Archive
Greenpeace Press Releases/Features
Flotilla peacefully protests plutonium ships arrival
17 September, 2002: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, UNITED KINGDOM - For the second time in as
many days, yachts from the Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla have protested
the transport of nuclear materials through the Irish Sea. This morning
at 8.30 am six of the flotilla boats protested the arrival of the Pacific
Pintail and Pacific Teal into Barrow docks near Sellafield at the end
of the ships' infamous 18,000 mile journey from Japan to the UK.
Full
story
Plutonium ships sail through Irish Sea protest Flotilla
16 September, 2002: Fishguard, UNITED KINGDOM - The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla has encountered
and protested against the two nuclear freighters entering the Irish Sea
today, 28 miles off the coast of Ireland, 20 miles off the coast of the
UK. Full
story
Plutonium ships found off coast of France - Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla prepares to protest
15 September, 2002: Fishguard, UNITED KINGDOM - The two armed nuclear freighters, the Pacific
Pintail and Pacific Teal, carrying the now notorious shipment of rejected
plutonium fuel were located earlier today by Greenpeace in the North Atlantic,
200 miles west of the French port of Brest.Full
story
Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla deployed
15 September, 2002: Holyhead, UNITED KINGDOM - The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla, supported
by the Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior, will be deployed in the
Irish Sea early Sunday morning to protest against the two nuclear freighters
due to arrive in Barrow-in-Furness, England in the next two to three
days.Full
story
Plutonium cat and mouse as ships move towards west coast of Ireland and Scotland
14 September, 2002: Holyhead, UNITED KINGDOM - In what is turning into a global game of cat and mouse with nuclear bomb material, Greenpeace today warned that a Japanese plutonium shipment bound for Sellafield could be heading for the west of Ireland and Scotland.Full
story
Countdown to Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla as yachts and Rainbow Warrior set sail
12 September, 2002: Dublin - The countdown to the arrival in the UK of the two nuclear freighters
carrying the falsified nuclear fuel into the Irish Sea has begun.Full
story
Irish Sea destination imminent as Pariah Plutonium ships spotted off the coast of Madeira
10 September, 2002: Dublin - Greenpeace and the Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla warned that
the arrival of the two nuclear freighters in the Irish Sea is imminent
as the ships have been spotted west of the Portuguese island of Madeira.Full
story
Bankrupt plutonium company threatened by the collapse of its largest customer
7 September, 2002: In the space of one week British Nuclear Fuel's
(BNFL) two largest clients, who account for 50% of its total reprocessing
business, have suffered catastrophic events, which Greenpeace believe
will cost the UK taxpayer millions of pounds.Full
story
Crisis in Japan's nuclear program demands end to reprocessing
5 September, 2002: Dublin - The Japanese Ambassador to Ireland was told today to stop reprocessing
nuclear waste from Japan at the Sellafield nuclear complex in the UK.Full
story
Rainbow Warrior will support Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla
1 September, 2002: Dublin - The Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, took its place with The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla at its official launch in Dublin today. Dublin's Lord Mayor, Councillor Dermot Lacey along with politicians and celebrities unveiled the flotilla, which will sail out into the Irish Sea to peacefully protest against the two nuclear freighters carrying the rejected plutonium fuel back from Japan.Full
story
Cover-up in Japanese nuclear program is devastating news for nuclear industry
30 August, 2002: London - The news announced last night by Japan's largest nuclear utility that there has been a safety cover-up for decades at its nuclear power plants is a devastating blow to an already embattled nuclear industry with global implications, Greenpeace stated today.Full story
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.Full
story
Plutonium on the horizon, planet on the line
19 August, 2002: Johannesburg - A shipment of one of the planet's deadliest substances will round the Cape of Good Hope at about the same time world leaders are arriving in Johannesburg for the Earth Summit on Sustainable Development.Full
story
Deadly plutonium shipment off South Africa shamed and running from Greenpeace as Earth Summit nears
18 August, 2002: Cape Town - A deadly cargo of plutonium has been driven away from South African waters after the Greenpeace ship MV Esperanza set sail from Cape Town to track and monitor the shipment.Full
story
Message of solidarity for Cape Town anti-nuclear plant protestors from Pacific Nuclear Free Seas flotilla
12 August, 2002: Pacific - This is just a short message of solidarity from the Pacific Nuclear free seas flotilla. We have just carried out a successful high seas demonstration against the shipment of 225 kg of reject plutonium true our region.Full
story
Stop the plutonium industry now
9 August, 2002: Tokyo - On the 57th anniversary of the atomic bombing
of Nagasaki, Greenpeace today called for urgent progress toward the
elimination of nuclear weapons and an end to the plutonium trade as
the most fitting memorial for the victims of the bombing.Full
story
Plutonium ships run from protest as Flotilla delivers message
21 July, 2002: Tasman Sea, Australia - The Nuclear Free Seas Flotilla successfully delivered its message of protest to the two armed UK nuclear freighters this morning, despite the freighters best efforts to sneak through the flotilla's line in the dead of night.Full
story
Flotilla intercepts nuclear freighters in the dead of night
21 July, 2002: Tasman Sea, Australia - As predicted by Greenpeace and the Nuclear Free Seas Flotilla the two armed UK nuclear freighters are sneaking through the flotilla protest line between Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.Full
story
Flotilla stops nuclear shipment in its tracks
21 July, 2002: Tasman Sea, Australia - Not wanting to face the strength of public opinion against a shipment of faulty plutonium mixed oxide (MOX), two armed nuclear freighters have halted their passage through the Tasman Sea.Full
story
78 African, Caribbean and Pacific Nations call for immediate halt to nuclear shipments
19 July, 2002: Nadi, Fiji - Japan and the UK were condemned and isolated
for their shameful nuclear waste MOX shipment by the 78 nations of
the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) Summit in their final Declaration
today .Full
story
Pacific Nations shown no respect as British plutonium ships breach exclusive economic zones
17 July, 2002: The shipment of faulty plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) has been caught by Greenpeace, in transit through the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu waters. This is a blatant breach of the islands’ Exclusive Economic Zones.Full
story
Plutonium ships ignore Pacific Island Nations' opposition and breach economic zone
13 July, 2002: Federated States of Micronesia - In contravention of a United Nations convention, BNFL plutonium ships breached the Federated States of Micronesia's 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone.Full
story
Greenpeace joins Nuclear Free flotilla yachts to confront plutonium ships
7 July, 2002: Auckland -The Greenpeace yacht, the Tiama, today joined the Nuclear Free Pacific Flotilla as yachts left Australia and New Zealand to protest against the shipment of plutonium through the Pacific and Tasman Sea.
Full
story
Pacific Nations Voice Strong Opposition to Plutonium Shipment
5 July, 2002: Tokyo - The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has issued a forceful statement today, reiterated its "continued strong opposition" to the shipment of the rejected plutonium MOX through its Exclusive Economic Zone.In its statement the FSM government expressed its concerns that the
shipment, "will clearly pose a great risk to the livelihoods
of the people and the marine ecosystem of the FSM."Full
story
The World's deadliest cargo is coming your way!
4 July, 2002: Takahama/Japan - Nuclear shipment to face opposition
along its entire route by Governments and ordinary citizens terrified
at the prospect of accident or deliberate attack. After a long day
of protests by Greenpeace and Japanese citizen's groups, the Nuclear
freighter, Pacific Pintail, loaded up with two casks carrying enough
plutonium to make 50 nuclear bombs. The Pacific Pintail departed Takahama
at 15:35 Tokyo time with her sister ship, Pacific Teal, in escort
along with 38 Japanese coast guard vessels.Full
story
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.Full
story
Japanese Plutonium shipment scheduled for next week - South Korean Government needs to act now to prevent threat to Korean Peninsula
28 June, 2002: Seoul - A unique shipment of weapon-usable plutonium
contained in a cargo of reject nuclear fuel, could leave Japan for
the UK only hours after the soccer World Cup final.Full
story
Planned return of rejected plutonium fuel from Japan to UK to face Greenpeace protest
27 June, 2002: Tsuruga, Japan - Greenpeace announced today that its ship, the Arctic
Sunrise, will protest against the proposed departure from Japan for
the United Kingdom of a load of rejected nuclear fuel containing weapons-usable plutonium.Full story
Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium to soar to over 110 metric tonnes by 2020
25 June, 2002: Tokyo - The Japanese stockpile of weapons-usable plutonium is to set exceed 110 metric tonnes by the year 2020, according to the latest estimates released today by Greenpeace International.Full
story
Eleventh hour BNFL assurance halts Greenpeace Court action
20 June, 2002: London - Greenpeace received eleventh hour assurances last night from
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. that made it unnecessary for the group to
seek an injunction in the English High Court. Full
story
Greenpeace asks UK Court to halt Japanese plutonium shipment
19 June, 2002: London - Greenpeace will seek a High Court Injunction in London at 10.30am Thursday in an attempt to halt British Nuclear Fuels’ (BNFL’s) and Pacific Nuclear Transport’s (PNTL’s) planned shipment of plutonium from Japan to the UK.Full
story
Countdown to Global Plutonium Transport as British freighter arrives in Japan: En-route nations cite security fears
14 June, 2002: Fukui, Japan - An armed British nuclear transport ship, Pacific Pintail,
was met by protests from local Japanese anti-nuclear activists and Greenpeace
as it arrived today at the nuclear reactor port of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture
on the Sea of Japan coast.Full
story
Greenpeace calls for cancellation of 'peaceful' nuclear cooperation with Japan as Special Diet Committee debates nuclear weapons policy
10 June, 2002: Tokyo - Greenpeace today called for the cancellation of all bi-lateral
nuclear trade agreements with Japan.Full
story
Japanese security for Nuclear Transports fatally inconsistent during World Cup
7 June, 2002: Tokyo - Kansai Electric Power Company has announced that an imminent
shipment of unsafe plutonium will not receive any additional security
measures despite warnings that the shipment poses a major terrorist
risk.Full
story
Greenpeace calls for cancellation of unsafe plutonium shipment as ‘Nuclear Free Seas’ Flotilla spreads around the world
31 May, 2002: Amsterdam - Greenpeace today called on the British
and Japanese Governments to abandon their plans to transport weapons-
usable plutonium around the world.Full
story
Nuclear Transport vessel enters Panama Canal under heavy guard to retrieve faulty plutonium MOX from Japan
11 May, 2002: Panama - The Pacific Pintail, an armed British-flagged nuclear
transport ship, entered the Panama Canal at 4.30pm local time, guided
by three armed patrol boats and an army helicopter. Armed police prevented
Greenpeace campaigners, Panamanian citizens and local media from observing
the ship entering the Gatun Lock.Full
story
Greenpeace and the Shut Sellafield Campaign urge the Irish Government to step up its opposition to the Sellafield plutonium facility
10 May, 2002: Dublin - Greenpeace and the Shut Sellafield campaign today made a joint call to the Irish Government to step up its opposition to Britain's Sellafield plutonium facility, and to pressure the UK and Japanese Governments to cancel an imminent plutonium shipment from Japan, which will sail through the Irish Sea to Sellafield.Full
story 
Unique Plutonium Shipment Threat to the Caribbean
8 May, 2002: Amsterdam - The Caribbean is threatened with a unique plutonium shipment
Greenpeace stated today, as two empty nuclear freighters are expected
to enter the Caribbean Sea during the next few days.Full
story
British Government accused of fuelling Japanese proliferation as Greenpeace sends ship to oppose return plutonium shipment
29 April, 2002: London - As Japanese and UK Foreign Ministers meet in London today, Greenpeace
calls on the UK Government to end its continued support for Japan's
plutonium programme and to cancel an imminent plutonium shipment from
Japan.Full
story
BNFL sets Nuclear Timebomb ticking on anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
26 April, 2002: London - Two armed British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) freighters left Barrow-in-Furness
in northern England this morning, setting the clock ticking on the
most controversial nuclear shipment in history. Full
story
Plutonium Shipment Poses Security Threat to World Cup, Greenpeace warns FIFA and JAWOC
17 April, 2002: Tokyo - Greenpeace has alerted the international football authorities
(FIFA) and the Japanese committee organising the World Cup (JAWOC) to
a major security threat during the matches in Japan in June.Full
story
Ozawa Confirms Nuclear Weapons Potential of Japan's Plutonium Program as Further Nuclear Transports Loom
7 April, 2002: Tokyo - The statement made Saturday by senior Japanese
politician Ichiro Ozawa that Japan could use its commercial plutonium
stockpile for making nuclear weapons is further confirmation for Greenpeace
of the threat posed by the country's massive plutonium program. Full
story
