Aerial view of Rokkasho-Mura Reprocessing Plant, Northern Japan, taken from Greenpeace sampling kite.
The Rokkasho reprocessing plant, which to date has cost 2.14
trillion yen (US$ 20 billion ) is designed to reprocess spent
nuclear fuel from Japanese nuclear reactors, with a capacity to
produce or separate up to 7-8,000 kilograms of plutonium each year.
Japan currently has no commercial demand for plutonium, though it
owns in excess of 38,000 kilograms of plutonium. Most of this
weapons-usable material is located at reprocessing sites in the UK
and France. Plans to use this plutonium as nuclear reactor fuel,
so-called MOX, have stalled following scandals and major
opposition.
"The Inquiry Committee could play a decisive role in evaluating
the safety implications of Rokkasho, or it could ignore fundamental
safety issues and be a white-wash for the nuclear industry. If the
Committee continues on their present path the facility will be
given a green light to operate. This would be equivalent to
authorising a nuclear accident, potentially far greater than
anything seen in Japan, including the Tokai-mura accident of 1999,"
said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace International.
Safety issues identified by the independent consultants
contracted by Greenpeace include the major failure of quality
control during the plants construction, and the implication for
operating a large chemical plant containing thousands of kilograms
of plutonium each year; the ability of the plant to resist major
earthquakes; operating experience from existing European
reprocessing plants, including past accidents. The Committee
appears to be considering only a limited listing of past serious
accidents in the UK and France, including the environmental and
health impacts of radioactive contamination from the plant.(3) In
terms of emergency response in the event of an accident, the plans
give almost total control to the plant operators, with major
implications on the risks to local citizens.
The Greenpeace assessment concludes, "In our opinion, the
information provided by Japan Nuclear Fuels Limited to the Inquiry
Committee falls far short of that required to enable the Committee
to properly analyse and evaluate the necessary countermeasures to
safeguard the plant, the environment and the local communities in
Rokkashomura."
"Plutonium is one of the most hazardous materials on earth, and
Rokkasho's operation will threaten the environment, public and
nuclear non-proliferation in the whole of Asia. And now its clear
that JNFL are incompetent. This is a recipe for disaster," said
kazue Suzuki, nuclear campaigner of Greenpeace Japan.
Notes: 1 - The official title of the Committee is Rokkasho Saishori Shisetsu Soutenken Ni kansuru Kentoukai (Inquiry Committee on Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant Comprehensive Inspection). It was appointed by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, within the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, METI. The next meeting will be held in Rokkasho mura, Aomori prefecture with an expected high turn out from local citizens opposed to the Rokkasho reprocessing plant.2 - Greenpeace International commissioned their assessment from Large&Associates; (consulting nuclear engineers) based in London, and WISE-Paris. Copies in English and Japanese available on Greenpeace Japan website: > http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/campaign/nuclear/plutonium/rokkasho/inquirycome.pdf3 - In terms of accident, the 1981 fire in a waste silo at Cogema's la Hague reprocessing plant, for example, was considered a major accident, leading to radioactivity releases 10 times above the authorized annual limits for radionuclide such as caesium. Significant strontium-90 contamination was found up to 6km away from the plant. However, the information presented to the Inquiry Committee suggested that it was radiologically insignificant not being rated at all on the INES, which is contrary to the fact that it was a postpriori rated at level 3 on the INES. During the period 1996-2000, more than 15 incidents on average were declared each year in the operation of the La Hague reprocessing plants. Although none of them was rated more than 1 on the INES scale, their pattern may be relevant to identify areas of safety and radioprotection hazard.4 - An advisory body of the Japanese government recently released the figure on nuclear-backend costs over the next 40 years, (the period that the reprocessing plant starts operate and to be dismantled, long term management of nuclear waste and MOX fuel manufacture), that is 19 trillion yen. Independent experts criticized the figure as an underestimate. The advisory body released the figure so as to discuss what kind of measures the government and industry can take for this costly operation. The plant is planned to start operation in 2006. The uranium commission is aimed to start this April.