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Pacific isles urged to stop plutonium shipments
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Posted on Jan 24 2001
The Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC) has called on Pacific governments to take concrete actions to halt the continued plutonium shipments through the Pacific from France to Japan.
PCRC Director Motarilavoa Hilda Lini said Pacific countries must strengthen the Rarotonga Treaty for a South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone and the Waigani Convention on Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes so that the Pacific is not exploited as a highway for ‘death shipments’ of plutonium.
The Centre said the shipments posed grave danger to the Pacific environment and socio-economic life and were of no benefit at all to Pacific peoples.
“It is urgent that efforts to strengthen the two conventions must begin now to avoid us being exposed to these needless dangers,” she stated.
Two vessels the ‘Pacific Teal’ and ‘Pacific Pintail’ have left Cherbourg, France for Japan with weapons-usable and hazardous Plutonium/Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel. Whichever route the ships take, they will pass through the Pacific.
Ms. Lini said: “Pacific leaders over the years have expressed concern about the dangers of plutonium shipments through the Pacific Ocean to Japan. However, we are concerned that our governments position could be compromised by accepting Japan’s offer to establish a $US 10 million “good will” trust fund to placate concerns about the plutonium shipments threats to Pacific fisheries, tourism and other vital industries. $US 10 million is peanuts. It will not cover a tiny fraction of costs incurred by a nuclear accident at sea.”
“The damages caused to the environment and other industries would be irreparable,” Ms. Lini said.
