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Pacific Pintail in Tasman Sea, 2001.

Severe corrosion threat to British Plutonium Transport ships - Full disclosure demanded

28 June, 2002

London - Serious corrosion potentially risking the structural integrity of the entire fleet of nuclear freighters operated by British Nuclear Fuels has been revealed in information sent to the UK Government. The corrosion, which for at least one of the vessels was severe enough to exceed Lloyd's Classification Society standard, affects the cargo and fuel areas. Two of the vessels with corrosion problems, the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, were spotted by Greenpeace yesterday in the Japanese port of Kobe in advance of a planned transport of rejected plutonium MOX to the UK which could leave as early as next week. The cause of the corrosion has been found to be poor initial design of the cargo (refrigeration) cooling and condensation removal systems.

A letter from a member of the UK Parliament posing a series of urgent questions to the British Minister for Transport was sent yesterday/today seeking immediate disclosure of details related to the conditions of vessels within the Pacific Nuclear Transport fleet (PNTL). It has been revealed that in 2001 one of the PNTL vessels, Pacific Crane, was discovered with severely corroded steel plates separating the Cargo area from Fuel area. The corrosion exceeded the 30% wastage level permitted by the Lloyds Classification Society. Repairs amounting to 60% of the problem were made on the Crane last August.

Following the discovery of the corrosion on the Pacific Crane, in-house BNFL studies were subsequently initiated on the remaining Pacific Nuclear Fleet.(1) Surveys in particular of the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, according to the Lloyds Register Classification Survey Dates Supplement, took place in November 2001 after the steel plate corrosion problems in the Pacific Crane were identified. It is understood that initial results of these tests indicate similar corrosion problems on all vessels. In a letter to UK Secretary of State for Transport Alastair Darling, Member of Parliament David Chaytor, warns that,

"Given that the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal are currently in Japan awaiting the loading of the falsified and rejected BNFL plutonium MOX for the 18,000 miles journey back to the UK, I am concerned that the structural integrity of the two armed nuclear freighters may be affected by the corrosion problems," said David Chaytor MP. "As the issues I have raised have very serious implications for the protection of coastal communities and environment along the world-wide routes, I would request that information is made publicly available as soon as possible to allow independent assessment of the apparent corrosion problems that may affect the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships."

The Pacific Pintail delivered to Japan on June 14th two one hundred ton transport casks, one of which is scheduled to be loaded with rejected plutonium MOX at the Takahama nuclear power plant. Corrosion in the cargo area, where these very same casks are loaded clearly is an issue for concern. Amongst the disclosures sought of the UK Government are:

- details of any remedial work conducted on the Pacific Teal and Pintail for plate corrosion since the Annual Inspection in November 2001;
- a copy of the risk assessment conducted by Lloyds on the reduced structural integrity of the Pacific fleet ships due to corrosion problems;
- details of the increased insurance premiums and excess penalties imposed by Lloyds as a result of the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships not meeting full classification as a result of corrosion problems.

The original MOX shipment to Japan was opposed by over fifty countries due to concerns over safety of the ships and cargo, the risk of accidents and vulnerability to armed attack. Already the entire Caribbean nations, as well as countries in Latin America and the Pacific have expressed their opposition to the return shipment to the UK. The route for the shipment remains secret further raising concerns by en-route countries. If a route via the Southern Hemisphere was to be selected the two vessels would be confronted with extreme winter weather conditions, placing additional stresses on the structure of the ships and increasing the risk of catastrophic accident.

"British Nuclear Fuels is famous for deception, cover-ups and accidents. The Japanese Government knows this as well as anyone after the delivery of falsified MOX in 1999. In addition to immediate full disclosure of the corrosion status of the Pintail and Teal, the Japanese Government must explain in full what it knows of this issue. This latest news will be received with dread by all countries along the sea routes between Japan and the UK and is a further reason why it should be cancelled," said Simon Boxer/Shaun Burnie/Tom Clements of Greenpeace International.

The Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise is currently in Tsuruga, north of Takahama, on the Sea of Japan coast to protest the planned shipment.

For further information:

Shaun Burnie - Greenpeace International +81 90 2253 7306
Tom Clements - Greenpeace International - on board Arctic Sunrise +81 90 9329 6856
Mhairi Dunlop - Greenpeace Communications +81 90 2253 0327

(1) The survey of the Pacific Crane is recorded in the Lloyds Register Classification Survey Dates Supplement. The Crane, renamed the Akatsuki-mara, was the vessel that made the 1992 controversial plutonium shipment from France to Tokai-mura, Japan. Greenpeace received information on this issue from a source inside BNFL.

Text of the letter sent 27 June, 2002 by UK MP David Chaytor to Alistair Darling MP, UK Secretary of State for Transport, to make information publicly available as soon as possible to allow independent assessment of the apparent corrosion problems that may affect the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships.

(2) Pacific Swan, Pacific Teal, Pacific Pintail and Pacific Sandpiper and the European Shearwater registered owners British Nuclear Transport Ltd.

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Press Releases Archive Links	Pacific Pintail in Tasman Sea, 2001. Severe corrosion threat to British Plutonium Transport ships - Full disclosure demanded 28 June, 2002 London - Serious corrosion potentially risking the structural integrity of the entire fleet of nuclear freighters operated by British Nuclear Fuels has been revealed in information sent to the UK Government. The corrosion, which for at least one of the vessels was severe enough to exceed Lloyd's Classification Society standard, affects the cargo and fuel areas. Two of the vessels with corrosion problems, the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, were spotted by Greenpeace yesterday in the Japanese port of Kobe in advance of a planned transport of rejected plutonium MOX to the UK which could leave as early as next week. The cause of the corrosion has been found to be poor initial design of the cargo (refrigeration) cooling and condensation removal systems. A letter from a member of the UK Parliament posing a series of urgent questions to the British Minister for Transport was sent yesterday/today seeking immediate disclosure of details related to the conditions of vessels within the Pacific Nuclear Transport fleet (PNTL). It has been revealed that in 2001 one of the PNTL vessels, Pacific Crane, was discovered with severely corroded steel plates separating the Cargo area from Fuel area. The corrosion exceeded the 30% wastage level permitted by the Lloyds Classification Society. Repairs amounting to 60% of the problem were made on the Crane last August. Following the discovery of the corrosion on the Pacific Crane, in-house BNFL studies were subsequently initiated on the remaining Pacific Nuclear Fleet.(1) Surveys in particular of the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, according to the Lloyds Register Classification Survey Dates Supplement, took place in November 2001 after the steel plate corrosion problems in the Pacific Crane were identified. It is understood that initial results of these tests indicate similar corrosion problems on all vessels. In a letter to UK Secretary of State for Transport Alastair Darling, Member of Parliament David Chaytor, warns that, "Given that the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal are currently in Japan awaiting the loading of the falsified and rejected BNFL plutonium MOX for the 18,000 miles journey back to the UK, I am concerned that the structural integrity of the two armed nuclear freighters may be affected by the corrosion problems," said David Chaytor MP. "As the issues I have raised have very serious implications for the protection of coastal communities and environment along the world-wide routes, I would request that information is made publicly available as soon as possible to allow independent assessment of the apparent corrosion problems that may affect the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships." The Pacific Pintail delivered to Japan on June 14th two one hundred ton transport casks, one of which is scheduled to be loaded with rejected plutonium MOX at the Takahama nuclear power plant. Corrosion in the cargo area, where these very same casks are loaded clearly is an issue for concern. Amongst the disclosures sought of the UK Government are: - details of any remedial work conducted on the Pacific Teal and Pintail for plate corrosion since the Annual Inspection in November 2001; - a copy of the risk assessment conducted by Lloyds on the reduced structural integrity of the Pacific fleet ships due to corrosion problems; - details of the increased insurance premiums and excess penalties imposed by Lloyds as a result of the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships not meeting full classification as a result of corrosion problems. The original MOX shipment to Japan was opposed by over fifty countries due to concerns over safety of the ships and cargo, the risk of accidents and vulnerability to armed attack. Already the entire Caribbean nations, as well as countries in Latin America and the Pacific have expressed their opposition to the return shipment to the UK. The route for the shipment remains secret further raising concerns by en-route countries. If a route via the Southern Hemisphere was to be selected the two vessels would be confronted with extreme winter weather conditions, placing additional stresses on the structure of the ships and increasing the risk of catastrophic accident. "British Nuclear Fuels is famous for deception, cover-ups and accidents. The Japanese Government knows this as well as anyone after the delivery of falsified MOX in 1999. In addition to immediate full disclosure of the corrosion status of the Pintail and Teal, the Japanese Government must explain in full what it knows of this issue. This latest news will be received with dread by all countries along the sea routes between Japan and the UK and is a further reason why it should be cancelled," said Simon Boxer/Shaun Burnie/Tom Clements of Greenpeace International. The Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise is currently in Tsuruga, north of Takahama, on the Sea of Japan coast to protest the planned shipment. For further information: Shaun Burnie - Greenpeace International +81 90 2253 7306 Tom Clements - Greenpeace International - on board Arctic Sunrise +81 90 9329 6856 Mhairi Dunlop - Greenpeace Communications +81 90 2253 0327 (1) The survey of the Pacific Crane is recorded in the Lloyds Register Classification Survey Dates Supplement. The Crane, renamed the Akatsuki-mara, was the vessel that made the 1992 controversial plutonium shipment from France to Tokai-mura, Japan. Greenpeace received information on this issue from a source inside BNFL. Text of the letter sent 27 June, 2002 by UK MP David Chaytor to Alistair Darling MP, UK Secretary of State for Transport, to make information publicly available as soon as possible to allow independent assessment of the apparent corrosion problems that may affect the Pacific Nuclear Fleet ships. (2) Pacific Swan, Pacific Teal, Pacific Pintail and Pacific Sandpiper and the European Shearwater registered owners British Nuclear Transport Ltd. Back