H.M.. Ambassador Stephen Gomersall
British Embassy in Japan
1 Ichiban-cho,Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 〒102-8381
Japan

1 July 2002

Dear Ambassador Stephen Gomersall:

On 14 June, a BNFL vessel from the United Kingdom arrived in Takahama to take back the “falsified data MOX fuel”. To us in Takahama, we feel as though this will break our hearts. The reason is, if the falsified MOX fuel is returned to the United Kingdom, it could result in further MOX fuel fabrication which could then lead to forced implementation of the pluthermal programme at the Takahama nuclear power plant, and as a result of BNFL fabricating new fuel, the Sellafield region will be, as in the past, forced to be exposed further to environmental contamination from worsening radioactivity. Furthermore, there is also anxiety about terrorist attacks and accidents during the shipment, and many en route countries have voiced opposition due to these concerns.

Our town Takahama has a population of 12,200 people, and is located in an area of scenic beauty within the Wakasa Bay National Park. There are four nuclear power plants in our town. There are 15 nuclear power plants of various design, including those in Takahama, concentrated in a straight line of only 60 kilometres along Wakasa Bay. We, the residents, have no choice but to live with this danger twenty-four hours a day.

We are sure you already know that the Japanese government has to date promoted the nuclear fuel cycle as a fundamental part of its atomic energy policy. However, seven years ago (in 1995) the Monju fast breeder reactor which was a central part of this policy had a fateful accident, and as a result of opposition from a large number of prefectural residents, the national government’s fast breeder reactor development plans have reached a deadlock. Since then, plans to use plutonium in light water reactors, the pluthermal programme, which had previously played only a secondary role, has been forced upon us. We the local residents don’t understand difficult technical issues. However, scientists around the world warn about the dangers of the pluthermal programme, and it is said the programme is not economic. Also the world trend, even among the small number of countries which have implemented pluthermal programmes, is to withdraw from them. The Japanese government is clinging to the nuclear fuel cycle, going against this widespread trend. For this reason, Japan’s atomic energy policy is becoming more contradictory and chaotic, and is leading the Japanese public into an irreconcilable quagmire even on into the future. We residents absolutely refuse by all means to become foolish victims of such government policies.

The people who are promoting nuclear power and the pluthermal programme say that “electricity is necessary.” Yes, electricity is necessary. However, why is electricity necessary? It is needed to make human lives more convenient and comfortable. If for that reason, danger or disaster is brought about including into future generations, then what is the reason for doing it in the first place? Isn’t what is necessary now the search for safer ways of generating the necessary electricity? And already there are many new energy development and research programmes being promoted throughout the world. We are praying from our hearts that the Japanese government will also make a fundamental policy shift toward the direction being taken by the rest of the world.

In your country there are also probably various circumstances surrounding your atomic energy policy. Although it is presumptuous for us to say this, BNFL’s state of operations is extremely terrible. The other day we invited to our town Mr. Martin Forwood, a resident of Sellafield in your country, and we heard him speak about various things. We participants were all shocked to hear what he had to say. This is because his region was even more contaminated with radioactivity than we had imagined, and that cancer and leukemia has increased among the local people. And he said that the people have no choice but to live in these conditions. Even though it is clear that this is the effect of long term discharges of radioactivity from BNFL, why has the government or the company not stood in the shoes of the residents and made changes for the better? Listening to Mr. Forwood’s presentation, we could clearly understand how the innate characteristics of the company BNFL lead to the dishonest fabrication of MOX fuel bound for use at the Takahama nuclear power plant. We, the residents of Takahama, are against the pluthermal programme itself, but above and beyond this even more anxious about having fuel used in our town which is manufactured by a company like BNFL. We also cannot believe the British government’s claim that “BNFL has improved”. We will adamantly refuse MOX fuel to be brought into Japan from a company such as BNFL, and this resolution will never change.

We believe that science is for human progress and happiness. Nuclear power still has many unresolved problems and is an incomplete technology. No matter which way it is looked upon, it will not bring about human happiness. The pluthermal programme only increases these dangers. Please don’t allow the use of this material for commercial trade. Please don’t push forward the sales of MOX fuel in Japan. Please don’t subject the Takahama people to further danger. And at the same time, please help the people of Sellafield. Speaking for the people of Takahama, we call on you from the bottom of our hearts.

Sincerely yours,

Toujiro OKUMURA

Member, Representative Committee
Group to Realize a Takahama Town Local Referendum Ordinance
1-46-4 Kotoshiro, Takahama-cho, Fukui-ken ｢ｩ919-2221

Takashi WATANABE

Member, Representative Committee
Group to Realize a Takahama Town Local Referendum Ordinance

Kayoko WATANABE

Member, Representative Committee
Group to Realize a Takahama Town Local Referendum Ordinance
Tetsuen NAKAJIMA

Permanent Board Member

Fukui Prefectural Citizens’ Organization Against Nuclear Power Plants

Masaharu IKENO

Obama Citizens Against Nuclear Reactor Establishment