[NukeNet] MOX Powder Produced at Rokkasho: CNIC's Response

[Citizens' Nuclear Information Center]

Call to Abandon Reprocessing as First Plutonium-Uranium Mixed Oxide 
(MOX)
Powder Produced at Rokkasho

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, 17 November 2006

On November 16th Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd (JNFL) announced that 
plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) powder had been produced at its 
Rokkasho reprocessing plant for the first time. In response to JNFL's 
announcement, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center demands that Japan's 
Rokkasho reprocessing program be abandoned.

Plutonium was originally produced for use in nuclear weapons, but 
during the 1960s and 70s various countries developed plans to use it 
commercially. The Japanese government and the Federation of Electric 
Power Companies proposed that Japan should develop plutonium as a 
future source of energy, on the grounds that Japan lacked natural 
resources of its own. Spent nuclear fuel was sent to France and the UK 
to be reprocessed, while reprocessing was also developed in Japan at 
the Tokai reprocessing facility. The plutonium extracted was to be used 
in fast breeder reactors. However, most countries with nuclear energy 
programs abandoned their fast breeder and reprocessing programs because 
of cost and technical problems. Japan too was unable to escape these 
problems and its plutonium use program fell into disarray.

Japan's 1994 Long Term Nuclear Plan and the 2005 Framework for Nuclear 
Energy Policy were unable to ignore the huge plutonium surplus that 
Japan had accumulated. As a stopgap measure, it was decided that 
plutonium (MOX fuel) would be used in light water reactors. (This is 
referred to as the pluthermal program.) However, this program has also 
failed to proceed as planned, due to technical, economic and social 
problems. If reprocessing goes ahead as planned at Rokkasho, Japan's 
plutonium stockpile will continue to grow and these contradictions will 
become even more glaring.

Japan's plutonium stockpile poses a continuing radiation and 
proliferation threat to future generations. Furthermore, investing 
large amounts of public and private money into the plutonium program 
diverts scarce funds from sustainable alternatives. It is an obstacle 
to the implementation of effective energy policies and is likely to 
create a great energy policy vacuum in future. As a result, energy 
problems and environmental problems will become more intractable.

It is impossible to eliminate the risk that Japan's huge plutonium 
stockpile could one day be diverted to nuclear weapons. Even if Japan 
does not produce nuclear weapons itself, its plutonium program 
stimulates other countries to develop plutonium programs of their own, 
making the world an even less safe place than it is now. For the sake 
of world peace, Japan should abandon reprocessing.

If full-scale operations commence at the Rokkasho reprocessing plant, 
it will separate as much as 8 tons of plutonium per year. The 
government wants its plutonium use program to be one of the pillars of 
Japan's energy policy. However, we are deeply concerned about the 
incalculable damage that Japan's plutonium use program will do to the 
world. If Japan is to play a constructive role for world peace and 
environmental protection, it must first abandon its program of 
reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bdg, 1-58-15, Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003
Phone: 81-3-5330-9520
Fax: 81-3-5330-9530
http://cnic.jp/english/
cnic at nifty.com