Irish Government must prevent plutonium ship from entering Irish waters

28 August, 2002

S/V Rainbow Warrior, Dublin - Greenpeace today called on the Irish Government to ensure that a shipment of rejected plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, heading for Sellafield in the UK, does not enter Irish waters.

The plutonium ships, Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, are currently mid-South Atlantic and are expected to enter European waters the first week of September. Greenpeace is recommending that the Irish Government deploy naval vessels for the arrival of the nuclear transport to guarantee that the armed vessels do not enter Irish waters and also to ensure the safety of the Irish Nuclear Free Seas Flotilla, which is planning to protest against the shipment.

In July this year, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) ignored the opposition from South Pacific Island nations that this shipment must not violate their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone. The company however chose to reassure the New Zealand Government that they would not violate their jurisdictional waters. The New Zealand Prime Minister issued the order to deploy two military jets to monitor the shipment.

"The Irish Government has taken legal action to prevent nuclear transports, and has voiced strong opposition to it threatening the Irish Sea. These dangerous nuclear ships will be in the Irish Sea within weeks, so the Government must send a further signal to Britain that these transports and the plutonium industry they are part of are completely unacceptable. Governments around the world have learnt through experience not to trust BNFL, its decaying industry and the British Government. The Irish Government has more reason than most not to trust them. The daily existence of Sellafield is all they need to remind them," said John Bowler of Greenpeace International.

To date 80 World Governments have condemned BNFL and this shipment, many demanding that the vessels do not enter their Exclusive Economic Zone. All nations in the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific voted against the shipment at their July Summit in Fiji. The outrage felt by South Pacific nations to this nuclear shipment has been so strong that a number of them plan to raise the matter at the Earth Summit now meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"This dangerous trade in bomb material is not sustainable. BNFL is bankrupt and the Japanese nuclear industry is awash in plutonium for which it has no use. The billions wasted in supporting this industry need to be switched to clean and renewable energy. Instead of these shipments becoming accepted by the international community they are being increasingly rejected. The UK Government needs to be reminded that by propping up this industry they are defying international opinion and increasing the risk of nuclear proliferation and terrorist attack. In contrast to Sellafield and plutonium shipments, windmills are not on any terrorist target list," said Shaun Burnie, Nuclear Campaigner, Greenpeace International.

Contact information:

- Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace International +31 629 00 11 33
- John Bowler, Greenpeace International +353 87 2394692
- Mhairi Dunlop, Greenpeace International Nuclear Press Officer +31 65 350 4731

1. The Pacific Pintail with its lightly armed escort the Pacific Teal left Japan on July 4th with its rejected cargo. Originally BNFL manufactured the plutonium MOX for a Japanese utility company, but it was revealed during its transport to Japan in 1999 that vital safety data had been deliberately falsified. The Japanese Government demanded its return, with BNFL and the UK Government finally agreeing a compensation package with Japan amounting to 113 million sterling, including the return of the shipment and all transport costs.

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