2 British ships arrive in Japan to carry plutonium to US

[webfact]

2 British ships arrive in Japan to carry plutonium to US
MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Two British ships arrived in eastern Japan on Monday to transport a shipment of plutonium — enough to make dozens of atomic bombs — to the U.S. for storage under a bilateral agreement.

The ships arrived at the coastal village of Tokai, northeast of Tokyo, home to the country's main nuclear research facility, the Japan Atomic and Energy Agency, according to Kyodo News and citizens' groups. It will take several hours to load the plutonium-filled casks onto the ships, both fitted with naval guns and other protection.

The Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron, both operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd., will take the 331 kilograms (730 pounds) of plutonium to the Savannah River Site, a U.S. government facility in South Carolina under a pledge made by Japan in 2014. The plutonium, mostly from the U.S. and some from France originally, had been used for research purposes.

Japanese officials refused to confirm details, citing security reasons.

Japan's stockpile and its fuel-reprocessing ambitions to use plutonium as fuel for power generation have been a source of international security concerns.

Japan has accumulated a massive stockpile of plutonium — 11 metric tons in Japan and another 36 tons that have been reprocessed in Britain and France and are waiting to be returned to Japan — enough to make nearly 6,000 atomic bombs.

The latest shipment comes just ahead of a nuclear security summit in Washington later this month, and is seen as a step to showcase both countries' nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

Washington has increasingly voiced concerns about the nuclear spent-fuel-reprocessing plans by Japan and China to produce plutonium for energy generation, a technology South Korea also wants to acquire, saying they pose security and proliferation risks.

Japan began building a major reprocessing plant with French state-owned company Areva in the early 1990s. The trouble-plagued project has been delayed ever since, and in November its opening was postponed until 2018 to allow for more safety upgrades and inspections.

Experts say launching the Rokkasho reprocessing plant would not ease the situation, because Japan has little hope of achieving a spent fuel recycling program.

Japan's plutonium-burning fast breeder reactor Monju, suspended for more than 20 years, is now on the verge of being closed due to poor safety records and technical problems, while optional plans to burn uranium-plutonium mixtures of MOX fuel in conventional reactors have been delayed since the Fukushima crisis. Only two of Japan's 43 workable reactors are currently online.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-21

[steven100]

the pesky Japanese are giving Plutonium to the US ..... hope they don't make trouble ....

[boomerangutang]

To get to SC, it will likely pass through the Panama Canal. What a peachy target for terrorists. In the US, there are no-nuclear zones where no N cargo is allowed to be transported, not even 1/10th kg. Panama should declare the canal a no-nuclear zone.

Instead of making and shipping Plutonium around the world, how about just destroying it or, if that's not possible, storing it as well as possible to keep it from poisoning anyone or being used for bombs. N-bombs should be outlawed ww, same as mustard gas. If there was an international law like that, then nations would be justified in flying a pre-emptive strike to knock out another country's N arsenal - rather like what Israel did to Iraq about 25 years ago, when they flew in jets to knock out a N facility. On 2nd thought, it shouldn't be policed in that way, because there are too many potential problems: N-fallout from a strike, mistaken identity of sites, retaliation strikes, etc.

Another use for Plutonium: use it to power a robotic space craft which explores the solar system or beyond.

[colinneil]

Telling the world about these shipments !! how bloody stupid.

Move it quietly then tell the world not before.

[bangon04]

Washington has increasingly voiced concerns about the nuclear spent-fuel-reprocessing plans by Japan and China to produce plutonium for energy generation, a technology South Korea also wants to acquire, saying they pose security and proliferation risks.

but somehow they just couldn't spare any ships to provide a secure escort for the plutonium....

Never mind, the lackey will do the dirty work again...

Remember when the Soviets used to send Bulgarians to do their dirty jobs for them?

[bark]

the pesky Japanese are giving Plutonium to the US ..... hope they don't make trouble ....

This is pay back for WW2. They will blow up when they get to the states. Japanese are so smart.

[Jonmarleesco]

Funny that the British government is so enthusiastic in using taxpayers' funds to subsidise foreign companies' takeover of British businesses and infrastructure, yet will happily utilise British equipment and expertise in a role as the world's rubbish collector.

[Grouse]

Should have brought it to UK to be dealt with properly

[SgtRock]

Probably the last shipment.

Australia is taking over as the worlds dumping ground.

The Federal Government is facing brewing community discontent about some of the sites that have been shortlisted to host Australia's first permanent nuclear waste dump.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-13/government-releases-shortlist-sites-for-nuclear-waste-storage/6937244

[Grouse]

UK already has about 100 tonnes of plutonium (largest stock in the world) this will probably peak at 140 tonnes before being reprocessed in GE or Candu reactors over coming decades.