Author: Rick E

Comision de Poblacion, Ambiente y DesarrolloAsamblea LegislativaRepublica de Panama Dear Members of the Commission: Green Action is an environmental NGO based in Kyoto, Japan which works on Japan’s plutonium program issues. We are submitting this letter in conjunction to your deliberation of proposed legislation that would prohibit shipments of ultrahazardous nuclear cargoes through the Panama Canal. This letter addresses the fact that maritime shipments of ultrahazardous nuclear cargoes from Europe to Japan are not necessary for meeting Japan’s energy needs. Japan at present has 53 nuclear reactors producing approximately 37% of Japan’s electric power needs, but not a single one of these reactors is dependent on maritime nuclear shipments between…

For Immediate Release: 27 January 2003Contact: Aileen Mioko SmithCell: +81-90-3620-9251 Kanazawa, Japan—- Plaintiffs in Fukui Prefecture today won a lawsuit verdict against the Japanese government and the owner operator of Japan’s prototype fast breeder reactor Monju located in Fukui Prefecture. The lawsuit sought to stop the construction and operation of Monju. The epochmaking court verdict overturned a lower court ruling and is the first ever plaintiff victory addressing nuclear power in Japan. Monju had been shut since it had a sodium leak and fire accident in December 1995. Citizens nationwide will be petitioning Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission on 29 January in Tokyo, seeking scrapping of…

November 15, 2002 Dr. Richard MeserveChairman, Nuclear Regulatory CommissionWashington, D.C. 20555-0001Facsimile: 1-301-415-1757 Dear Chairman Richard Meserve: Re: Opposition to Issuance of Export License for Depleted Uranium to Japan’s Rokkasho Reprocessing Facility Green Action is a Japanese NGO based in Kyoto, Japan working mainly on Japanese plutonium fuel cycle issues. Green Action recently obtained a copy of an application to export approximately 26 tons of depleted uranium from the United States to Japan for use as test material in the test operation of Japan’s Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. [License Number XSOU8790, Date of Application 10/17/2002] Green Action notes that Japan has already stockpiled more than 32 tons of plutonium in…

Interim Report September 2002 I. Background (How the Review came about.) II. Concerning the Problem of "Falsification of Industry Inspections Records at Nuclear Power Plants" "Of course the responsibility of the utilities [for having caused this situation] must be pursued vigorously, but the Japanese government’s responsibility for this situation is also extremely grave as well." "This current problem is a problem of the national government’s constitution and disposition, conducting nuclear policy "like a bulldozer", and ‘belittling [holding in contempt] the residents where nuclear power plants are located". "The Japanese government states, "Even though there may be slight delays as a result of the current problems, the basic plan of aiming…

19 September 2002 Consultation Procedures for Citizens of Fukushima Prefecture and Others on the "Interim Report" Administrative OfficeEnergy Policy Review Purpose: A consultation is being undertaken to seek views on the "Interim Report" of this Energy Policy Review in order that the views of Fukushima Prefectural citizens etc. will be reflected in future energy policy [of this nation]. Who Can Submit: Citizens and organizations not limited to Fukushima Prefecture. How the "Interim Report" will be made public[Libraries, home page, through the media, etc.] Consultation Period: October 1 – November 30, 2002 Method of Submission: Mail, fax, email : energy-g@pref.fukushima.jp How Submissions Will Be Handled. Placed on home page Green ActionSuite…

Tokyo Electric Scandal Update Number 17Date: October 26, 2002 Contents: METI to order one year shutdown of Fukushima Dai-Ichi Unit 1 Operation status of TEPCO reactors Leaked documents reveal alpha nuclide emissions from Fukushima Dai-Ichi Unit 1 & 2 between 1979 and 1981 Tokyo Electric Scandal Update Number 16Date: October 11, 2002 Contents: Aomori governor threatens to halt SNF imports Fukushima legislature passes motion declaring: "Pluthermal Program will not be implemented in Fukushima" Tokyo Electric announces damaged CRDM guide tubes in Fukushima Dai-Ichi Unit 4 reactor Tokyo Electric Scandal Update Number 15Date: October 9, 2002 Contents: (1) Fukushima governor meets Prime Minister Koizumi and calls for reconsideration of nuclear fuel…

—Fukushima Governor Formally Announces Rescinding of Prior Approval for Pluthermal Program, declares, “On this occasion, we should rethink [Japan’s] nuclear power policy itself, taking it back to the starting point.” —Asahi reports it is now certain that there will be a push for reconsideration of the nuclear fuel cycle. Asahi Web Site. 2002 September 26th 13:24English translation by Green Action(Note words in brackets are by translator.) At the prefectural legislative session held [September] 26, Fukushima Governor Eisaku Sato, stating that the precondition for implementing the Pluthermal Program had collapses as a result of Tokyo Electric’s cover-up of nuclear power plant problems, formally declared his decision to rescind prior approval for…

Environmental NGO Resolution Eighth International Energy Forum Osaka, Japan20 September 2002 The 20th century was the fossil fuel century. To the middle of the century, most energy came from coal, and after the 1960’s the use of oil increased rapidly. Today’s worldwide consumption in energy continues to be dependent on fossil fuels, predominantly oil. These precious fossil fuels have contributed to the development of humanity, easing the burden of daily life. At the same time however, dependence on fossil fuels has caused or contributed to further aggravating the unequal distribution of the world’s wealth, energy wars or civil wars related to energy access, serious environmental destruction as a result of…

High Cost of Power Generation and Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing is Strangling the UK’s Largest Power Generator Lessons for Japanese Electric Utilities British Energy plc is the United Kingdom’s largest electric utility, producing one fifth of the country’s electricity. The company owns and operates 15 nuclear reactors in the UK with a combined generating capacity of approximately 9600 megawatts. The company also operates reactors in the United States and Canada. On 12 August 2002, British Energy was forced to shut down reactor 1 at the Torness Nuclear Power Station in East Lothian because of vibrations in the gas circulation system which cools the reactor. Reactor 2 at the same station…

Fukushima Prefecture is currently carrying out a review of Japan’s national energy policy from the point of view of an energy producing prefecture. Since the December 1999 BNFL MOX data falsification scandal, governor Sato has refused to give his consent to the loading of MOX fuel into Tokyo Electric’s Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 3 nuclear power plant. Tokyo Electric is seeking to load 32 MOX fuel assemblies during the current scheduled outage, but it is expected that Sato will continue to refuse implementation of the pluthermal program. Reported on June 4, 2002 The following comments were made by governor Sato at a meeting with regional mayors at the Fukushima Prefecture Office…