Center for Safe Energy – Archives
Statement by World Nongovernmental Organizations Opposing the Use of Plutonium (MOX) Fuel
9/28/2000
September 28, 2000
We, the undersigned representatives of nongovernmental organizations around the world, call on the governments of the United States and Russia to forego the fabrication and use of plutonium (mixed oxide) fuel as a means to render surplus weapons plutonium unsuitable and unavailable for reuse in weapons, and demand that they pursue safer and more proliferation-resistant disposition methods.
We acknowledge that each country's declaration of roughly 50 metric tons of plutonium as surplus to military needs is a positive step toward worldwide nuclear disarmament and support the goal of preventing this plutonium from being diverted, stolen, or reused in weapons.
In an attempt to achieve this goal, the US and Russian governments have agreed to a plan to convert most of this plutonium into mixed oxide (MOX) plutonium fuel for use in commercial nuclear power reactors (mainly light water reactors) in both Russia and the United States and possibly Canada or other countries. Russia also plans to use weapons MOX in plutonium breeder reactors, which are capable of producing more plutonium than they consume (though during the life of the program they will operate the reactors in such a way as not to produce more plutonium).
We oppose the MOX plan for the following reasons:
- It would create a proliferation threat particularly while it is being transported to or stored at reactor sites, as the plutonium in fresh MOX fuel can be separated and used for weapons purposes.
- It would establish a MOX infrastructure, thus encouraging reprocessing of plutonium-bearing spent fuel both in the US and Russia. Reprocessing generates vast amounts of high level liquid radioactive waste and increases stockpiles of separated plutonium. (Russia has specifically stated that it would reprocess and re-extract the plutonium at the end of the disposition program.)
- It raises many unresolved technical and safety questions as weapons-grade plutonium has never been used as a fuel in commercial reactors. At minimum, it would complicate safe reactor operation and increase the consequences of a severe nuclear reactor accident.
- It is likely to take longer and cost more to dispose of plutonium using MOX compared to the current alternative, immobilization.
- It would not prevent plutonium from entering the environment. It would merely incorporate it into high-level radioactive waste.
- It would breach the barrier between civil and military nuclear activities and undermine global nonproliferation efforts.
- We believe that immobilization is a far better option for plutonium disposition. It involves putting plutonium into a non-weapons usable form by mixing it with other materials and making the resultant waste form proliferation resistant, that is, resistant to theft and re-extraction by non-governmental parties or nuclear-capable states.
Under current US-Russian agreements, only the US will pursue immobilization and just for a portion of its surplus plutonium not deemed suitable for MOX. At this time, Russia is not planning on pursuing this option at all, and must be pressed by the international community to reverse its position.
We believe the full amount of plutonium declared surplus by each country should be immobilized and that research and development for immobilization, along with the necessary funding, should be increased to improve and further develop this technology. In the period before immobilization technologies are available, all plutonium should be stored securely and safely and placed under international safeguards.
Further, we believe that any plutonium disposition program must ensure public access to information including, but not limited to: adequate notification of decision timelines, information on program costs, knowledge of operating records of the various actors involved, detailed data on projected environmental impacts, and reliable data on safety and health risks. The public in the communities most directly affected in both countries should have ample opportunity for meaningful input into the decision-making process, including the right to intervene legally.
In both countries there should be sound independent oversight of the program and all aspects of the program should adhere to all relevant environmental or public process laws.
Therefore, we, as concerned colleagues across the globe who embrace efforts to reduce nuclear arms and safely dispose of surplus weapons plutonium, declare International Nix MOX Action Day, September 28, 2000. 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.
Signed,
| USA | |
| Pat Ortmeyer Women's Action for New Directions Cambridge, MA USA |
Kathy Crandall Alliance for Nuclear Accountability Washington, DC, USA |
| Kimberly Roberts Physicians for Social Responsibility Washington, DC USA |
Michele Boyd Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Takoma Park, Maryland USA |
| Tom Clements Nuclear Control Institute Washington, DC USA |
Kevin Kamps Nuclear Information & Resource Service Washington, DC USA |
| Wenonah Hauter Public Citizen Washington, DC USA |
Lawrence Turk Greenpeace USA Washington, DC USA |
| Ellen Thomas Proposition One Committee Washington DC USA |
John Loretz International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) Cambridge, MA USA |
| Linda Gunter Safe Energy Communication Council Washington, DC USA |
Larry Leaman-Miller American Friends Service Committee Denver, CO USA |
| Louis Zeller Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Glendale Springs, NC USA |
Mary Olson Nuclear Information Resource Service SE Asheville, North Carolina USA |
| Harry Rogers Carolina Peace Resource Center Columbia, SC USA |
Sara Barczak Georgians for Clean Energy Savannah, GA USA |
| Glenn Carroll GANE Georgians Against Nuclear Energy Atlanta, GA USA |
Terry J. Lodge, lead counsel in Hirt, et al. v. Richardson (anti-Parallex Project litigation) Toledo, OH USA |
| Bob Darby, Tom Ferguson Food Not Bombs/Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA |
Susan Bloomfield Sierra Club Savannah River Group Augusta, GA USA |
| Ed Arnold PSR Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA |
Jen Kato WAND Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA |
| Bruce K. Gagnon Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space Gainesville, FL USA |
Faith Young Energy People Dixon Springs, TN USA |
| Kevin Petajan West Allis Community Media Center Milwaukee, WI USA |
Alyson Ewald Sacred Earth Network Petersham, MA USA |
| Peg Ryglisyn, Michael Albrizio Connecticut Opposed to Waste Broad Brook, CT USA |
Judi Friedman PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy) Canton, CT USA |
| Nancy Burton Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone Mystic CT USA |
Norman Cohen Coalition for Peace and Justice Linwood, NJ USA |
| Norm Cohen the UNPLUG Salem Campaign Linwood, NJ USA |
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| Fred and Sue Fracke Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power PA, USA |
Phil Kaufman Citizens Against Hazardous and Nuclear Waste West Hazleton, PA USA |
| Scott D. Portzline Three Mile Island Alert Harrisburg PA USA |
David N. Pyles New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution Brattleboro, VT USA |
| Edward Smeloff Pace Energy Project as a signatory to the resolution. White Plains, NY USA |
Pamela Slater STAR Foundation (standing for truth about radiation) Scarsdale, NY USA |
| Deb Katz Citizen's Awareness Network Shelburne Falls, MA USA |
Susan Griffin Chenango North South Plymouth, New York USA |
| Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) New York, NY USA |
Terri Maurer-Carter Women's International League for Peace (WILPF) Delaware Member-At-Large, DE USA |
| Bill Smirnow Nuclear Free New York Huntington, New York USA |
Scott Cullen Standing for Truth About Radiation (STAR) East Hampton, NY USA |
| Kyle Rabin Environmental Advocates Albany, NY USA |
Linda R. Safley ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS CENTER Baltimore, MD USA |
| Kay Cumbow Citizens For Alternatives To Chemical Contamination Lake Station, MI USA |
Dale R. Anderson Kalamazoo Area Coalition For Peace & Justice Kalamazoo, MI USA |
| Alice Hirt Don't Waste Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan USA |
Keith Gunter Citizens' Resistance at Fermi Two Monroe, MI USA |
| Michael J Keegan Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes Monroe, MI USA |
Joann Brooks The Holland Peacemakers Holland, Michigan USA |
| Kay Cumbow Citizens for a Healthy Planet Brown City, MI USA |
Robert C. Anderson Peace Video Project Kalamazoo, MI USA |
| Dave Kraft Nuclear Energy Information Service Evanston, IL USA |
Mark Donham, Kristi Hanson RACE, Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists, Southern Illinois, Kentucky , Missouri, Indiana USA |
| George Crocker North American Water Office Lake Elmo MN USA |
Bruce A Drew Prairie Island Coalition Minneapolis MN USA |
| Lorraine Caputo Crouch WILPF Columbia, Missouri USA |
Chuck Broscious Environmental Defense Institute Troy, Idaho USA |
| Buffalo Bruce Western Nebraska Resources Council, Chadron, Nebraska USA |
B.J. Medley ECO Tulsa, Oklahoma USA |
| LeRoy Moore, Judith Mohling Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center Boulder, CO USA |
Jay Coghlan Nuclear Watch of New Mexico. Santa Fe, NM USA |
| Frank C. Subjeck Air, Water, Earth, Org. Lake Havasu City, Arizona USA |
Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa the Nuclear Resister Tucson AZ USA |
| Owen Berio Dawn Watch Springdale, WA USA |
Greg Wingard, Waste Action Project Seattle, WA USA |
| Lynn Sims Don't Waste Oregon Portland, Oregon USA |
Paige Knight HANFORD WATCH Portland, Oregon USA |
| Bernice Kring Citizens Along the Roads and Tracks (CART) Sacramento, CA USA |
Michael Welch Redwood Alliance & REEI Arcata, CA USA |
| Mary Beth Brangan The Nuclear Democracy Network Bolinas, CA USA |
James Heddle The Ecological Options Network Bolinas, CA USA |
| June Von Ruden San Luis Obispo Mothers For Peace San Luis Obispo, CA USA |
Marylia Kelley Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) Livermore, CA USA |
| Daniel Hirsch Committee to Bridge the Gap Los Angeles, CA USA |
Samara Dun JustAct: Youth Action for Global Justice San Francisco, CA USA |
| Jennifer Olaranna Viereck HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth Tecopa CA USA |
Laura Hunter San Diego Environmental Health Coalition San Diego, CA USA |
| Carol Jahnkow Peace Resource Center of San Diego San Diego, CA USA |
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| RUSSIA | |
| Vladimir Mikheev Citizen Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation, Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
Nikolai Zubov Krasnoyarsk branch of the Socio-Ecological Union, Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
| Alexey Yablokov President of Center for Russian Environmental Policy |
Vladimir Slivyak ECODEFENSE! Moscow, Russia |
| Pavel Malyshev ECODEFENSE! Kaliningrad, Russia |
Alisa Nikoulina Antinuclear campaign of the Socio-Ecological Union, Moscow, Russia |
| Galina Ragouzina World Information Service on Energy (WISE) Russian Bureau in Kaliningrad Kaliningrad, Russia |
Alexandra Koroleva The Environmental Education Council of Kaliningrad regional Duma Kaliningrad, Russia |
| Anatoly Korolev Baltic Resource and Information Center Kaliningrad, Russia |
Dmitry Kaptsov Green Arrow Sochi, Russia |
| Mikhail Piskunov Center for Assistance to Citizen Initiatives Dimitrovgrad, Russia |
Tatyana Razzhavina Information-Juridical Center Dimitrovgrad, Russia |
| Tamara Dobretsova In the Name of Life Kostroma, Russia |
Alexey Kozlov Anti-nuclear Resistance Voronezh, Russia |
| Vitaly Kudrin ECODEFENSE! Voronezh, Russia |
Anna Shvedova Stop Corporation! Voronezh, Russia |
| Konstantin Hramenkov Green Arrow Voronezh, Russia |
Alexey Leschev Environment program of the Center for Citizen Initiatives Development Voronezh, Russia |
| Olga Razbash Environmental and Human Rights Moscow, Russia |
Ashat Kayumov Socio-Ecological Union/Dront Nizhny Novgorod, Russia |
| Sergey Paschenko Siberian Scientists for Global Responsibility Novosibirsk, Russia |
Ekaterina Ahmadeeva Ecofront Chelyabinsk, Russia |
| CANADA | |
| Irene Kock, David H. Martin Nuclear Awareness Project Uxbridge, Ontario Canada |
Kristen Ostling Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout Ottawa, Ontario Canada |
| Norman Rubin Energy Probe Toronto, Ontario Canada |
Ross Clark Ontario Greens |
| Theresa McClenaghan Canadian Environmental Law Association Toronto, Ontario Canada |
Dr. Rosalie Bertell, International Institute of Concern for Public Health West Toronto Ontario Canada |
| Anne Adelson Canadian Voice of Women for Peace Toronto, Ontario Canada |
Brian Bedford OPIRG-Guelph Ontario Public Interest Research Group Guelph, Ontario Canada |
| Chris Michener Pembroke Area Field Naturalists Golden Lake, Ontario Canada |
Ole Hendrickson Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area Pembroke, Ontario Canada |
| Citizens' Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario Windsor, Ontario Canada |
Mike Buckthought OPIRG-Carleton Ontario Canada |
| Walter Robbins Campaign STOP (Stop Trafficking of Plutonium) Kingston, Ontario Canada |
Clearinghouse Group Glassville, NB, Canada |
| Bill Adamson Inter-Church Uranium Committee, Saskatoon, Sask. Canada |
Anne Williams Lethbridge Network for Peace Lethbridge, Alberta Canada |
| Jeanette Liberty-Duns Project Ploughshares Saskatoon Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
Shannon Croutch, Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) Saskatoon, SK Canada |
| Patrick Rasmussen Mouvement Vert Mauricie St. Matthieu du Parc QuÊbec Canada |
Dr. Gordon Edwards Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility Montreal QC Canada |
| Jacques Boucher Disarmament and Peace Concerns Centre de ressources sur la non-violence Montréal, Québec, Canada |
Enviro-Clare, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Concerned Citizens of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada |
Liz Armstrong Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition Erin ON Canada |
| Peter Tabuns Greenpeace Canada Toronto, Ontario |
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| MEXICO | |
| Luis Gutierrez-Esparza Latin American Circle for International Studies Mexico City Mexico |
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| EUROPE | |
| Olov Wikstrom The Waste Net, Skelleftea, Sweden |
Ingrid Bildstrom Avfallskedjan Fransta, Sweden |
| Jorma Kahanpaa Swedish Anti Nuclear Movement |
Marc FAIVET collectif STOP MêLOX et MOX |
| Solange Fernex WILPF France Paris, France |
Philippe BROUSSE Rouseau "Sortir du nuclaire" (Network of more than 500 groups and associations) LYON - FRANCE |
| Bruna Nota Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Geneva, Switzerland |
Dr. Arthur Muhl President, Swiss affiliate of IPPNW |
| Claus Biegert Nuclear-Free Future Award Munich, Germany |
Claudia Baitinger In der Furge DORSTEN - Germany |
| Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, WILPF, German section (Internationale Frauenliga für Frieden und Freiheit) München Germany |
Bernd Bennecke Basis-Gruen Luebeck, Germany |
| Bernd Frieboese BARSEBÄCKSOFFENSIV Berlin, Germany |
Ludger Klein-Ridder Umwelt-AG der Anne-Frank-Gesamtschule in Gütersloh Gütersloh, Deutschland |
| Birgitta Möller Miljöpartiet de Gröna i Helsingborg |
Dachverband der Oberpfälzer Bürgerinitiativen gegen Atomanlagen e.V. Schwandorf |
| Margaaret Turner UK Section of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom |
Antonina Galkina Spilni Dii Nikolaev, Ukraine |
| Hakob Sanasaryan President of Greens' Union of Armenia Yerevan, Republic of Armenia |
Alexandr Ivanchik Dolgozhitel Chernigov, Ukraine |
| Viktoria Tkach Int'l Black Sea Network Nikolaev, Ukraine |
Tatyana Elunina Step to Understanding Odessa, Ukraine |
| Alexandra Tolstyh Zeleny Svit Nikolaev, Ukraine |
Ivan Sitnikov Invalids of Chernobyl Nikolaev, Ukraine |
| Sergey Shapovalov Institute of Ecology Nikolaev, Ukraine |
Oleg Derkach National Environmental Center of Ukraine Nikolaev, Ukraine |
| Alexandr Kashtalyan Center for Wildlife Protection Minsk, Belorussia |
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| JAPAN | |
| Yumi Kikuchi Monkey Bay Wildlife Fund Japan |
Hideyuki Ban Citizens' Nuclear Information Center Tokyo, JAPAN |
| Satomi Oba Director of Plutoium Action Hiroshima Hiroshima City, Japan |
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| AUSTRALIA | |
| Irene Gale AM Australian Peace Committee (SA Branch)Inc. Adelaide SA Australia |
Jo Valentine People for Nuclear Disarmament Perth, Western Australia |
| Jo Valentine Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia Perth, Western Australia |
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