PRESS ADVISORY ON CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON SHIPMENT

17 January 1998 Washington

Members of Congress from the Caribbean and Pacific regions have sent a strongly worded letter to President Clinton, protesting the impending first-time shipment through the Panama Canal of intensely radioactive waste aboard a British ship from France to Japan. The waste results from plutonium production for Japan's nuclear program.

The letter, dated January 15, expresses their "deepest concerns" about the potential for catastrophic consequences from an accident or act of sabotage during the voyage. (See letter below). The Congressmen call on President Clinton to notify the countries involved to halt the shipment until the United States reviews outstanding safety and security questions under procedures spelled out in a U.S.-EURATOM agreement pertaining to retransfers of "irradiated nuclear material" derived from spent power-reactor fuel originally supplied by the U.S. to Japan.

Greenpeace and NCI, which disclosed secret details of the planned shipment at a Washington press conference on January 13, commended the Congressmen for taking such a strong position in opposition to the shipment. The two organizations also condemned the countries involved for keeping enroute countries in the dark about the details and dangers of the shipment.

At their press conference, Greenpeace and NCI revealed that the British-flagged freighter, Pacific Swan, is scheduled to depart from Cherbourg on January 23 with about 30 tons of the deadly waste. Greenpeace has just learned that the ship departed from its home English port, Barrow-in-Furness, on January 17, suggesting that the ship may pick up its nuclear cargo early in France and thereby leave Caribbean and Pacific governments with less time to seek to stop the shipment. The U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic have issued protests thus far. Other governments and organizations are expected to be heard from shortly.

Signers of the letter are

Carlos Romero-Barcel (Democrat-Puerto Rico),

Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii),

Robert A. Underwood (D-Guam),

Donna Christian-Green (D- Virgin Islands),

and Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Damon Moglen, Greenpeace International, Washington 1-202-319-2513

Sharon Tanzer, Nuclear Control Institute, 1202-822-8444; 1-301-657-8171