, Japan, tel: 03-832-1976, fax: 03-832-4930
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