From: pierce@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Brad Pierce)
Subject: Re: France, Japan & 1.7 TONS of Plutonium
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 17:46:00 GMT

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[Greenpeace Press Release from Environet -- Redistribute Freely]

GREENPEACE CONDEMNS JAPANESE PLUTONIUM SHIPMENTS; 
PROTESTS AT JAPANESE EMBASSY 
 
WASHINGTON DC, NOVEMBER 10 (GP) Greenpeace today demonstrated
at the Japanese embassy in Washington, DC to protest the
controversial shipment of 1.7 tons of plutonium from France to
Japan.  Despite international objections and Greenpeace direct
actions, the Japanese transport vessel Akatsuki Maru was loaded
Saturday at the French port of Cherbourg and is presently on its
way to Japan.  The demonstration takes place two days after a
Japanese coast guard vessel, Shikishima, rammed the Greenpeace
ship SOLO in international waters off the French coast.
 
"This shipment could be just the beginning of the worldwide
trade in weapons capable plutonium," said Greenpeace campaigner
Chris Zimmer.  "Greenpeace will follow this shipment on its
17,000 mile voyage to Japan to notify countries along the still
secret route.  Plutonium shipments represent an unacceptable
danger to the environment and to human health."
 
The plutonium was extracted from Japanese spent nuclear fuel at
the French reprocessing plant at La Hague and will be used to
fuel Japanese nuclear reactors.  This shipment is seen as a
trial run for future shipments from France and the UK to Japan.
Although more than 100 countries and territories are in danger,
Japan and France have refused to disclose details about the
transport route and emergency preparations in case of accident.
 
"Japan and France are attempting to ship this deadly cargo
under a veil of secrecy even though many countries have
expressed concern about accidents in or near their waters,"
said Greenpeace representative Bruce Hall.  "If the Japanese
are willing to ram a peaceful protest boat on the high seas
to protect the secrecy of the shipment, than the world has
much to fear."
 
Hall presented a letter addressed to Ambassador Takakazu
Kuriyama which outlined international opposition to use and
transport of plutonium.  "There is just no room in this world of
ours for an energy policy built upon the use of the deadly fuel
of atomic weapons," the letter reads.  "We urge you to ask your
government to reject the dangerous and expensive plutonium
path."

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[Greenpeace Press Release from Environet -- Redistribute Freely]

FRANCE RAISES LAST-MINUTE QUESTIONS ABOUT PLUTONIUM SHIP'S SAFETY 

International Protest Against Shipment Grows
  
PARIS October 27, 1992 (GP) A French government letter leaked
to Greenpeace indicates that France is not convinced of the
adequacy of Japan's safety preparations for the imminent
plutonium shipment.
  
In a letter of October 19 to his counterparts in Japan (1),
the Director of the French Institute for Nuclear Safety and
Protection (IPSN) formally requested that Japan answer eleven
critical questions on fire safety before the plutonium freighter
"Akatsuki Maru" arrives in France. (2)
  
The questions cover such basic issues as: how would fires be
fought on the vessel, how could fuel be dumped from the ship
in the event of a fire and even what kind of fire detection
equipment exists in the engine room and cargo areas of the
"Akatsuki Maru".
  
"It is inconceivable that these questions are being asked at the
very moment the plutonium ship is set to arrive in France," said
Greenpeace's Jean-Luc Thierry.  "While the French Government has
been assuring the public of these shipments' safety, one of its
key agencies has been questioning the basic fire provisions for
the shipment."
  
In the leaked letter, IPSN Director Vesseron recommended that
all 11 questions be answered "before the arrival of the ship
in France."
  
These questions imply that the IPSN is concerned about the
adequacy of the plutonium packing containers, or 'casks',
to withstand the effects of a serious fire.  Following
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations,
the "Type B" containers used for plutonium transports have
been designed and tested to withstand a fire lasting up to 30
minutes at a temperature of up to 800 degrees Centigrade.  But,
International Maritime Organization (IMO) statistics show that
ship-board fires burn on average between 20 and 23 hours at
temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Centigrade.  Accordingly,
the IAEA recommendations have been widely condemned as
inadequate. (3)
  
This revelation coincides with the passing of the October 26
deadline for the arrival of the plutonium ship announced on
October 12 by COGEMA, the operator of the French plutonium
factory at La Hague.
  
During those two weeks, international protest against the
shipments has flourished:

* Following indications that the shipment could go around Cape
Horn, the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay
announced that the shipment was banned from their waters;

* The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called for a United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) assessment of the shipment's threat
to the environment;

* The Philippines President Ramos banned the shipment warning
that an accident involving the ship could be devastating to his
country's people and marine environment; and

* In a letter of October 21, Sri Lanka also announced a ban on
the shipment entering its waters.
  
As the Monday deadline passed, the International Maritime
Organization's committee on marine environmental protection
(MEPC) was convened in London. The transport of plutonium,
irradiated nuclear fuel and high level nuclear waste will be
discussed during the five-day meeting.
  
NOTES:

(1) The letter from IPSN was addressed to Mr Yuichi Mori,
Director for Safety Transport of Dangerous Goods, Maritime
Technology and Safety Bureau in the Japanese Ministry of
Transport.
  
It was copied to: the Japanese Science and Technology Agency
(STA); Japan's Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development
Corporation (PNC); and France's COGEMA.
  
(2) IPSN is responsible for evaluating Japan's safety plan for
the plutonium shipment.  This safety evaluation is required
under the terms of the France/Japan Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement.  With such basic questions on fire safety still
outstanding, it would appear that the required safety review
is still incomplete.
  
(3) For example, concern about the inadequacy of the IAEA design
and testing recommendations for the plutonium containers lead,
lead the US House of Representatives to pass legislation in May
which would ban the plutonium shipments from US waters and ports
unless new credible tests are conducted which comply with the
circumstances of serious accidents at sea.

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