Press release - August 25, 2004
Greenpeace today reiterated its opposition to the planned transport of plutonium from US to France as US Congressman Jim Turner expressed his concerns over the same controversial shipment.
Turner, a Democrat Congressman on the US Select Committee on
Homeland Security, has communicated Spencer Abraham, US Department
of Energy (DOE) Secretary, that he is concerned about the lack of
security for the proposed shipment.
"This shipment is unnecessary and dangerous and must be
stopped," said Tom Clements of Greenpeace International. "While on
the one hand Bush is voicing his concerns about international
terrorism and security, on the other he is pushing forward this
dangerous plan to ship nuclear material around the world. It's a
relief to hear these ill-conceived plans being questioned."
Greenpeace has recently met with members of the U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative branch of Congress,
to discuss the shipment and view a video that exposes the lack of
security measures provided for previous transports of plutonium in
France.
The Bush Administration plans to ship the plutonium from
Charleston, South Carolina to Cherbourg, France in two lightly
armed UK-flagged ships. The 140 kilograms of weapons-grade
plutonium would be carried in containers that would not withstand
an attack by a rocket-propelled grenade (1). Once in France, the
nuclear material will be transported 1,000 km south of the country
in lightly guarded trucks that could also be subject to attack or
theft.
Another US Congressman has also questioned adequacy of security
for the shipment. Rep. Edward Markey Questions released letters to
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday regarding the upcoming shipment
(2). He expressed his concern that the Bush Administration isn't
doing enough to ensure full protection against possible terrorist
threats.
Greenpeace advocates treating plutonium as a nuclear waste
through immobilization, which is a safer, cheaper, and more secure
method.
Notes: (1). According to the French Government's agency IRSN - Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire:http://www.irsn.fr/net-science/liblocal/docs/docs_DEND/frenchapproach.pdf(2) News release and letter at: http://www.house.gov/markey/ To get the video clips see: http://frodo.greenpeace.org/photos/pumovies/ For domestic action to halt plutonium transport in France, see: http://www.stop-plutonium.orgFor local opposition to the US plutonium shipment via Charleston, South Carolina: http://www.noplutonium.org