Protest Message: “Bnfl Never Again !”

Environmental NGO Resolution Eighth International Energy Forum Osaka, Japan20 September 2002 Green Action Press Release and BriefingOn Eve of Return Shipment of Falsified BNFL MOX Fuel 3 July 2002 For immediate releaseContact: Aileen Mioko Smith or Stephen ReadyMobile 090-3620-9251 Kyoto, Japan – BNFL and Kansai Electric are in the final stages of preparation for loading 8 falsified MOX fuel assemblies onto the Pacific Pintail for a return shipment to the United Kingdom. The falsified MOX has already been loaded into the transport cask, and the cask is expected to be loaded onto the Pacific Pintail on 4 July 2002. Green Action’s message is: ‘BNFL never again in Japan! Japan’s plutonium …

Japan’s Plutonium Program Remains at a Standstill Citizen and Governor Opposition Remains Strong

Commonly referred to as the pluthermal program, Japan has plans to commercially burn MOX (mixed plutonium uranium oxide) fuel in 16 to 18 nuclear power plants by 2010. The program, however, is way behind schedule and yet to begin. MOX utilization was initially to take place in Fukui, Fukushima, and Niigata Prefectures. However, at this time, all plans to load MOX fuel in these regions have been temporarily suspended, and opposition to implementation of the pluthermal program remains strong. NIIGATA PREFECTURE: Kariwa’s ‘No to MOX’ Referendum Result Remains Unchanged May 27, 2002 marked the first anniversary of a referendum in Kariwa village, Niigata Prefecture, in which a majority of residents …

Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission—a Naked Emperor—Japan Should Shut Down its Plutonium Program—

For immediate release: April 9, 2002 For further information contact: Aileen Mioko Smith 090-3620-9251, or Stephen Ready Kyoto, Japan–The Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) in its 2001 White Paper reaches the conclusion that use of plutonium at Japanese nuclear power plants is safe. However, the NSC’s has a poor record when it comes to declaring there is no problem with Japan’s MOX program. In 1999 when citizen organizations submitted evidence to the NSC that MOX fuel manufactured by the British company BNFL for Kansai Electric had falsified quality control data, the NSC failed to address the issue. Citizens filed an injunction against use of the fuel and were subsequently proven …

Fukushima Prefecture Energy Policy Review

In February 2001, Governor Eisaku Sato of Fukushima Prefecture announced that he would not allow the use of MOX fuel in Fukushima Prefecture in spite of earlier promises to the national government and Tokyo Electric to allow the pluthermal program to proceed. At the same time, Governor Sato announced his intention of setting up an Energy Policy Review Committee to examine the entire national energy policy from the perspective of an energy producing prefecture. After listening to the views of twelve prefectural citizens on 31 May 2001, the committee proceeded to hear the views of eight lecturers. On October 25, Professor Hitoshi Yoshioka, expert committee member of Japan’s Atomic Energy …