Switch off the Rokkasho reprocessing plant, switch on renewable energy

we can avoid tremendous radioactive contamination

Once the Rokkasho reprocessing plant starts commercial operation, a vast amount of radioactive material will be discharged daily into the air and ocean, even more than from large reprocessing facilities at Cap de la Hague in France and at Sellafield in the UK. Official estimates show the volume of radioactive discharge from Rokkasho per day is equivalent to that of one nuclear reactor per year*. Radioactive pollution does not respect national borders, spreads around the globe over centuries to come, affecting lives of present and future generations. A report commissioned by Greenpeace shows the radioactive discharge from Rokkasho may result in 15,000 cancer deaths globally in the long term. This can be avoided – Switch off Rokkasho !

* The comparison in authorized levels of discharges between one nuclear power plant and Rokkasho

More details;
Expected Radioactive Releases and Collective Doses from the Rokkasho Reprocessing Facilities [pdf]

we can be free from anxiety about catastrophic nuclear accidents

Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel produces extremely radioactive liquid waste, which remains highly toxic for millions of years. Since last November, JNFL has been testing its vitrification technology: the interim report reveals the immaturity of its skills in this glassification process. If Rokkasho starts commercial operation, highly radioactive waste will accumulate everyday, but they cannot be safely stored even for decades.
Japan is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. In July 2007, a strong earthquake hit the world's largest nuclear power plant – Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Niigata. The area around Rokkasho also has several faults. A large amount of electricity is required to keep highly radioactive and heat-emitting liquid waste at low temperature to prevent boiling, or even worse, an explosion. A sudden loss of electricity due to an earthquake or any other cause may lead to a catastrophic disaster, far more serious than the Chernobyl accident. This can be avoided – Switch off Rokkasho !

More details;
Mayak: A 50-Year Tragedy[pdf]
Mayak: A 50-Year Tragedy Summary

we can prevent further plutonium threat

According to the Japanese government, separated plutonium is to be "recycled" in Light Water Reactors (LWR) as mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel and in the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) research program. However, due to considerable delays in the MOX and FBR programs, Japan's cumulative stockpile of separated plutonium at home and abroad now totals over 44 tons (mostly stored at reprocessing plants in France and the United Kingdom). Once Rokkasho operates at its design capacity, it will separate 8 tons (or 8000 kilograms, enough to make about 1000 nuclear bombs) of plutonium a year, adding further to the stockpile it has already accumulated. One estimate suggests it will likely grow to more than 70 tons by 2020. This massive plutonium stockpile destabilizes regional and global security. This can be avoided – Switch off Rokkasho !

More details;
Planning for failure -international nuclear safeguards and the Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant
End the nuclear age

we can build a safer and more reliable response to climate change

The Japanese government claims that nuclear power can help achieve the dramatic cut in carbon emissions necessary to address climate change. In reality, however, it would be too late, too expensive, too risky and could lead to nuclear weapons proliferation, because the majority of nuclear technologies and materials (in particular reprocessing and plutonium) for a civil nuclear power programme are also an essential part of developing a nuclear weapons programme. The most effective ways to minimize climate change are energy conservation and the expansion of renewable energy. The massive investment and subsidy to nuclear energy and the plutonium program seriously undermine the growth of renewables. This can be avoided – Switch off Rokkasho !

More details;
Stop climate change