You Are Here:
About 1.8 tonnes of plutonium in MOX fuel, enough to make 225 nuclear weapons, will travel to Japan via the Cape of Good Hope, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand and the south-west Pacific Ocean, to arrive in Japanese waters by late-May.
Greenpeace protested against the departure of the shipment from Cherbourg this week.
"MOX shipments are unsafe, insecure and unnecessary, and the nuclear industry knows it, that's why there is so much security accompanying the shipment. You would never need such security levels when shipping solar panels or windmills," said Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigns director Stephen Campbell.
"An accident involving the ship while it is off Australia's coast could have a catastrophic impact on the environment, and seriously affect our tourism and fisheries industries." he said.
"Of great concern is the fact that Australia has no emergency response plan in the event of an accident, fire or terrorist attack onboard a nuclear shipment," said Mr Campbell.
Australia should join with Pacific governments, who have publicly called for an end to such dangerous and unnecessary shipments.
In 2005 (1) and 2002 (2) Pacific nations made strong public declarations of opposition to plutonium and nuclear waste shipments through their waters and called for, "the immediate cessation of such practice, in order to prevent any occurrence of accidents that could seriously threaten their sustainable development and the health of their peoples.
Greenpeace protested against the departure of the shipment from Cherbourg this week.
"MOX shipments are unsafe, insecure and unnecessary, and the nuclear industry knows it, that's why there is so much security accompanying the shipment. You would never need such security levels when shipping solar panels or windmills," said Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigns director Stephen Campbell.
"An accident involving the ship while it is off Australia's coast could have a catastrophic impact on the environment, and seriously affect our tourism and fisheries industries." he said.
"Of great concern is the fact that Australia has no emergency response plan in the event of an accident, fire or terrorist attack onboard a nuclear shipment," said Mr Campbell.
Australia should join with Pacific governments, who have publicly called for an end to such dangerous and unnecessary shipments.
In 2005 (1) and 2002 (2) Pacific nations made strong public declarations of opposition to plutonium and nuclear waste shipments through their waters and called for, "the immediate cessation of such practice, in order to prevent any occurrence of accidents that could seriously threaten their sustainable development and the health of their peoples.
Notes to Editor
(1) The Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island States (Port Louis, 13 January 2005), http://www.un.org/smallislands2005/pdf/sids_strategy.pdf
(2) Clause 51 of The Nadi Declaration of the Third Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government, July 2002
For further information or comment
Photos of Greenpeace protest in France available from Reuters and AAP
