-Caveat Lector- ----- Original Message ----- From: Greenpeace Press Releases <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <undisclosed-recipients:;> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 12:11 PM Subject: [ENWL-eng] Deadly plutonium shipment set to leave Europe this week > > > Deadly plutonium shipment set to leave Europe this week ã > Greenpeace warns en route countries > > > > London, Jan 15th 2001. Greenpeace today warned coastal nations around the world to > be on high alert for a deadly weapons-usable plutonium/MOX fuel shipment from > Europe to Japan. The armed nuclear transport freighters the Pacific Pintail and Pacific > Teal began to leave the British port of Barrow-in-Furness this morning bound for the > French port of Cherbourg where they will load the plutonium cargo before an eight > week 30,000km journey to Japan. The ships, each have three 30mm canon and armed > nuclear police onboard. The transport is expected to begin late on Wednesday January > 17th. > > This will be the first transport of plutonium/MOX fuel to Japan since 1999 after which > BNFL admitted irregularities in quality control records and previous shipments of MOX > fuel have still not been loaded into reactors as a result of legal action in Japan. > > Last night special forces from the French anti-terrorist police (GIPN) arrested > Greenpeace France protesters while they were blocking a railway line in Cherbourg. The > line is used by Cogema to transport nuclear material to the port from its nearby facilities. > > > The British, French and Japanese governments and the nuclear companies responsible > (1) have not provided any information on the departure date, route to be taken or the > amount of plutonium to be transported. Despite strong international opposition to these > potentially devastating transports there has been no prior consultation with en-route > countries. An official announcement of the route is only expected 24 hours after > departure. > > Three principal routes are possible: via the Caribbean Sea, Panama Canal, then across > the Pacific; via South Africa/Cape of Good Hope, the Tasman Sea and the South > Pacific; or via South America/Cape Horn, and the south Pacific. (2, and Map available) > > > The transport is one of an increasing number scheduled over the coming years. > According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry all three routes will be used in a õwell > balanced manneræ. In addition, it stressed it would be impossible not to use the Panama > Canal route.(3) > > õThe nuclear industry has no credibility and its claims that these transports are safe lack > credibility. A cargo of hundreds of kilograms of plutonium, high explosive ammunition, > and fuel oil is a recipe for environmental disaster. The industryôs refusal to conduct an > international environmental impact assessment and hold prior consultation and approval > talks with the en-route nations, highlights the disregard they have for public health and > the environment,æ said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace International. > > The plutonium/MOX fuel cargo was produced by the Belgian company Belgonucleaire, > from plutonium reprocessed by the French state-owned company Cogema. It is owned > by the worldôs largest electrical utility, Tokyo Electric Power, and is to be loaded into > the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa unit 3 nuclear reactor in the Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of > Japan coast. Plutonium MOX fuel produced by Belgonucleaire for Tokyo Electric and > delivered in September 1999 has still not been loaded into a reactor. In August 2000 a > court action was brought by nearly 1000 Japanese citizens against Tokyo Electric > seeking an injunction against plans to load the MOX fuel. The case was based upon on > evidence of irregularities in the quality control data for the Belgonucleaire MOX. The > court is expected to rule on this case in February. > > The credibility of the plutonium industry is at an all time low following the falsification > scandal. It led to Japanese government ministers and industry describing BNFL as > untrustworthy and not a company they can do business with. Having deceived one of > their most important clients for several years BNFLôs reassuring statement that their > ships are some of the safest in the world are unconvincing. > > õUnfortunately, ships have accidents and so does the nuclear industry. The 1999 > criticality accident at Tokai-mura in Japan was impossible according to the Japanese > government. But it happened. Shipping plutonium around the planet across some of the > most dangerous seas in the world is inherently dangerous and wholly unjustified,æ said > Burnie. > > For further information: > Shaun Burnie ã Greenpeace International ++ 31 629 00 11 32 (mobile) > Mike Townsley ã Greenpeace International ++ 31 20 523 62 18 or ++ 31 621 29 69 18 > (mobile) > > Video footage of Greenpeace France protests at Valogne and Cherbourg is available > from Michael Luze at Greenpeace France. Tel: ++33 1 44 64 02 14 > Photos of Greenpeace France Protests available from GPI Picture Desk ++31 20 524 > 9580 > A Map of transport routes is available from Greenpeace International Picture Desk > ++31 20 524 9580 > And on our website <www.greenpeace.org/~nuclear/transport/mox00> > > NOTES TO EDITORS: > BritishNuclear Fuels (BNFL), Cogema and Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power > > Thereis, in addition, a possible fourth route, past South Africa and the South China > Sea, via the Malluca Straits. > > The Nuclear Fuel Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry issued its statement in > response to a question from Diet Member Fukushima on December 18th. > > The Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal are operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd, in > which British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) has a majority stake. > > A second nuclear shipment also bound for Japan left France at the end of December > carrying high level nuclear waste. The highly radioactive waste is being carried on > board the Pacific Swan, which has just rounded Cape Horn amidst a storm of > protest. > > Cogema has sought an injunction against Greenpeace France in a bid to prevent protest > actions against the departure of the transports from Cherbourg. > end > > For information on Greenpeace please visit: > > http://www.greenpeace.org > > High-bandwidth users can view current and archive streaming > Greenpeace videos at: > > http://www.tappedintogreenpeace.org > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list please visit: > http://www.greenpeace.org/interact.shtml > Take the link to:"leave mailing list" > ----------- > > For more information on this press release please contact: > Greenpeace International Press Office > T: ++ 31 20 5249515 > F: ++ 31 20 5236212 > > -- > ------------- * ENWL (English) * -------- > Ecological North West Line * St. Petersburg, Russia > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.enwl.net.ru > ----------------------------------------------- > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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