N U C L E A R W A S T E S H I P M E N T T O J A P A N
Government of Antigua and Barbuda
Telex: 2122 AK
Press Release
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has condemned the planned
shipment of high level nuclear waste (HLNW) between Europe and Japan
scheduled for the second half of January, 1998. Although the exact
route and date remain shrouded in secrecy, the shipment is expected
to travel to Japan via the Caribbean Sea, the Panama Canal and the
Pacific Ocean.
The Government maintains its objection to such shipments through the
caribbean, and shares the view that this shipment threatens to
establish the Caribbean Sea as a route for future shipments. The
Government calls for a review of the safety and security procedures
used, and for full consultation with the transit states of the
Caribbean region.
The continued movement of nuclear waste through the Caribbean
threatens the very survival of Caribbean and the ecosystem. The
region still has no contingency plan to deal with an accident
involving this very hazardous waste and, as a result, an accident of
this nature could have catastrophic effects on the economy, fish
stocks, agriculture and local food supply of the entire region.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda calls on the governments of
Japan, United Kingdom and France, to halt the shipments of this
hazardous waste through the region and to find a more appropriate and
safe means of disposal of this radioactive material.
January 20, 1998
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