FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2002 |
CONTACT:
Louis Zeller 336-982-2691
Don Moniak 336-982-2691
Jay Coghlan 505-989-7342
|
REPORT
REVEALS EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL
SHIPMENTS OF
PLUTONIUM
Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League released a report which reveals that the
US Department of Energy’s plutonium fuel
testing program would require tens of thousands
of miles of national and international shipments
of the radioactive material. Documents obtained
by the group indicate that problems may force DOE
to use British military plutonium instead of
dismantled warheads from the United States to
fabricate the first test fuel assemblies.
Both DOE and Duke Power, who’s McGuire
and Catawba reactors are slated for plutonium
fuel use, have claimed a
“swords-into-plowshares” mission.
Today’s report cast doubt on the goals,
procedures, and legality of the entire program.
BREDL spokesman Lou Zeller said,
“Today’s revelations show that the DOE
has not been straightforward with the people of
the United States or the world about the
transportation of plutonium. Shipping enough
plutonium for 50 nuclear bombs on the high seas
is an invitation to disaster.”
Don Moniak, BREDL technical consultant and
author of the report said, “The plutonium
fuel program is filled with uncertainties and
inherently flawed by political, technical, and
regulatory complexities as well as excess
transportation requirements.” Moniak
continued, “The documents obtained by BREDL
indicate that DOE’s frequent changes in this
program involve continued violations of the
National Environmental Policy Act’s
provisions for timely public notification.”
BREDL reports that that the DOE’s
plutonium fuel program would require:
| The probable use of British military
plutonium instead of U.S. surplus
plutonium. A March 2001 foreign trip
report by a program manager stated that
there was lack of adequate material from
the 34 metric tonnes declared excess by
the US DOE; The processing of plutonium
oxide powder at Los Alamos National
laboratory;
The transatlantic shipment of
purified, deadly plutonium oxide powder
from Los Alamos to Belgium for
manufacturing plutonium fuel lead test
assemblies involving a total of 115
kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium—
enough to build more than 50 nuclear
weapons;
The transatlantic shipment of four
plutonium fuel assemblies from Belgium to
McGuire Nuclear Power Plant near
Charlotte, North Carolina for
irradiation;
The shipment of plutonium fuel
“scrap” produced during
fabrication back to the U.S. to an
undetermined or undisclosed location; and
The shipment of irradiated plutonium
fuel assemblies to Oak Ridge National
Laboratory for post irradiation exams.
|
Jay Coghlan, Director of
Nuclear Watch New Mexico, commented
“It’s incredible that DOE has rejected
immobilization in favor of an endless cycle of
international shipments and the introduction of
weapons-grade plutonium to the commercial
sector.”
BREDL’s report indicates further problems
with the plutonium fuel program including: the
Los Alamos National Labs fabrication of test fuel
assemblies is one year behind schedule, Duke
Power is seeking exemptions and a license
amendment from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Duke Cogema Stone and Webster withheld important
information in documents it submitted to the NRC
in support of its efforts to license plutonium
(MOX) fuel use in Duke reactors, and that the US
DOE may have issued a false Record of Decision in
January 2000 by stating that Los Alamos was its
choice for test assembly fabrication.
-end-
MORE INFO: Download
the Report: Plutonium Management Background Paper
|
