Stop Pluthermal Project in Japan
(“Pluthermal” is a Japanese word, which combines two English words,
the “plu” of “plutonium” and « thermal »)
On November 5th, Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC. (also known as KYUDEN)
started up the reactor with the MOX (mixed uranium and plutonium
oxide) fuel of Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga prefecture, Japan,
ignoring the strong oposition of local communities completely.
Japanese anti-nuclear movements are now facing a critical moment, as
the Japanese government is placing this program as a pillar of Japan’s
national policy of creating a « nuclear fuel cycle. »
This strong nuclear power generation is so dangerous in Japan, where
big eartuquakes are technically expected in some near future that even
some in South Korea are opposed.
Additionally, as long as nuclear power plants exist we cannot abolish
nuclear weapons.
The reason why the Japanese government is promoting such a dangerous
and expensive project is simply because they want to lead in the world
as a country with advanced nuclear-technology and then to export this
technology to other countries, especially Asian countries.
The Japanese Government and nuclear industry are trying to
add nuclear business in a list of applicable industries of CDM (clean
development mechanism) under the Kyoto Mechanism.
This will have terrible effects on the anti-nuclear movements in other
countries as well as cause an even greater debt burden to developing
countries.
Local opposition groups are now collecting endorsements from
individuals/groups for their petition demanding that the Pluthermal
Project be called off.
Please lend your hand to stop “Pluthermal” in Japan !
The petition site
Or send an e-mail to
fairenough2008 gmail.com
The dead line is November 20th.
Please send an endorsement of the petition by you or your group.
Please write the country where you work in after the name, which is
very important to show not only Japanese people but also people from
all over the world are against this nuclear project.
Endorsements from other countries are very effective. Japanese
government hates to be criticized by people in another country.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Junko Okura
Jubilee Kyushu on World Debt and Poverty
STOP Pluthermal ! “Nuclear Fuel Cycle” has been wrecked !
Nuclear power is not acceptable as the solution to climate change !
End the saga of the nuclear dispute in Saga !!
On November 5th, Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC. (also known as KYUDEN)
started up the reactor with the MOX (mixed uranium and plutonium
oxide) fuel of Genkai nuclear power plant ignoring the strong
oposition of local communities completely. They are planning to start
generating on November 9th and oprating full blast from December 2th.
Local opposition groups have set up tents and begun a 24 hours-a-day
sit-in protest continuing until further notice in front of the head
office of KYUDEN in the centre of Fukuoka City (pop. 1,300,000).
This has been done in tandem with negotiations with KYUDEN and Saga
prefectural government.
Reports of the protest in front of the head office of KYUDEN has been
put on the website of the Steering Committee for MIRAI (Japanese word
meaning “Future”).
(Unfortunatelly it’ll be only in Japananese but you can see some pictures.)
http://carnivals.blog93.fc2.com/
The Steering Committee for “MIRAI” and other local opposition groups
are now collecting endorsements for their petition to stop Pluthermal
Project before December 2, when KYUDEN is planning to start a
commercial opperation.
This petiotion will be submitted to the Japanese National Government,
Saga Prefecture local governments and Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC.
(KYUDEN).
Please send an endorsement of the petition by you or your group.
Please write the country where you work in after the name. The country
is very important to show not only people in Japan but also people
from all over the world are against this nuclear project.
So far more than 460,000 people had signed the petition to stop
pluthermal in Japan. As for groups, 670 signatures were collected in
only 2 days.
From small local grass-rooted groups to big national organizations,
including NGOs, social movements, trade unions, groups of young
parents, food-safety groups, consumer unions, organic food shops/
restaurants, kindergartens, as well as rocken-roll bands and artists
groups have already expressed their supports.
ANY group, no matter what, no matter small or big, will be welcome !
About the Pluthermal Project in Japan, see also
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200911060135.html
http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/text-fwd-urgent-action-call-from-japan.html
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/english0/index.php?id=5
http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/press/releases_en/pr20090518_ce_html
Abolish nuclear power plant now ! 7000 join the “NO NUKES FESTA 2009”
in Tokyo on October 3th.
http://labornetjp.blogspot.com/2009/11/abolish-nuclear-power-plant-now-7000.html
Please support Japanese people’s struggle.
Petition : STOP Pluthermal Nuclear Power Generation in Saga, Japan !
We the undersigned groups petition
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Mr. Masayuki Naoshima
The Minister of Environment Mr. Sakihito Ozawa
The Governor of Saga prefecture Mr. Yasushi Furukawa
The Mayor of Genkai town Mr. Hideo Kishimoto
Kyushu Electric Power CO. INC., President Mr. Toshio Manabe
not to ignore the peoples’ voices and to stop the Pluthermal Project at Genkai nuclear power plant.
1) The Pluthermal Project is quite dangerous.
As it uses MOX fuel in a reactor originally designed for uranium fuel, the control rods’ capacity to function is reduced and the power output is less stable and much harder to control.
KYUDEN is using MOX fuel with a higher concentration of plutonium (almost double) than that used in other countries.
Even a small accident or a breakdown when using deadly-poisonous plutonium might cause great damage to the environment and to the life and health of local people.
2) There are some serious doubts that big percentages of the defective MOX fuel have been mixed into the fuel.
KYUDEN hasn’t disclosed any information about the MOX fuel they were using for Genkai Unit 3, including whether or not the defective MOX fuel, which Kansai Electric Power CO. INC. had decided to reject as unsuitable fuel for their nuclear power plant, has been used in Genkai.
3) In a ministerial ordinance used by NISA (Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency), a subsidiary agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as the baseline in their inspection of imported MOX fuel, there is absolutely no mention of which elements are to be tested or of what concrete numerical standard values are necessary, etc.
So even if the MOX fuel had passed the examination of the government this doesn’t guarantee its safety.
4) The government has no idea where to dispose spent MOX fuel, which takes 500 years before it can be cooled down to a temperature at which you can manage to bury it underground.
There is a strong possiblity that Genkai will be the actual disposal field for the spent MOX fuel.
We can’t leave such gigantic negative “inheritance” to future generations.
5) This Pluthermal Project is a part of the Japanese state policy “Nuclear Fuel Cycle”.
But Rokkasho Reproccesing Plant, a core project of the “Nuclear Fuel Cycle” plan, which was supposed to start its operation in 1997, still hasn’t started working because of a spate of troubles.
And so the “Nuclear Fuel Cycle” plan itself has already been wrecked.
We strongly demand a stop to Pluthermal nuclear generation in Genkai until these problems are solved.
The Steering Committee « MIRAI » (Japan)
Association for Protection of Bears and Forests in Japan, Fukuoka Branch (Japan)
Anti-Pluthermal Movement for Saga in 100 Years Time (Japan)
Network for Environment in Karatsu, Saga (Japan)
Network of Individual Shareholders of KYUDEN to Stop Nuclear Power Plants (Japan)
endorsed (Group name and country)