|
NIX MOX BULLETIN BOARD
November, 2000
Welcome to the NIX MOX BULLETIN BOARD, a periodic posting of
MOX-related news and resources. The purpose of the Bulletin
Board is to help anti-MOX activists stay in touch with each other,
share news and information, and network locally, regionally,
nationally and internationally. Please send news to share to:
mox@wand.org.
Thanks for your help! (Click here if you are wondering,
what is MOX?)
- I. Announcements and Information
- A. A. FFTF Finally Fades
- B. SRS Turns 50
- C. Nix MOX Statement
- II.International News and Updates
- A. Russia
- B. France
- C. Britain
- D. Japan
- III. Reports and Documents
- A. CANDU Can't Do It After All
- B. Immobilization: 1; MOX: 0
- C. SRS: Of Canyons and Cleanup
- IV. Program News
- A. Disposition Update
- B. Funding Russian MOX
- V. Resources, Web Pages, and Misc.
- A. Web Sites
- B. Resources
- C. Misc.
- I. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INFORMATION
A. FFTF Finally Fades
In a victory for activists long in coming, the Dept. of Energy announced
on Nov. 20th that it will permanently deactivate the Fast Flux Test
Facility (FFTF) at the Hanford Site in Washington state. The FFTF , a
sodium-cooled breeder reactor (breeder reactors are designed to produce
more plutonium than they consume), was being promoted for production
of medical isotopes and other missions and DOE had proposed that it use
imported MOX fuel.
Built in the 1970s, FFTF operated from 1982 to 1992 and since that time
has been fruitlessly in search of a mission. Its deactivation will mark the
end of the US breeder reactor program. The Record of Decision
regarding isotope production and closure of FFTF is expected in January
2001, draining of the sodium coolant is to begin in mid-2001.
Congratulations to all who fought to put an end to FFTF and eliminate
one more MOX threat in the US!
(Thanks to Nuclear Control Institute for this information.)
B. SRS Turns 50
In extravagant and patriotic fashion, the Savannah River Site marked its
50th anniversary on November 28th with fireworks, festivities,
presentations, dignitaries, and a region-wide media blitz. Former citizens
of Dunbarton, Ellenton and other small South Carolina towns obliterated
to make way for the sprawling facility were reunited and honored with
speeches and awards for the sacrifices they made for the sake of the
nuclear weapon facility (which was readily credited with having brought
peace to the planet).
Energy Secretary Bill Richardson was in attendance and used the
occasion to promise GA Gov. Roy Barnes DOE would provide funds for
further research into radioactively contaminated groundwater in Georgia from 50 years of SRS operations. Details remain elusive.
For a list of news articles that provide a history and overview of SRS, see
Web Resources, section V.A.1 below. Most describe the current job of
SRS as cleanup, with little mention of the pending massive MOX project
or potential for future plutonium production missions. Letters to the
editor are encouraged -- for assistance, contact mox@wand.org.
C. Nix MOX Statement
On International Nix MOX Day, Sept. 28th, 161 individuals signed the
"Statement by World Nongovernmental Organizations Opposing the Use
of Plutonium (MOX) Fuel" which was released to the media and decision
makers around the world.
If you have not yet signed on, you still can! The statement will continue
to be used throughout the year and additional sign-ons are welcome. Go
to: www.wand.org/moxstmt.html for an online form that allows you to
submit your name. You can also write directly to mox@wand.org.
When emailing, please include your name, affiliation (if any), city and
country.
Statement excerpt:
"We pledge to expand a united international movement that will
challenge every effort to develop, encourage or use MOX fuel as a
means of plutonium disposition, will work toward the goal of having all
plutonium declared surplus, and vow to continue our efforts to ensure the
isolation of plutonium from the environment."
- II. INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND UPDATES
A. Russia
- Rostov Reactor to Start
The head of the Russian Atomic Ministry (Minatom), Yevgeny Adamov,
announced that the Rostov reactor, located in the city of Volgodonsk will
begin operating this December. The Rostov plant has been identified in
the past as a possible MOX reactor and in May a delegation of US,
British, and French MOX activists attended a People's Hearing on MOX
in Rostov na Don, downstream from the plant.
Local activists and some state Duma members have fought tirelessly to
prevent construction, licensing, and operation of the Rostov plant, but
their efforts have been ignored. Even a referendum opposing the reactor
was dismissed on the grounds that the plant is a federal facility, making
local referenda irrelevant. In addition to announcing the start-up,
Adamov held discussions on beginning construction of a second unit at
the site.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Referendum Opposing Waste Import Is Rejected
On November 29, the Russian Central Elections Commission rejected
environmentalists' petition to hold a referendum opposing the import of
nuclear waste into Russia, tossing out 1/5 of the 2.5 million signatures
supporting the referendum. (Two million signatures are needed in order
to ensure a referendum is held, but the Commission's action left only 1.8
million signatures.)
The referendum is in response to a proposal that would reverse a law
banning the import of nuclear waste into Russia, thus clearing the way
for spent fuel to be brought in. Minatom wants to import some 20,000
metric tons of spent fuel for storage or reprocessing which it estimates
would raise tens of billions in revenue. A vote on the proposal has been
delayed until mid-December.
Government officials have been unmoved by the phenomenal signature-
gathering effort, saying that waste import opponents are uninformed and
ignorant and that only nuclear scientists should debate technical policies.
But the estimated 61 million Russians (out of 145 million) who live in
towns with significant nuclear contamination bring their own expertise to
nuclear waste issues in the country, based on first-hand experience with
the effects of nuclear dumping. Said Vladimir Sliviak of Ecodefense!,
"those people may start to protest the import of waste in a more radical
form."
Meanwhile, officials at the Mayak facility have begun collecting
signatures in *support* of a new South-Ural power plant (started in
1987, but halted 2 years later due to local opposition), even as they reject
public input into other nuclear matters. More generally, Minatom is
pursuing an ambitious program for the construction of a new generation
of fast neutron reactors, a proposal that the International Atomic Energy
Association is supporting with $2 million in research funds over the next
3 years.
(Thanks to Nadejda L.Kutepova of Agency Information Cooperation,
Vladimir Slivyak of Ecodefense!, Tom Clements of the Nuclear Control
Institute, and David Lowry, environmental policy consultant in
Stoneleigh, England .)
B. France
- Reprocessing Has No Future?
In an interview with "Les Echos" French environmental minister
Dominique Voynet called French reprocessing "doomed in the mid- and
maybe even short-term" and that Cogema's demands for an expansion of
MOX production is "unreasonable." For the full interview, see:
www.wise-paris.org/othersnewsframe/others5.html.
(Thanks to Mycle Schneider of WISE-Paris.)
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Cogema Looks to Extend Its Reach in the US
Cogema, lead contractor for the US MOX program, has submitted a bid
for DOE's largest clean-up project, construction of a vitrification plant at
Hanford to treat 54 million gallons of high-level waste in leaking storage
tanks in central Washington state. Cogema's rival BNFL originally had
the cleanup contract, but after astronomical cost increases and in the
wake of MOX safety data scandals, was fired by DOE. The new contract
will not put a price cap on the project, risking a repeat of the BNFL cost
escalation fiasco. Cogema's competitor in the bid is Bechtel, a BNFL
subcontractor. The award is to be announced January 15, 2001.
C. Britain
- BNFL Privatization
On November 8th, the British House of Commons debated the issue of
BNFL's proposed partial privatization, which will not be acted on until
the second half of 2002. The debate included a lively exchange about the
benefits, economics, and prospects of reprocessing in the UK. For a copy
of the transcript, write to mox@wand.org.
BNFL's privatization plans were seriously undermined by last year's data
falsification and safety scandals and losses of £337 million for 1999-
2000. In a move that could brighten its privatization outlook, however,
the government is considering establishing a new "Liabilities
Management Authority" to handle decommissioning of BNFL's power
plants, billing the public for decommissioning liabilities rather than
BNFL. Without the new nuclear authority, BNFL's share of the
estimated £34 billion cost (US $48 billion) - would be £23 billion.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Mixed Messages from NII
In response to BNFL's numerous scandals over the last year, the Nuclear
Installations Inspectorate ordered BNFL to address 43 specific safety
concerns at its MOX Demonstration Facility and at Sellafield as a whole.
On Nov. 24 the company announced it had met 13 of the 15
recommendations concerning the MOX plant, but only 3 of the 28
recommendations regarding Sellafield operations. The NII said it was
"pleased with the vigor and commitment" shown by BNFL in addressing
safety concerns.
Two days later, the NII slapped BNFL with two legal notices for having
lost four potentially deadly radiation sources from its Hunterson A power
station in Ayrshire. The sources were found missing in August and
extensive searches have failed to recover them. The sources are gamma
radiation monitors containing strontium-90 and cesium-137. In October,
BNFL was fined £24,000 for failing to adequately secure its 3,500
radiation sources at Sellafield.
Apparently BNFL will have no lack of opportunities to demonstrate its
new-found "vigor and commitment" in addressing safety lapses.
(Thanks to David Lowry and Pete Roche of Greenpeace UK.)
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- British Energy Continues Move to End Reprocessing Contracts
BNFL's biggest reprocessing customer, British Energy, saw shares
increase in November as it announced numerous cost-saving measures,
including ongoing negotiations to end reprocessing contracts with BNFL.
Shifting from reprocessing to on-site storage of waste would save the
company an estimated £100 million per year (much to the chagrin of
BNFL). For full news article, write to mox@wand.org.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- "BNFL At a Glance"
Check out the great Greenpeace pamphlet on BNFL (more like a spoof
annual report) at:
www.greenpeace.org.uk/contentlookup.cfm?UCIDParam=20001030123054&Bann.
(downloadable PDF format)
See wonderful graphs of BNFL's dismal economic performance and polls
showing overwhelming public opposition to the import of nuclear waste
for reprocessing! Good reading for MOX activists needing a laugh.
D. Japan
- Marching Ahead with MOX
Japanese power utilities announced in mid-November that they will
proceed with plans to build a MOX fabrication facility at the Rokkasho
facility in the Aomori prefecture in northern Japan. The plant would be
operational by 2009 and would accompany another facility already under
construction at Rokkasho, a commercial reprocessing plant (due to open
in 2005). The MOX plant would cost 120 billion yen ($1.12 billion); the
reprocessing project carries a 2.14 trillion yen price tag.
On Nov. 19th, the Citizen's Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) in Tokyo
reported that all three cooling circulation pumps at the Rokkasho
reprocessing plant's spent fuel storage facility were not working (one due
to a scheduled shut down). The event was reported as an "unexpected
incident," and was not covered in the safety review of the plant. See:
<http://cnic.jca.apc.org/english/news/misc/rokkasho_pump.html> for
more.
The announcement of the plutonium fuel fabrication plant pushes Japan
even further down the MOX path. Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima
plant in Okuma is slated to begin burning MOX in Feb. 2001, and its
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in the Niigata prefecture on the Sea of Japan
will also start using MOX in 2001. The fuel will be provided by
Belgonucleaire.
Local residents have been briefed by government officials on the safety
of MOX in the wake of last year's MOX data falsification scandal,
though officials refused to release safety data to the public, citing
proprietary considerations.
On an more hopeful note, an editorial against the MOX program by Keiji
Takeuchi appeared in the Oct. 31 edition of the Asahi News Service
paper, "Rokkasho Plant Supporters Need to Face Reality." See:
www.wise-paris.org/othersnewsframe/others4.html.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Monju Update
Japan's sodium-cooled breeder reactor, Monju, shut down since a 1995
fire and sodium leak, is slated for early re-start after a 1999 review of
Japan's nuclear policy. However, CNIC recently reported that a
technology used to detect cracks in the pipes of the steam generator has
been abandoned, leaving no way to assess damage to the steam
generator. See:
http://cnic.jca.apc.org/english/news/misc/monju_sg.html.
(Thanks to CNIC and David Lowry.)
- III. REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS
A. CANDU Can't Do It After All
A new National Academy of Sciences report concludes that the CANDU
disposition option for weapons plutonium would not meet the so-called
"spent fuel standard," the criteria set out by the NAS in 1995 to
determine how well proposed disposition plans would protect the
plutonium against theft or proliferation. (CANDU refers to "Canadian
Deuterium Uranium" reactors.) The report was prepared by the NAS
Committee on International Security and Arms Control.
The report determines however that using plutonium as MOX fuel in
light water reactors (i.e., Catawba and McGuire) is in compliance with
the standard. This is not surprising since the standard itself is heavily
biased toward a "spent fuel" result (i.e., a byproduct of MOX) -- a
criteria that has apparently blinded policy makers to consideration of a
wider range of disposition options.
The United States has determined it would not use MOX in CANDU
reactors for its surplus weapons plutonium, but it is a consideration for
Russia. Nevertheless, tests under the Parallex Program (see earlier MOX
Bulletins) are proceeding with both US and Russian test MOX
assemblies in Canada.
The findings call into question the decision to proceed with the Parallex
Program or any consideration of CANDU reactors for plutonium
disposition. They will be of particular interest to US and Canadian
activists that have battled MOX shipments to Canada throughout the last
year.
The report can be viewed (though not downloaded) on the web at:
www.nap.edu/books/0309073030/html/.
(Thanks to Steve Dolley of NCI)
B. Immobilization: 1; MOX: 0
As Britain grapples with how to manage its current stock of some 60
metric tons of civilian plutonium, two reports undercut proposals by
BNFL and others that MOX fuel and new plutonium-burning reactors are
the solution.
A November 14 report by the UK Radioactive Waste Management
Advisory Committee (RWMAC) says that reprocessing and MOX will
not be an effective means of reducing UK plutonium stocks, which are
expected to double in the next 15-20 years. While allowing
circumstances can change, the Committee notes that MOX is simply
unable to compete economically with uranium fuel.
A second, independent study by Mike Sadnicki and Fred Baker (funded
by the MacArthus Foundation) concluded that immobilization is a cost-
effective option for plutonium disposition, suggesting that BNFL's
Sellafield MOX plant could be used to produce plutonium in ceramic
form, but not MOX fuel pellets.
MORE INFORMATION:
(Thanks to David Lowry)
C. SRS: Of Canyons and Cleanup
- Phase I of a "Canyon Utilization Study" that will identify plans for the
use of SRS reprocessing canyons to stabilize (reprocess) waste materials
from around the US weapons complex is due to be released imminently.
The Dept. of Energy's trend has been to consistently push back the
projected date for closure of the canyons as more and more materials are
found to reprocess, giving the canyons a seemingly endless lease on life.
This report should identify what materials DOE now plans to use in the
canyons. The study is currently overdue - stay tuned.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- The Savannah River High-Level Waste Tank Closure Draft EIS was
released on November 17th for review. Comments will be accepted until
January 23, 2001. Three options were considered for "closure" of 49
tanks containing some 34 million gallons of liquid waste -- the preferred
option would empty the tanks of most of their material and cover the
remaining material with grout (cement), leaving them in place.
Unfortunately, this also leaves a high amount of radioactivity in place, as
a healthy portion of the radioactivity in the tanks is concentrated in the
residual material that will be covered with grout.
<><> ACTION: <><>
Two public hearings will take place on the Draft EIS, in North Augusta
and Columbia South Carolina in early January 2001. Dates and times
have not yet been set, but should be announced in late December or early
January.
The Draft EIS can be downloaded from the web at:
http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/docs/deis/eis0303/eis0303d.html.
SEND COMMENTS on the EIS to: Andrew R. Grainger, NEPA
Compliance Officer
Savannah River Site
Building 742-A, Room 185
Aiken, South Carolina 29802; or by email to nepa@srs.gov
or leave a message at 1-800-881-7292.
(Thanks to Tom Clements of NCI and Sara Barczak of Georgians for
Clean Energy)
- IV. PROGRAM NEWS
A. Disposition Update
A few highlights from the Nov. 27th Nuclear Regulatory Commission
briefing on MOX:
- US disposition plan: 25.6 metric tons of surplus plutonium for MOX;
8.4 MT for immobilization
- Russian disposition plan: 34 MT for MOX
- Industrial scale operation of facilities to begin in 2007
- Russia can reprocess spent MOX fuel after all 34 MT disposed, subject
to mutually-agreed upon monitoring
- Lead MOX Test Assemblies will be fabricated either in Europe or at
the MOX Fabrication Facility (original plan was to fabricate LTAs at
Los Alamos, but this has been scrapped)
- Rate of disposition is 2 MT/year with plan to double this rate after the
first year. Meeting the 4 MT/yr rate on the Russian side expected to be
"a challenge."
- Licensing:
- Duke/Cogema/Stone & Webster (DCS) submitting environmental
report for NRC EIS development in December
- DCS construction license application for MOX fabrication plant
expected to be submitted by end of March, 2001
- DCS facility license application expected by end of June, 2002
-Reactor license amendments will be required for the use of MOX
fuel
- Separate reactor license amendment may be needed for LTAs
- Quote from Laura Holgate, Director of DOE Office of Fissile Materials
Disposition, regarding MOX:
"We do not consider this to be an economic activity. It will not be
economic in Russia."
(Thanks to Tom Clements for providing material for this update.)
B. Funding Russian MOX
After its summit meeting in Okinawa this past June, the countries of the
G-8 formed a Plutonium Disposition Planning Group that will meet
regularly to discuss funding for the Russian MOX program. The first
meeting is in Tokyo December 7-8.
The estimated "starting cost" for the Russian program is $1.7 to $1.9
billion (though this leaves out many cost categories, so this estimate will
certainly rise). The US has pledged $400 million, Britain $100 million
and France $60 million. Japan says it will pay $30 to $40 million, but the
US is expected to pressure Japan to pay more. Russia will pay $1 billion.
The G-8 countries include the US, Canada, Britain, France, Japan,
Germany, Italy, and Russia.
The US-Russian agreement on plutonium disposition states that if
funding cannot be secured for the Russian program, Russia is not
required to proceed with disposition.
(Thanks to David Lowry)
- V. RESOURCES, WEB PAGES, AND MISC.
A. Web Sites
- Savannah River Site
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Plutonium, MOX, and Technical Info. on the Web
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission MOX website:
Current info. and status of licensing activities.
www.nrc.gov/NRC/NMSS/MOX/index.html
- Transportation Resource Exchange Center
Everything you've wanted to know about radioactive materials transport
(from the industry's perspective). Check out the section on risk
communication, including annotated bibliography on influencing
people's beliefs (presumably to cure "radiophobia").
www.trex-center.org/
- Office of Science and Technical Information
Information Bridge: searchable full-text and bibliographic records of
DOE reports.
www.osti.gov/bridge/
- PubSCIENCE
Search scientific and technical publishers and journal literature
http://pubsci.osti.gov/
- PrePRINT Network
Access to over 340,000 preprints at 1,500 journal sites. Can register for
email alerts.
www.osti.gov/preprint/
B. Resources
- "The Dangers of Plutonium Transportation"
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Report, Nov. 2000
www.bredl.org/sapc/report110900.htm
- Transport Canada Report on Russian Parallex Shipments
Evaluation of Emergency Response Assistance Plan:
www.tc.gc.ca/tdg/en/mox/evaluation_e.asp
Replies to public comments will be posted, when ready, at:
www.tc.gc.ca/tdg/en/mox/decision_e.asp
- Graphs on Plutonium Production and Plutonium Industry
WISE-Paris
www.wise-paris.org/ourgraph/contentframe/contentpuindustry.html
- "Plutonium Investigation" Profile on French Nuclear Industry
WISE-Paris
www.wise-paris.org/gb/19/intro.html
- Report on Risks of MOX in VVER-1000 Reactors
Nuclear Control Institute report now in Russian:
www.nci.org/russia-mox.pdf
Note: Link is to PDF file. Clicking this link requires that you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in on your web
browser. For direct download, right-click this link and choose "Save Target As..."
C. Misc.
- Former UNSCOM Leader Warns Against MOX
As reported by "Nucleonics Week," Rolf Ekeus, former head of the UN
Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) has said that MOX in Russia
would be a detrimental breach of the firewall between military and
civilian atomic programs, and that "the nuclear industry has enough
problems with perception" without MOX. Ekeus also questioned the
security of MOX manufacturing and reprocessing. Email
mox@wand.org for a copy of the article.
(Thanks to Tom Clements for this information.)
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
- Nuclear Action Alert Emails
The Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) Action Alert
email list sends notices to activists (not more than two times per week)
on nuclear concerns, such as nuclear power, waste transportation, and the
recycle of radioactively contaminated metals into consumer products.
The Alerts are ACTION postings, not a listserve, and all actions are
generated by NIRS staff or allied groups. To get on the list send a request
to Mary Olson, nirs.se@mindspring.com.
Return to Nix MOX Bulletin Board Index
The MOX BULLETIN BOARD is compiled by Women's
Action for New Directions (WAND) Education Fund. For
comments, suggestions, or to add or remove names from this
distribution list, contact Pat Ortmeyer, WAND Field Director
for Nuclear Waste Issues, at mox@wand.org or 406-327-
0785. Feel free to forward this bulletin, and please include
acknowledgment of WAND.
|
|
|
|
-
-
What is MOX?
MOX ("mixed oxide") is nuclear reactor fuel made from a
mixture of plutonium and uranium. The US Department of
Energy is proposing to use plutonium from dismantled nuclear
warheads to make MOX fuel for use in commercial reactors.
To learn more about MOX, see "The MOX Box" link at
www.wand.org/getfacts/index/index.html.
|