Greenpeace Press Release March 30, 2006

Japan to begin operation of world's most expensive nuclear facility

© Greenpeace/Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert

Tokyo, Japan, March 30 2006 Greenpeace today warned of a new era in nuclear proliferation in Asia as the Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture begins operating on Friday this week. As well as leading to large-scale contamination of the environment and long term human health consequences, for the first time in its history, Japan will be free to acquire vast quantities of plutonium and capable of being used in nuclear weapons. ( 1 )

The Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant, which will separate plutonium from nuclear waste spent fuel belonging to nuclear electric companies, received final approval from the Governor of the Aomori Prefecture on March 29th. The cost of construction has ballooned to around USD 21 billion, while estimated costs for full operation over the next decades has been estimated at over USD 100 billion.

"The start of the Rokkasho operations is a disaster for nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Japan has no peaceful use for its plutonium, yet it already owns 45 tons. The approval by the Governor of Aomori has condemned the people he represents in northern Japan to radioactive contamination and the risk of catastrophic accident. But the threat from this facility is of global significance - it has taken North-east Asia closer to a nuclear arms race," said Atsuko Nogawa of Greenpeace Japan.

The plant, more than twenty years in the planning, was built in conjunction with the French nuclear company Areva, and is owned by Japanese nuclear electric utilities. Japanese Government policy dictated to the utilities is for full reprocessing of all spent fuel discharged from nuclear reactors. Rokkasho is planned to reprocess up to 800 tons of spent fuel each year of operation. This would yield 7-8 tons of plutonium. Around 5 kilograms would be sufficient for one nuclear weapon. Estimates suggest Japan may possess as much as 100 tons of plutonium by 2020. ( 2 )

Plans by Japanese utilities to use plutonium fuel (MOX) collapsed during the late 1990�fs and are now due to begin in the period 2008-2010. Despite recent approvals to use plutonium by smaller utilities (Chubu and Kyushu), Japan�fs largest electric companies, Tokyo Electric and Kansai Electric remain blocked from using plutonium MOX fuel due to public and political opposition following scandals and accidents. While Japan�fs plans to use plutonium have collapsed it has continued to acquire more and more plutonium through reprocessing contracts with UK and French facilities. ( 3 )

© Greenpeace/Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert

In addition to the proliferation threat, there are major environmental and human health threats from reprocessing. The Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant will discharge every day millions of litres of nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean and millions of cubic meters of radioactive gases into the atmosphere. Whereas today the environment around Rokkasho is relatively free of radioactive contamination, within hours of starting the operations radionuclides such as Carbon-14, Strontium and Caesium will be contaminating all life forms around the plant.

A Greenpeace commissioned study has calculated that global radiation doses to humans from Rokkasho releases are likely to be similar in magnitude to the collective dose from the Chernobyl disaster whose 20th anniversary will occur in April 2006. ( 4 )

"Reprocessing is a daily nuclear accident due to the massive discharges of nuclear waste authorized by government agencies which have no regard for public health or the wider environment. For decades the people of Aomori, around Japan and overseas have warned against the dangers from this facility," said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace International. "It is billions of dollars over budget and already suffering radioactive leaks, and is almost certain to suffer further safety and technical problems if not accidents. Every new nuclear project in Japan in recent years has ended in failure, and Rokkasho is likely to be no different but at a terrible cost."

For further information, please contact:
Atsuko Nogawa
(tel 03-5338-9800)
Shaun Burnie

(1)
Reprocessing or separation of the first spent fuel at Rokkasho is expected on Friday morning. In the first 12 month �etest phase�f 430 tons of fuel is to be reprocessed, yielding around 3-4 tons of plutonium. Full commercial operation is planned for June 2007.

(2)
Despite denials from Japanese industry and government, plutonium produced in nuclear reactors is classified at the highest Category 1 nuclear material by the IAEA, capable of being used in either crude or advanced nuclear weapons. With further delays in Japan�fs plans for using plutonium MOX fuel, Greenpeace International estimates indicate between 90-110 tons of plutonium could be acquired by 2020. The Japanese government official policy is not to acquire a stockpile of plutonium due to its proliferation risks. North Korea is considered to have a few tens of kilograms of plutonium at most, while Iran has none.

(3)
Reprocessing has proven expensive and controversial in Europe leading to bankruptcy of the UK nuclear industry in 2002 and a phasing out of reprocessing business with Areva by Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. The UK plant at Sellafield, THORP, hailed as key to the future of the UK nuclear industry in the early 1990�fs has never operated to schedule. The plant has been shut down since April 2004 following the leakage of highly radioactive waste. Its future remains uncertain.

(4)
"Estimated Radionuclide Releases and Collective Doses from the Rokkasho Reprocessing Facility", March 2006, by UK radiation scientist Dr Ian Fairlie is available on request.