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March 2001
Cover
The Nuclear Highway
Protecting Seabirds
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| The Nuclear Highway |
| by Erika Olivier |
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JOHANNESBURG /-/ South Africa is facing a new threat: that of the Cape of Good Hope becoming a nuclear highway. A deadly cargo of mixed oxide of plutonium and uranium fuel is nearing the South African coast on its way to Japan. Eighty more nuclear shipments from Europe to Japan are planned over the next ten years…
Environmental watchdogs warn that millions of lives and livelihoods are at risk in the event of a mishap and called on governments concerned to ban nuclear shipments from entering their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones. More so, they say, because a similar shipment in 1999 by British Nuclear Fuels, carrying enough plutonium to make at least 60 nuclear bombs, had faked safety documents.
A court case is currently underway in Japan brought by more than over 1 000 Japanese citizens and environmental groups, concerned that loading the fuel into their local reactor could lead to an accident. Plutonium has a radio-active lifespan of 24 000 years.
Despite international protest, the Pacific Pintail, carrying about 230kg of plutonium and 4 tones of uranium, left the French port of Cherbourg in January. The British vessel is escorted by the Pacific Teal. Both are armed with three 30mm naval cannons for their 30 000 km voyage in some of the worlds roughest oceans. On board is a contingent of armed civilian police form the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary.
The route takes the shipment via South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific to Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Western Japan where it is expected in March.
The South African government made a request last month to the French, British and Japanese governments that South Africa would "prefer the shipment to stay out of its territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone, some 300 kilometers off the coast." It also held a meeting in January with representatives of relevant departments to discuss a joint stance and make recommendations on contingency measures.
In a statement the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, says the period required for issue of a nuclear license will make it impossible for the ship to dock in any South African harbor in event of mishap. SAMSA, which manages maritime transport law, says South Africa has nothing to fear as these shipments are "professionally run and looked after," but that a contingency plan will be in place should it be needed.
The international environmental group, Greenpeace, called on the South African government to follow in the footsteps of New Zealand and Argentina, and investigate ways to legally ban nuclear shipments from entering its exclusive economic zones. "Only through collective and vigorous opposition to these potentially devastating transports can the threatened en-route nations hope to prevent their coastlines from becoming major nuclear transport routes." says Mike Townsley, who is currently monitoring the situation from Cape Town.
Mr. Townsley says the 1999 shipment will be returned to Britain since the manufacturers British Nuclear Fuels, acknowledged that they lied about the safety of the fuel. "Having initially denied that the safety documents were false, they have now agreed to take back the plutonium\MOX." No timetable or route has been decided on.
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