Nuke Info Tokyo No. 97 (September/October 2003)

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Looking Back Over a Year of TEPCOs Cover-up 
On August 29 last year, an announcement was made about the long-term cover-up regarding cracks in the reactor shroud. Over the following year numerous horrifying facts have been revealed one after another.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Plan and Plutonium
The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) announced a decision entitled “Concerning the Basic Position on Japan’s Use of Plutonium” on August 5, 2003. The Commission took the view that, “In order to avoid giving rise to concerns, either within Japan or overseas, in regard to our use of plutonium, it is important to establish understanding, both within and outside of Japan, by achieving greater transparency in our use of plutonium.”

Energy Policy Basic Plan
Japan’s first Energy Policy Basic Plan (“Basic Plan”) was decided upon on October 7 by the Cabinet. This plan is devised in accordance with the Energy Policy Basic Law (“Basic Law”), which was promulgated and came into force in June last year.

JCO 4th Anniversary
Since the criticality accident of September 30th 1999, the inside of the conversion test building, the site of the accident, has been closed to the public. In September, four years after the accident, JCO opened the conversion test building to the mass media as well as to the investigative committee of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.

Data: Japan’s Separated Plutonium Inventory
Plutonium stock data of 2002 was officially released on September 2. According to the data, 5.4 tons of plutonium is currently stored within the country and 33.3 tons outside of the country; in total, Japan owns 38.7 tons of plutonium.

Anti-Nuke Who’s Who: Kaori Kanda
17 years have passed since the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, which sent shock waves around the world. While the tragedy of the accident is being eroded from people’s memory bit by bit, one person keeps the memory alive by telling the story of Chernobyl: that is a storyteller, Kaori Kanda.

News Watch
—Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant Operation Postponed for One Year
—Government Agrees to Tax on the Storage of Spent Fuel
—Mutsu City Council Does Not Approve of a Plebiscite
—Electric Companies to Give Away Huge Donations to Local Communities
—MOE Proposes a New Climate Change Tax Scheme
—Nuclear Safety White Paper