Japan's MOX program
5 November 2009
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith-----cell: +81-90-3620-9251
Kyoto, Japan---Japan's beleaguered "pluthernal" program, MOX (mixed plutonium-uranium oxide) fuel
use in commercial power plants, got off to a troubled start at Kyushu Electric's Genkai Unit 3 Nuclear
Power Plant Unit 3 in Saga Prefecture today with the use of 16 MOX fuel assemblies. Full-time operation
of the reactor is scheduled to begin December 2nd.
A round-the-clock sit-in began this morning in front of Kyushu Electric headquarters in Fukuoka City
and messages of support are pouring in from around the country. In less than two days 673 NGO
groups signed on to protest and petition METI, Kyushu Electric, and Saga Prefecture demanding that
use of MOX fuel at Genkai not go forward. The number of sign-on groups continue to grow.
See Kyushu blog for details: (in Japanese) http://carnivals.blog93.fc2.com/blog-entry-43.html
Over 460,000 citizens are demanding that use of MOX fuel at Genkai be suspended. This and Kyushu
Electric's rush to start use of MOX fuel caused an unprecedented move by the Saga prefectural
legislature last month to demand that the utility rescind its original 2 October start-up date, which it did.
On 28 October Japan's nuclear regulator NISA (Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency) admitted that there
are no legal grounds for the government's criteria for imported fuel assembly inspection of MOX fuel.
This admission was made to an Upper House Diet office. Citizens, and national and Saga prefectural
legislators demanded that NISA come to Saga to explain. NISA is yet to do so.
The "pluthermal" program is one part of Japan's troubled plutonium program. The other two parts
which are in deep trouble are the fast breeder program and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Commercialization
of the fast breeder reactor program has been delayed 8 times and is nearly 80 years
behind original schedule (set for early 1970s, now set for "by 2050".) Commercial operation of the
Rokkasho reprocessing plant has been delayed 17 times. Completion of active tests is now set for
October 2010. However, with a dysfunctional high-level waste vitrification facility, the future of Rokkasho
is murky.
On 7 October, NISA stated that it couldn't deny the possibility that the same quality fuel Kansai Electric
rejected in August is in Genkai's MOX fuel. (Kansai Electric rejected one-quarter of the fuel
=
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith-----cell: +81-90-3620-9251
Kyoto, Japan---Japan's beleaguered "pluthernal" program, MOX (mixed plutonium-uranium oxide) fuel
use in commercial power plants, got off to a troubled start at Kyushu Electric's Genkai Unit 3 Nuclear
Power Plant Unit 3 in Saga Prefecture today with the use of 16 MOX fuel assemblies. Full-time operation
of the reactor is scheduled to begin December 2nd.
A round-the-clock sit-in began this morning in front of Kyushu Electric headquarters in Fukuoka City
and messages of support are pouring in from around the country. In less than two days 673 NGO
groups signed on to protest and petition METI, Kyushu Electric, and Saga Prefecture demanding that
use of MOX fuel at Genkai not go forward. The number of sign-on groups continue to grow.
See Kyushu blog for details: (in Japanese) http://carnivals.blog93.fc2.com/blog-entry-43.html
Over 460,000 citizens are demanding that use of MOX fuel at Genkai be suspended. This and Kyushu
Electric's rush to start use of MOX fuel caused an unprecedented move by the Saga prefectural
legislature last month to demand that the utility rescind its original 2 October start-up date, which it did.
On 28 October Japan's nuclear regulator NISA (Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency) admitted that there
are no legal grounds for the government's criteria for imported fuel assembly inspection of MOX fuel.
This admission was made to an Upper House Diet office. Citizens, and national and Saga prefectural
legislators demanded that NISA come to Saga to explain. NISA is yet to do so.
The "pluthermal" program is one part of Japan's troubled plutonium program. The other two parts
which are in deep trouble are the fast breeder program and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Commercialization
of the fast breeder reactor program has been delayed 8 times and is nearly 80 years
behind original schedule (set for early 1970s, now set for "by 2050".) Commercial operation of the
Rokkasho reprocessing plant has been delayed 17 times. Completion of active tests is now set for
October 2010. However, with a dysfunctional high-level waste vitrification facility, the future of Rokkasho
is murky.
On 7 October, NISA stated that it couldn't deny the possibility that the same quality fuel Kansai Electric
rejected in August is in Genkai's MOX fuel. (Kansai Electric rejected one-quarter of the fuel
=