Greenpeace Japan Press Release
21 December 2004

U.S. uranium loaded into controversial Japanese plutonium reprocessing plant
Greenpeace calls for cancellation of dangerous program

[21 December 2004, Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan] Activists from Greenpeace protested this morning at the Rokkasho Nuclear Reprocessing plant, located in northern Japan, as the operator introduced nuclear material into the plant for the first time. The plant will eventually be used to produce plutonium, a key component of nuclear weapons. Japan already has approximately 40 tons of plutonium, but does not have a reactor that burns plutonium fuel. The Greenpeace banner reads "Do not start reprocessing" in Japanese and English. Japanese Nuclear Fuel Limited, the plant operator announced that they will start uranium tests on December 21st. Some 150 protesters from all over Japan got together to protest against the plant's commissioning.

"Start of the uranium commissioning means the start of radioactive contamination. We should stop reprocessing before the contamination gets worse. There is no concrete plan to use plutonium produced from Japanese reprocessing. There is no justification to produce plutonium." Said Atsuko Nogawa, nuclear campaigner of Greenpeace Japan.

Some 30 tons of depleted uranium arrived by ship in the morning of 20th. Some of uranium was originally supplied by the United States, despite warnings that it is sanctioning plutonium proliferation. Additional Japanese origin depleted uranium will also to be used for the commissioning.

"Plutonium production by Japan must stop, and spent nuclear fuel should be treated as nuclear waste. We already have stockpiled several thousands nuclear weapons worth of Plutonium (about 40 tons). If full scale operation of Rokkasho reprocessing starts it will keep adding 7,000-8,000 kilograms of plutonium yearly. The Bush administration has signed off on these tests, despite knowing the dangers in this region from nuclear proliferation. Both the Japanese government and U.S. administration need to rethink their dangerous plans, before it's too late" Nogawa ATSUKO continued.

The Rokkasho plant has taken 20 years to build and is a relic before it even opens. While it was being built, the use of plutonium to generate electricity has proven to be a failure by other countries on economic, environmental and proliferation grounds. Commercial scale of reprocessing is already done by UK and France. The French plant operated by Areva/COGEMA has failed to secure contracts with its national utility, EDF beyond 2007. Rokkasho was built with French technology and workers.

Uranium commissioning is expected to take 12 months, to be followed by spent fuel tests, scheduled for December 2005. However, given the many problems experienced over the years during construction of the multi-billion dollar plant, it is expected that there will be further delays.

For background information see: http://www.stop-plutonium.org/

For further information, please contact:
Greenpeace Japan
Atsuko Nogawa, Nuclear campaigner +813 5338 9800,
mobile phone +81 903654 4035
Kazue Suzuki, Campaign Director +81 90 2249 1502
Keiko Shirokawa, Media Officer, +81 90-3470-7884