The Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant – A Menace to the World

Atomstopp International

Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS)

World Information Service on Energy (WISE)

We of Atomstopp International, NIRS, WISE, and like-minded organizations gathered in Linz, Austria, for the international symposium, “The Lie of the Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy - Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power Plants – Two Sides of the Same Coin” held on October 1-2, 2004, wish to express our grave concerns regarding the up-coming uranium testing and planned operation of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant in Rokkashomura, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.

We demand that the Japanese government and local leaders reconsider Japan’s plutonium program and make the wisest, most courageous decision not to start up the reprocessing plant, which would be a menace to the world.

Similar facilities at La Hague, France, and Sellafield, UK, have been subject to claims and protests from neighboring countries because of the continuous contamination of the surrounding seas caused by the operation of those plants. It is a fact that reprocessing is an extraordinarily dirty and dangerous chemical process involving huge amounts of radioactive materials. It also results in radioactive waste of extremely long-life for which there is, so far, no safe solution for storage in the world.

This dangerous process originates from military purposes, separating bomb material from the spent fuel from nuclear reactors. There are more than a dozen cases in the world, for example India, Pakistan or Israel, where nuclear weapons have been developed or attempted from the so-called “peaceful use of atomic energy.” Even in South Korea, scientists have recently admitted to conducting illegal experiments on uranium enrichment and plutonium separation. From the viewpoint of nonproliferation and disarmament, plutonium separation as well as uranium enrichment should be generally restricted and on such a basis, operation of such a huge facility as the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant should not be approved.

We are aware that Japan has already obtained 40 tons of plutonium stored at the facilities in France, Britain, and Japan. Plutonium is an extremely toxic and military substance, and leading Japanese NGOs have stated that there will be no realistic possibility for using plutonium, in fast breeder reactors or in conventional light water reactors as MOX fuel. Even separated reactor-grade plutonium can be used in a nuclear weapon!

We were horrified at the news of the August 9 accident at the Mihama nuclear power plant that killed five people. The record of seven fatalities, five in Mihama this year and two at Tokaimura in 1999, and various serious casualties at Japanese nuclear facilities is regrettable and extremely serious. There have also been many shameful incidents of falsification and cover-ups relating to nuclear power plants in addition to the concerns of seismic instability in Japan. If an accident, or an attack, were to occur at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, the entire region could be affected by the disaster as well as the wider world for the foreseeable future.

Since September 11, 2001, the world has become a more dangerous place. Specifically, more than 400 nuclear power plants and relating facilities could be a potential targets of military action or terrorism. What we should not do is add to the danger by constructing or starting operations at such facilities, but instead phase-out nuclear energy and choose safe and sustainable energy.

We fervently urge the leaders of Japan to listen to the local voices of opposition, from both the public and NGOs, and immediately reverse the decision to conduct the uranium testing scheduled and also reconsider the controversial plutonium program entirely.

We act in solidarity with the local people of Aomori Prefecture, and the Japanese citizens engaged in the difficult task of stopping the nuclear fuel cycle – death chain of nuclear activities. We would also encourage the Japanese media and politicians to strengthen the campaign to stop nuclear madness once and for all.

Sincerely yours,

Signatures:

1. Mathilde Halla

ATOMSTOPP INTERNATIONAL

Upper Austrian Platform against Nuclear Danger/

Plattform gegen Atombefahr

Wise Austria

Austria

2. Peer de Rijk
director
World Infornation Service on Energy, WISE,
Amsterdam, Netherlands

3. Solange Fernex
WILPF France
Biederthal,France

4. Linda Gerrard, Swansea Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Wales UK

5.Brian Jones,

Mor Di-Niwclear, Wales UK

6. Gina Gillig
BÜRGER GEGEN ATOMREAKTOR GARCHING e. V.
Im Ried 1

7. Christiane Schmutterer

ARGE ja zur Umwelt, nein zur Atomenergie
Redaktion Neue Argumente

Wien, AUSTRIA-EUROPE

8. Vladimir Slivyak
Ecodefense

Moscow/Russia

9. Ali Eltari
Albanian Ecological Club- International Friends of Nature

Albania

10. Anna-Liisa Mattsoff

No More Nuclear Power movement,

Finland

11. Laura Radiconcini
Member of the National Direction
Amici della Terra (FoE Italy)


12. Helga Krause
Member of the Bavarian Workgroup Energy and Climate of the Bund Naturschutz
Germany

13. Oleg Bodrov,
NGO GREEN WORLD Chairperson,
nuclear city Sosnovy Bor, St.Petersburg Region,
Russia

14. Kristin

Mühlenhardt-Jentz
MÜTTER GEGEN

ATOMKRAFT e.V.
Nürnberg, Germany

15. Andrew Hund

Coordinator, Alaska/Arctic Environmental Defense

Anchorage, Alaska, USA

16. Natalia Mironova
President of the Movement for Nuclear Safety
Assistant of the Legislator of the State Duma of Russia
Member of the High Ecological Council of the Russian State Duma
President of the Association of the antinuclear organisations of Russia

17. PD Dr. med. vet. Jean-Luc Riond (DVM, PhD)

President 　PSR/IPPNW Switzerland

(Physicians for Social Responsibility/International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear war)

18. Alexey Yablokov,

Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow, Russia

19. Michael Mariotte

Executive Director

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Washington, DC, USA

20. Mandy Meikle,

the Scottish Green Party, Scotland, UK

21. Valerie Heinonen, o.s.u.
Ursuline Sisters
NY, USA

22. Pablo Bertinat

Taller Ecologista - WISE Argentina

23. S.P. Udayakumar

People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, India

24. Lea Launokari
Women for Peace, Finland

25. Lea Rantanen
Grandmothers for Peace,

Finland

26. Anneli Pääkkönen

Weeping Women, Finland

27. Ingeborg Kleinhans

Sweden

28. Sonia Tejada

A Very Concerned Earth Citizen, Panama

29．Board, Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire", France

30. Gloria Kuang-Jung Hsu, MPA, Ph.D
Taiwan Environmental

Protection Union
Taipei, Taiwan

31. Eia Liljegren-Palmaer,

vice chairperson
Folkkampanujen mot

kärnkraft-kärnvapen, Swedish Anti-nuclear

Movement
Stockholm, Sweden

32.Petko Kovatchev
Executive Director,

Centre for Environmental Information and Education (CEIE),
Sofia, Bulgaria

33. Ulla Kloetzer

Women against Nuclear Power

Finland

34. Kent Against a

Radioactive Environment

(KARE)
Folkestone
Kent United Kingdom

35. Jan Beranek
WISE Brno
Czech Republic

36. András Perger

Org: Energy Club
city: Budapest
country: Hungary

37.　 Hiltrud Bonk & Martin Lutze

Forum gegen das Zwischenlager + für eine verantwortbare Energiepolitik e.V.        (or:)

Forum against Storage of Nuclear Waste at the Nuclear Plant of Gundremmingen, Bavaria, and for a Responsible Energy Politic. USA

38.  Kim Haymans-Geisler

Concerned Citizens of Milford Township

Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania, USA

39. Grady Boyd

Peace House

Ashland, Oregon

United States

40. Gladys Schmitz, SSND
Mankato Area

Environmentalists
Minnesota
United States of America

41. Don Richardson, M.D., Brevard, North Carolina, USA

42. Mary Lampert

Pilgrim Watch

Duxbury, MA USA

43. 　Scott Denman

Collaborations

Strategic Communications

Training and Services, USA

 44. Jeremy M. Maxand
Snake River Alliance, Idaho's Nuclear Watchdog
Boise, Idaho
United States of America

45. Henry Peters
Radiological Evaluation and Action Project, Great Lakes (REAP-GL)
Ewen, Michigan
U.S. A.

46. MaryJane Shimsky

Citizens for Safe Energy

Hastings-on-Hudson,

NY USA

47. Mr. Michael Kirk
Affiliations (member of):  
Citizens for Global Solutions, 
Nuclear Information and

Resource Service
Union of Concerned Scientists

IL USA

48. Art Hanson
Lansing, Michigan
United States of America

49. Wenonah Hauter,

Director, Energy Program, Public Citizen,
Washington, DC, USA.

50. Martha Ferris

Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA

51. Greg Buck
Indianapolis, IN, USA

52. Dorothy B. McPherson

R.E.S.C.U.E. (Return the Environment of Susquehanna Country Under Ecology)

PA  U.S.A.

53. Kathleen A. Curtis, Executive Director
Citizens' Environmental

Coalition
New York, USA

54. Sylvia Y. Kaneko, Ph,D. BCDCSW
Psychotherapist
Newton Centre,MA, USA

55. Wendy Oser
Nuclear Guardianship Project
Berkeley, CA 94702 USA

56. Patricia J. Ameno

Chairperson

Citizen's Action for a Safe Environment (C.A.S.E.)

Leechburg, Pennsylvania  USA

www.citizensactionpa.net

57. Lyle Sykora
22-11 Lakewood Ct.
Lanark IL 61046

USA

58. Mary Markus

10462 Ramona Way    

Garden Grove, CA 92840    USA

59. Elinor Weiss
Social Action Committee of Temple Beth El
New York  14051  USA

60. Mark M Giese

Racine, WI, USA

61. Steve Leeper
executive director
of Global Peacemakers

Association Atlanta or

US Representative,

Mayors for Peace

62. Louis D. Putney
Tampa, Floirda USA

63. John Stevens
Chairman Green Party San Bernardino Country

Cailfornia, United States

64. Peter Bock M.D.

Eudora, Kansas, USA.

65. A. Gregoriade
New York City, USA

66. Richard Hausman
Clean Yield Asset Management, Inc.
Greensboro, Vermont, USA

67. Stephen Salaff, PhD

Freelance writer   

www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2004-08-05/news_story2.php
Toronto,Ontario, Canada

68. E.M.T. O'Nan
Director
Protect All Children's Environment
http://www.main.nc.us/pace

USA

69. Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment(GRACE), USA

70. Faith Vis
New Milford, PA
USA

71. Greg Wingard,
Executive Director
Waste Action Project
Seattle, WA   USA

72. Daniel Swartz
The ZHABA Collective
Budapest, Hungary
www.zhaba.cz

73. Horst Hohmeier

Anti-Atom-Plenum Bochum

Bochum Germany

74. David A. Kraft

Director
Nuclear Energy

Information Service (NEIS)
Evanston, IL, USA

75. Serghiy Fedorynchyk,
 Zeleny Svit,
 Kyiv, Ukraine

76. Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
(Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
CA USA

77. Kathleen Allen

Compost Pile of America

Seattle, Washington

USA

78. Chris Harter, MPH

Loma Linda, CA, USA

79. Ernest Goitein
P.L. A.N.
167 Almendral Ave   
Atherton, CA 94027

80. Kathleen Henry
Great Rivers Environmental Law Center
MO USA
www.greatriverslaw.org

81. Martha Spiegelman

 (Individual)

Amherst  MA  USA

82. Jeremy M. Maxand
Snake River Alliance, Idaho's Nuclear Watchdog
Boise, Idaho
United States of America

83. Dr. H. Kilic
Green Think Tank of Turunch
Hoboken, New Jersey USA

84. Chris Trepal, Executive Director
Earth Day Coalition,

Cleveland,USA

85. William S. Linnell,

Spokesman

Portland, ME USA

86. Libby Hubbard, EdD
Lovolution Studios
AZ, USA
www.lovolution.net

87. I will sign on to your letter as an individual US
citizen bureaucrat

grandmother.
Marion L Stuenkel
Madison Wisconsin, USA

88. Matthew Ryg
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States of America

89. Philippe Brousse
Directeur du Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire"
www.sortirdunucleaire.org

90. Philippe Hugoniot

Secretary of the ACTC

The Antiatom Coordination of the three countries (Alsace, Baden, Basel) .

91. North American Water Office
George Crocker, Executive Director
P O Box 174
Lake Elmo MN USA

92. Prairie Island Coalition
Bruce A Drew, Steering Committee
MN, USA

94. Seo Joo-Won,

Secretary General of

KFEM/FoE Korea.

95. Arnold Gore

Consumers Health Freedom

Coalition

New York,NY, USA

96. Kathryn Barnes

R1 Sherwood,MI USA

Organization: Citizens for

Environmental Protection

97. Janet Laycock for MCND

United Kingdom.

Janet Laycock for MCND

98. Roberta Schonemann
Democracy for America
West Lafayette, USA

99. Robert Stephen Mahoney

Sierra Club
Miami Shores
FL, USA

100. As a member of :
1. ALSACE NATURE
2. ALTER ALSACE ENERGIE
I agree with the letter below.
Regards,

SCHWARTZ Arnaud
Lauterbourg
FRANCE

101. Jutta Maria Geyken   

Arbeitskreis "Mensch und Tier" Neubiberg

D 85579 Neubiberg bei München, Deutschland

102. Kay Drey
Nuclear Information & Resource Service
St. Louis, MO 63130
USA

103.Dr. Corina Toledo
Germany
"Mütter gegen Atomkraft, e.V."

104. Ali Eltari

Albania

105.Wiener Plattform"Atomkraftfreie Zukunft"
Maria Urban
Österreich/ Austria

106. Hiroko Takahashi
Service Civil International - International-Japan
Hachioji, Japan

107. Catherine Quigg,

Member
Nuclear Energy Information Service
Barrington, Illinois USA

108. Food Not Bombs/Atlanta
Bob Darby
Atlanta, Georgia USA

109. Christine Hopf

Member of "Mütter gegen Atomkraft" Germany
Salmdorfer Str. 3a
85540 Haar
Germany

110. Barbara Backman

PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy)

Canton, Connecticut USA

111. Dr. Moung Usha Thowai,

Chairman, TCSNP, CHT,

Madyam Para, Bandarban Sadar, Bandarban Hill Tracts,

Bangladesh.

112. Asghar Ali

Engineer Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
Mumbai, India

113. Jessie PaulineCollins

citizen

gore, Oklahoma, USA

114. Ruth Stambaugh
Black Mountain, NC
USA

115. Ernest J. Sternglass, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Radiological Physics
Department of Radiology
University of Pittsburgh School if Medicine and
Scientific Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project
Web-site www. radiation.org
November 27, 2004

116. Corazon V. Fabros

Secretary general

Nuclear Free Philippines Coalition

Philippines

117. Wen Bo

Pacific Environment in China.

118. Dolores C. Pino, Esq.,

Nuclear Energy Information Service,

Evanston, IL, United States

119. Dennis Larson
Citizen Action for Safe Energy
Parthenon, AR.  USA

120. Abhaya Thiele

People's Alliance for Clean Energy (PACE)

Virginia USA

121. Dulce Fernandes
GRACE
New York, NY USA
www.gracelinks.org

122. Nukewatch
Staff: Bonnie Urfer, John LaForge, Molly Mechtenberg-Berrigan
Nukewatch
PO Box 649
Luck, WI 54853
USA

www.nukewatch.com

123. Inge Scherff 

Wiener Plattform für atomkraftfreie Zukunft

Austria

124. Finn Ekman

Chairman of LIaison Commitee for Peace and Security.

Copenhagen Ø

Denmark

125. Paxus Calta-Star
Nuclear Information and Resource Center
Washington DC,USA

126. Pamela S. Meidell
Director
The Atomic Mirror
CA USA

127. Dr. H. Kilic
Green Think Tank of Turunch
Hoboken, New Jersey USA

128. Adele Kushner, Executive Director

Action for a Clean Environment

Alto, GA , USA

129. Ellen Thomas
Executive Director
Proposition One Committee
Washington, DC USA
http://prop1.org

130. Rose Marie Cecchini,

MM Office of Peace, Justice & Creation Stewardship

Gallup, New Mexico, USA

131. Alfred L. Marder

US Peace Council

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

132. Heather Nelson

Haslett MI

United States

133. Nancy M. Broyles

 Santa Barbara, USA

134. Aurel Duta
MAMA TERRA / For Mother Earth-Romania &
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
Romania, Europe
http://www.motherearth.org

135. Joan W. Drake, Convener
Gray Panthers of Metropolitan Washington

Washington, DC
USA

136. Judi Friedman Chairperson PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy, Inc.), Canton, Connecticut USA

137. Olivia Zivney, MS

 Gallipolis Developmental

Center (USA)

Ohio, United States

138. Sally Light

BAWCAW (Bay Area Women Against the War)

California, USA. 

139. Kathleen Sullivan

Atomic Mirror, NY, USA

140. Heonseok Lee.　Jaehong Park.

Korea Eco-Center.

Korea

141. Andrea Redford

California, USA

142. Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

143. Xanthe Hall
IPPNW Germany
Berlin, Germany

144. Dominique Lalanne
nuclear physicist
Chair of Stop Essais/Abolition of Nuclear Weapons

France

145. Satomi Oba

Director of Plutonium Action Hiroshima/WISE Japan

Hiroshima, Japan

Nuclear energy is the worst, repeat, WORST way to create energy. In the US the amount of fossil energy wasted to discover, mine, transport, mill, enrich, fabricate uranium  AND THEN build a plant to use it in IS NEVER RECOVERED OVER THE LIFE OF A PLANT, SINCE MORE PLANTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR CONSTRUCTION and will go through the same energy black hole. Nuclear plants thus produce NO net energy and leave us with a legacy of death and disease which will continue through all of human history.

Japan is a smart nation: you should be setting the standard for solar and wind energies!

Don Richardson, M.D., Brevard, North Carolina, USA

We too believe that the Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing factory should not be operated, and that uranium testing should not be done.  The leaders of Japan would be wise to reconsider the entire plutonium program. 
     Please add us to those signing the NIRS/WISE letter.
     Thank you for your efforts to phase-out nuclear fisson electricity; and implement safe, renewable
energy.
Dennis Larsen

Based on the steadily mounting evidence that the adverse effects on human health produced by the inhalation and ingestion of nuclear fission products and small particles of uranium and plutonium in recent scientific papers that low-level exposures are hundreds to thousands of times more serious than expected on the basis of our experience with low dose diagnostic X-ray exposures or the studies of the effects of gamma radiation from nuclear weapons detonations, I strongly support the protest against the operation of the Rokkasho Nuclear Reprocessing Plant.
Ernest J. Sternglass, Ph.D.

Satomi Oba

Director of Plutonium Action Hiroshima, Chairperson of WISE Japan

22258-14, Ichikawa, Shiraki-cho, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima City, 739-1411, Japan

Phone/Fax: 81-82-828-2603

Email: kota-goldencat@kfa.biglobe.ne.jp