nuclear-news

Reprocessed nuclear waste shipment to pass by Philippine waters next month,

Reprocessed nuclear waste shipment to pass by Philippine waters next month, Greenpeace warns InfoShop News 14 April 09 Manila, PHILIPPINES — The largest ever transport of dangerous reprocessed nuclear waste may put Philippine waters at risk if the government does not pro-actively prevent its passage in the vicinity of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) early next month, Greenpeace warned.About 1.8 tons of radiotoxic plutonium in Mixed-Oxide (MOX) fuel intended for nuclear power plants is traveling to Japan via the Cape of Good Hope and the south-west Pacific Ocean. The shipment left France for Japan last March 5 and is expected to pass by the waters between the Philippines and Palau before it reaches Japan by mid May. The shipment potentially violates Republic Act No. 6969 which prohibits the “entry, even in transit, of hazardous and nuclear wastes and their disposal into the Philippine territorial limits for whatever purpose.”

The said MOX transport contains highly radioactive plutonium enough to make 225 nuclear weapons, representing an immediate risk of contamination to coastal communities along the route should anything go wrong. MOX is more dangerous and radioactive than normal uranium fuel because of the presence of plutonium in the mix. The last such shipment to Japan occurred eight years ago. The current transport has forgone passing by South America due to a ban on nuclear transports in the area.

“Greenpeace believes that the MOX shipment is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable, exposing en-route nations such as the Philippines to the risk of accident and resultant radiological contamination. The Philippine government should immediately act to prevent the country from being exposed to such risks, especially since we are not capable of dealing with any related accident that can occur,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Campaign Manager Beau Baconguis.

Reprocessed nuclear waste shipment to pass by Philippine waters next month, Greenpeace warns – Infoshop News

April 15, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized