On Sunday 6 February around 100 people attended a meeting in Tokyo to oppose nuclear related bills to be introduced into the current session of the Diet. The bills cover, among other things, the introduction of a 'clearance' system for low level radioactive waste. These bills were discussed in a previous news flash.
People attending the meeting were amazed to learn that their meeting had already attracted world-wide attention. Thanks to a sign-on letter circulated by Nuclear Information and Resource Service the organizers were able to announce that around 200 people from 14 countries had expressed their support for the meeting and their opposition to Japan's plans to deregulate radioactive waste. Letters received from overseas were distributed with the conference materials. They were also used in meetings with politicians on the following day. Thanks to everyone who signed this letter, and to those who sent their own messages of support.
People who attended the meeting resolved to continue the campaign through such activities as letters to newspapers and lobbying of their local politicians. They also recognized the problem of translating the 'clearance' concept into language that is accessible to ordinary people. As it now stands the jargon used in Japanese, both by industry and by NGOs who oppose 'clearance', is not easily understandable to the man and woman in the street. Ideas along this line were discussed in order to facilitate spreading the message more widely.
Although there is a strong likelihood that the bills will be passed, that isn't the end of the battle. If there is strong opposition it will be impossible to implement the bills in practice.
Philip White
International Liaison Officer, CNIC
The meeting passed the following resolution:
There are major problems with two nuclear related bills which are expected to be submitted to the current session of the Diet.
The main issues covered by a bill to amend the Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors (Reactor Regulation Law) are the introduction of a 'clearance' system and strengthening of measures for protecting nuclear materials.
The 'clearance' system will remove material with a low level of radioactivity from regulatory control. If this occurs, consumers will be exposed to radiation, without their knowledge, via consumer goods which have been made from materials recycled from the waste of dismantled nuclear power plants. It is said that the level of radioactivity will be low, but since it won't be mentioned on labels, consumers this exposure will have been forced upon people. We totally reject this system.
In regard to the protection of nuclear materials, the new measures presume that dissatisfied workers are hypothetical enemies. They make it a duty to take protective measures on the basis of threats such as these. They propose to establish an inspection system for nuclear materials. There is a danger that the proposed duty of secrecy that will be imposed on workers who are in a position to know the protective measures system will have the effect of deterring whistle blowers. The duty of secrecy will extend to information about the schedule and route of nuclear fuel transports and will suppress the calls from citizens and local government for publication of information for the purpose of improving the disaster response system. Strengthening of regulatory controls in this way is incompatible with a democratic society. Rather, it gives form to the nuclear police state which we have warned of for so long.
The other bill is for a new law providing for a system to cover 'back end' activities (clean-up and disposal). It is based on the interim report published at the end of August last year by the Electricity Industry Committee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy. It deals with back end costs which have not, until now, been covered. These include the cost of dismantling and disposing of the reprocessing plant and the cost of disposing of transuranic waste. These costs will be recovered through a new levy on top of the regular electricity rate. Until now backend funds have been held within the power company, but the new system will require that the funds be held in a designated body separate from the power company. The average family will pay around 1,000 yen (about $10 US) extra each year. This new burden is being introduced in preparation for embarking on the dangerous full-scale operation of the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant and, as such, we refuse to accept it.
We called this meeting today under the banner of 'No to radiation releases! No to reprocessing cost burden! No to a nuclear police state! - National Conference to Stop Two Nuclear Bills'. We reconfirm our opposition to both these bills and make the following demands:
1. That the government reverse its plan to introduce these two bills in their current form;
2. In the case where the bills are introduced, that the Diet consider them thoroughly and reject them.
