Japan Confirms Last Nuke Waste Shipped to France in Dec '97

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

JAPAN CONFIRMS LAST SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL SHIPPED TO FRANCE IN
DECEMBER 97 

Greenpeace Demands French Government "Stop New Reprocessing
Contracts"

Amsterdam, January 28, 1998  -- Greenpeace has received
confirmation from the Japanese Government that the last shipment
of spent nuclear fuel to France under existing reprocessing
contracts took place in December. If no new reprocessing
contracts between Japanese utilities and France are signed, as
promised by the French government, then such dangerous shipments
from Japan to France have come to a conclusion. 

In a brief written response to an inquiry by Greenpeace, the
Embassy of Japan in Paris confirmed Greenpeace's belief that the
shipments had ended. The message states that the shipment of
nine casks of spent fuel, which arrived in Cherbourg on 16
December, was the "last one under current contracts between
Japanese electric companies and COGEMA." The message from the
First Secretary in charge of scientific affairs does not reveal
the status of on-going discussion between COGEMA and Japanese
nuclear utilities for new reprocessing contracts. 

"The French Government must now show the public that it will
live up to its pledge that no more deadly Japanese nuclear waste
will be dumped on France," said Bruno Rebelle, of Greenpeace.
"An end to radioactive shipments from Japan will have a tangible
benefit for France and the world. We renew our call on the
French government to take action and call off all negotiations
for new reprocessing contracts."

Both COGEMA and British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) have
recently been to Japan to pressure the Japanese for new
reprocessing contracts. The present contracts between Japan and
the European reprocessing factories involved shipment of about
7,120 tonnes of spent fuel and will result in the separation of
about 70 tonnes of weapon-usable plutonium. Japan has about 12
tonnes of plutonium currently stockpiled in Europe and about 4
tonnes stockpiled in Japan. Japan's program to use the plutonium
is floundering and no commercial use of plutonium fuel (MOX) has
yet been licensed. 

As the United States, under the US-Japan Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement, controls the disposition of Japanese spent fuel and
separated plutonium, the US can use its political leverage to
halt any new Japanese reprocessing contracts. "By taking action
to halt new reprocessing contracts by Japan, the US can prove
that the non-proliferation policy of the Clinton administration
is intact", said Tom Clements of Greenpeace. "Inaction in
stopping new reprocessing contracts will result in more
stockpiling of plutonium and thus indicate that Clinton's non-
proliferation policy has crumbled."  

Currently, a shipment of vitrified nuclear waste is on its way
from France to Japan. The waste results from reprocessing at La
Hague and has no commercial value. The dangerous shipment, which
left Cherbourg on 21 January, is believed to have passed the
Azores Islands and be currently located in the mid-Atlantic
Ocean, bound for the Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal. Despite
their promises, the shippers are still refusing to reveal the
route through the Caribbean or Pacific. On 23 January, both
Jamaica and the Bahamas issued strong statements against the
transport of nuclear waste and plutonium through the Caribbean
region. 

Greenpeace calls on nations concerned with plutonium
proliferation and along shipping routes for nuclear materials to
appeal to Japan, France, Britain and the United States that no
new reprocessing contracts be considered. 

end

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org

The memo from the Japanese Embassy and the statements from the
Bahamas and Jamaica are available on request.