FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GREENPEACE CALLS ON JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO END PLUTONIUM TRADE AS VESSEL "SOLO" ARRIVES IN TOKYO

87KB GIF or 27KB JPG Crew of MV Solo on helideck close to Tokyo. ©Greenpeace/Simms

TOKYO, 22 April, 1995 -- (GP) The Greenpeace ship MV Solo arrived in Tokyo today after tracking a controversial nuclear waste shipment for 56 days from France to Japan. The environmental organization called on the Japanese government to halt its plutonium program and transports to ensure environmental protection and nuclear non-proliferation.

65KB GIF or 20KB JPG Press conference on board MV Solo, Tokyo. ©Greenpeace/Simms

"This is one of the most controversial shipments in history," said on-board Greenpeace campaigner Bas Bruyne. "Dozens of enroute nations banned or protested this deadly transport. Japan, with the support of France and Britain, has acted with arrogant disregard for the legitimate concerns and rights of nations around the planet."

Surprisingly, this week Japan's Foreign Minister Kono raised the issue of international criticism against the recent nuclear waste shipment in his speech at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) talks at the UN in New York.

The Pacific Pintail left Cherbourg, France with its 14-ton cargo of highly radioactive plutonium waste on February 23, 1995. Greenpeace, which protested the loading and departure of the shipment, accompanied the Pintail to provide information to enroute nations threatened by the otherwise secret transport.

The nuclear freighter was turned aside from its intended route through the Panama Canal by intense opposition in the Caribbean and Central America. The Pintail then forced its way through the coastal waters of South America and Cape Horn despite the formal opposition of South American governments. After skirting the dangerous waters off Cape Horn the ship sailed for over four weeks across the Pacific. Ultimately, the Pintail and its cargo was banned by over 35 nations and denounced by numerous others.

The Pacific Pintail is due to arrive at the Japanese port of Mutsu Ogawara on the morning of Tuesday, 25 April. Japanese government policy is to ship spent nuclear fuel to Europe, where weapons-grade plutonium is separated and purified. This ~reprocessing~ multiplies the original volume of radioactive waste by approximately 140 times.

In Japan, the reprocessing policy has been badly undermined by the realisation that the Pintail~s cargo is only the first of over one hundred shipments of plutonium and nuclear waste which will eventually arrive in Japan. The country has no long-term storage or disposal facility for radwaste, and since most of Japan is prone to earthquakes, there is concern that a solution may never be found.

"There are two obvious reasons why Japan~s reprocessing policy should be ended immediately,~ said Greenpeace Japan campaigner Emi Ueno. ~First, it produces tens of tonnes of weapons-usable plutonium directly undermining global non-proliferation efforts; and secondly because of the total lack of any means to safely store or dispose of the overwhelming volumes of radioactive waste~, she said.

"Japan should prove its commitment to non-proliferation by terminating the production, use and stockpiling of weapons-usable plutonium."

Contact:
Blair Palese, Miyuki Arai, Greenpeace Japan: (813) 5351-5400 or by mobile phone: (030) 186-6666

*The Greenpeace ship MV Solo will be open to the public on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30. Contact the numbers above for more information.

85KB GIF or 24KB JPG Journalists leaving Press conference on board MV Solo, Tokyo. ©Greenpeace/Simms

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

GREENPEACE VESSEL SOLO'S JOURNEY TRACKING THE JAPANESE RADIOACTIVE WASTE SHIPMENT ON BOARD THE PACIFIC PINTAIL FROM FRANCE TO JAPAN

FEBRUARY 23, 1995: The Pacific Pintail with the first ever on- board sea-shipment of high-level, vitrified radioactive waste leaves the port of Cherbourg, France while Greenpeace protests the shipment with its vessel Moby Dick. Moby Dick's crew is arrested and later released by the French authorities. Solo picks the Pintail up on radar and follows at a safe distance of three miles. The Pintail steams South past the French and British coast and enters the Bay of Biscay on her way to Portuguese waters.

FROM FRANCE TO PORTUGAL Heavy seas, bad weather and a French Navy plane escort the 14-tonnes of radioactive waste on-board the Pacific Pintail on its first part of its journey to Japan. On February 25th the Spanish Navy vessel Serviola appears off the port bow of the Pacific Pintail. The Spanish Navy orders the Pintail to stay more than 100 miles away from the Spanish coast.

THE PORTUGUESE COAST Feb 26. Weather conditions are bad for two days and a strong North Westerly wind blows at force 6/7. The Portuguese warship (Frigate F 489) the "Oliveira E Carmo" joins the Pintail on February 26th and accompanies the ship. The Spanish Navy patrol vessel "Serviola," however, leaves at daybreak. Solo then receives a message from Monsanto Radio -- a shipping radio station that issues navigational and security warnings to ships -- that 12 boxes of ammunition previously lost at sea have been reported washed ashore on the Portuguese Coast. Monsanto Radio warns all ships of the possibility that more boxes are drifting and could be dangerous to navigation.

The ammunition boxes were lost at sea during an attempt on 25th October, 1994 to scuttle (intentionally sink) the Portuguese ship "Sao Miguel" and its cargo old ammunition. Reportedly the scuttling failed, the ship exploded, and some 80 boxes were lost. The Sao Miguel was sunk some 190 miles West of Lisbon, and on February 27th, the Pacific Pintail passes as close as 140 miles northeast of this spot refusing to acknowledge radio warnings from the Solo.

MADEIRA Feb 27. On Monday, Solo approaches the 200 mile Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Madeira. Upon entering this EEZ around Madeira, the Portuguese Frigate "Oliveira E Carmo" contacts the Pacific Pintail, and notifies it that they have entered the Portuguese EEZ and requests the ship to stay at least 100 miles away from Madeira. The Pacific Pintail confirms and replies that her current course would not bring her closer than 120 miles from Madeira. At the end of the conversation the captain of the "Oliveira E Carmo" asks the Pacific Pintail what route she will take and if she intends to travel the South African or South American route. The Pacific Pintail replies that she does not know yet.

CANARY ISLANDS On March 1st, the Pacific Pintail passes the Canary Islands at a distance of 265 miles and the Spanish Navy Patrol Boat the "Centinella" leaves the Pacific Pintail. While the Pintail approaches the Cape Verde Islands on March 2nd, people in the Virgin Islands gather in a vigil against the continued threat these radioactive waste shipments between France, the UK and Japan pose to their islands. On March 3, the Pacific Pintail passes West of the Cape Verde Islands on a distance of 260 nautical miles, without the Cape Verde Government taking much notice of the danger that this shipment poses.

BETWEEN AFRICA AND SOUTH AMERICA March 5th brings the Pacific Pintail almost exactly between the African and South American continents at a distance of 730 miles northeast of the Brazilian city of Natal, and 860 miles southwest of the West African country Guine-Bissau. In previous days the Pacific Pintail passes Cape Verde, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. On March 6th, the nuclear waste ship continues due South and is less than 500 miles northeast of Natal. At a press conference on board the Rainbow Warrior near the Panama Canal, Greenpeace reveals that the Pacific Pintail will not make use of the Panama Canal for this transit towards Japan. The organization applauds the action taken by the Caribbean Community that has prevented the ship from sailing through the region, and calls on CARICOM--the Caribbean Community's regional forum--to formally adopt a zone that would prohibit shipments of nuclear waste and plutonium through the Caribbean Sea. At midnight the Pacific Pintail sails into the Brazilian 200 mile Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) around the islands "Fernando de Noronha."

THE BRAZILIAN COAST On March 7, the Pacific Pintail is 300 miles northeast of Natal, Brazil and comes as much as 50 miles within the EEZ around the "Fernando de Noronha" Islands. Greenpeace notifies the Brazilian authorities that the Pacific Pintail is violating a February 24th declaration of the Brazilian Government stating that Brazilian coast and waters "mustn't be exposed to eventual risks of accidents involving such cargoes." On March 8, the Brazilian Air Force repeatedly flies closely over the Pacific Pintail and engages the vessel in radio- communication. The Brazilian Air Force asks the captain of the Pintail all navigational details necessary for Brazil to prevent the ship from entering its 200 mile zone. In addition the Air Force inquires into the nature of the Pintail's cargo, which the captain of the Pacific Pintail twice refuses to answer while pointing out that the Pintail is still in international waters. "We are on a normal sea-trade", responds the captain of the Pintail to the Brazilian Air Force. In radio and press interviews, Greenpeace accuses the Captain of the Pacific Pintail of flatly lying about the nature of his trade which, as the first shipment of highly radioactive glassified plutonium waste ever to be made, can hardly be called "a normal sea-trade."

In Brasilia, Brazil's capital, three National Workers Federations of port workers adopt a motion that states: (1) Strong opposition to the passage of the Pacific Pintail through Brazilian waters, (2) Their decision to deny any help and assistance to the ship should it ask to stop in a Brazilian port. The National Workers Federation's further announces that its message will be circulated throughout Brazil to all ports. Following the passage by the Pacific Pintail on March 10 through the jurisdictional waters of Brazil adjacent to the Penedos de Sao Pedro and Sao Paulo and of Fernando de Noronha islands, the Brazilian Government restates its concern over the risk of pollution by nuclear waste transports. Brazil further calls for a re- evaluation of International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations on the basis of the goals expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In Chile, the National Chilean Federation of small-scale fishermen (CONAPACH) on March 10 states its opposition against the continuation of the traffic of radioactive materials to and from Japan, and warns of the dangers posed to marine resources by the Pacific Pintail. CONAPACH also states that "freedom of navigation must not be invoked in order to endanger international security, human health and natural resources". In South Africa, the National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), the biggest union in South Africa, at its March 11th national meeting passes a declaration demanding that the waste transport be banned from South Africa's EEZ--which they hold to be 250 miles.

While the Pacific Pintail passes Rio de Janeiro on March 12th, Chile's House of Representatives unanimously adopts a resolution asking the Chilean Executive branch to take a tougher stance on the issue of radioactive waste shipments. The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asked to deliver Chile's strong protest and to request the French, Japanese and British Governments terminate plans to continue to ship radioactive wastes, since they present a grave risk to the environment, human health and international security. Chilean President Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle is asked to forbid the Pacific Pintail to sail in Chilean territorial waters.

THE URUGUAYAN COAST Just prior to passing Uruguay's coast on March 14th, Uruguay's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Perez del Castillo, issues a formal statement denying the Pacific Pintail entry to Uruguayan jurisdictional waters. After growing political pressure, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism discloses on March 13th that it has diplomatically requested the governments of Japan, France and the United Kingdom have ensure that, should the Pacific Pintail make use of the waters off the coast of South Africa, it does not enter its EEZ. South Africa's statement further reveals that, should the Pacific Pintail take the Cape of Good Hope route, its Navy ships and Air Force aircraft will be used to watch the vessel as it approaches the limits of South Africa's EEZ.

THE ARGENTINE COAST On March 14, the Argentine Navy flies over the Pacific Pintail with a Search and Rescue operation aircraft while the ship is approximately 450 miles of the Argentine coast. The Navy notifies the Captain of the Pintail that his ship had entered the search and rescue area under the responsibility of the Argentine Navy. The Argentine House of Representatives by a March 15th resolution had already prohibited the Pintail from passing into the waters under Argentine jurisdiction.

While Argentine authorities are deliberating over the Pintail, the Chilean Senate adopts a resolution that prohibits the nuclear waste ship from entering Chile's EEZ and instructs the Chilean Navy to enforce the prohibition. Chile bases its resolution on its obligations under the Declaration of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (the Rio Declaration). The declaration deals with the protection of the sea and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of its living resources. Through the declaration, Chile has committed itself in accordance with the U.N. Law of the Sea, to prevent, reduce and control degradation of the marine environment.

In an urgent March 17 telex from Solo to the Pacific Pintail, Greenpeace notifies the ship's captain of the Chilean prohibition against his ship, and of the organization's grave concern over the Pintail's attempt to force its way through the waters of a region where the ship and its radioactive cargo have been banned due to safety concerns and public opposition. When the Pacific Pintail on March 18th is some 50 miles southeast of the Argentinean Isla de los Estados, Chile attempts to prohibit the ship from its waters but fails to contact the vessel by telex. On March 19, the Chilean Navy approaches the Pacific Pintail with a Navy aircraft and warns the captain that his ship will not be allowed to enter the Chilean EEZ. Responding to the Chilean Navy the Pintail's captain communicates that he is under instructions from his owners to continue his course, by which he knowingly will violate the Chilean jurisdictional waters.

IN CHILEAN JURISDICTIONAL WATERS In a 2-hour confrontation with the Chilean Navy inside the Chilean EEZ on March 20th, the Pacific Pintail's captain repeatedly ignores Chilean requests to alter course and leave Chilean waters. Finally, the Chilean Navy warns the Pintail's captain that he is exposing his vessel to the use of Naval force. The Pintail's captain ultimately agrees to change course to the South, a course which will lead the ship and radioactive waste cargo towards pristine Antarctica.

On the morning of March 21st, the Pacific Pintail--still 80 miles within Chile's EEZ and 130 miles North of the Antarctic protected Treaty Area, changes course from due south to northwest. This course will bring the ship as close as 75 miles from the Chilean coast. After Chile inquires as to why the Pintail is not leaving Chile's EEZ, the captain of the Pintail responds that he is under instructions from the ship's owners to continue to violate Chile's prohibition for the next 48 hours while setting course towards Japan. On March 22nd, the Chilean authorities again request the Pintail leave the Chilean 200 mile EEZ. The Pintail's captain refers to an approaching storm front and says that he prefers to maintain ship's course. Subsequently, Chile permits the Pintail to pass but only on the condition that the ship turns West after the storm passes. Later that day, the Pacific Pintail alters course to the West and, shortly after, finally sails out of Chile's jurisdictional waters.

ACROSS THE PACIFIC On March 23rd, the Pacific Pintail, steaming through the Pacific Ocean toward Japan, is on a course in the general direction of Easter Island. In the Pacific, already some states have expressed their concern and opposition to the 14 tons of radioactive waste onboard of the Pacific Pintail. On Feb 23, '95, the Government of Fiji formally contacts the Japanese Government to protest the shipment and demands that it does not allow it to pass through the waters of the Fijian EEZ. On Jan 17, '95 the Federated States of Micronesia issue a statement of concern regarding the possibility of Japan making transports of highly radioactive nuclear waste through the region which could lead to "catastrophic" accidents. The FSM voice their desire to see the South Pacific Forum put into force an agreement which will ban the importation or transboundary movement of such transports through the region. On Jan 17, '95, in a letter to the Japanese Embassy in Suva (Nauru) the Nauru Department of External Affairs conveys to the Japanese Government its strong concern regarding the possibility of highly radioactive waste shipments sailing through the South Pacific Islands region. In the letter the Nauru Government opposes the shipment in its 200 mile EEZ and calls upon Japan to respect Nauru's concerns.

Previously, on Dec. 12, '94, US Representative for Hawaii, Abercrombie, and the Delegate of Guam, Underwood, issued statements of concern over the shipment of high level waste from France to Japan. The two members of the US House of Representatives state that the people of Hawaii and Guam should not be placed in harms way, and that the US should make a good- faith, timely effort to address the unresolved safety questions raised by plans to ship high-level radioactive waste by sea through US ports and/or territorial waters.

While the Pacific Island states are prepare for the passage of the Pacific Pintail, Press Secretary Terusuke Terada of Japan's Foreign Ministry, tells "Nucleonics Week" that routing information will not be disclosed for dozens of future nuclear waste shipments despite previous promises to do so. Terada also says "This time, the British are responsible for the shipment, and they said they would take entire responsibility. And they believe, in mid- to longer-term, it is not desirable to release the routes to those antagonists who, they say, naturally may obstruct the shipment."

PASSING EASTER ISLAND On March 31, the OPANAL General Conference is held in Chile. OPANAL is the "Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean" established by the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco to prohibit nuclear weapons from the region while demanding nuclear weapons states honour the region's non-nuclear status. The OPANAL General Conference, made up of 30 Latin American and Caribbean states, issues a declaration voicing "deep concern" about the Japanese/French/British nuclear waste shipment being tracked by Greenpeace in the Pacific. The regional forum calls for the enactment of international legislation to "avoid the high risks inherent to these transports."

MEETING THE RAINBOW WARRIOR On April 3, the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior joins the Solo in her demonstrative tracking of the Pacific Pintail's passage through the Pacific Ocean. The Rainbow Warrior, on her way from Panama to Tahiti, previously formed the centre of Greenpeace's anti-plutonium campaign in the Caribbean. The Pacific Pintail avoided sailing through the Caribbean after countries there voiced opposition against the radioactive cargo in their waters. The Rainbow Warrior continues to advocate an end to the nuclear pollution posed by French nuclear testing in the Pacific, and to shipments and disposal of radioactive waste there.

CROSSING THE EQUATOR SAILING TOWARDS HAWAII On April 5, the Pacific Pintail crosses the equator for a second time and Greenpeace announces that the vessel is 5 days from Hawaii. Greenpeace calls on the Government of Hawaii not to allow the ship to enter its waters, given the lack of information about the shipment, and the consequences of a possible accident to the environment, people and economy of Hawaii. Such a passage would violate the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) since no comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment has been undertaken with the participation of territories and communities at risk. Such a study is required under the terms of US NEPA since there is no doubt that a serious accident, like a fire onboard the Pacific Pintail, would severely impact the state's delicate ecosystem. On March 31, a state-wide meeting of 314 delegates to the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) passes a resolution against the radioactive waste shipment. The teachers union's protest, follows previous trade union opposition to the shipment of radioactive waste in Brazil, Chile and South Africa urging Pacific officials to oppose the shipment of nuclear waste through Pacific U.S. territorial waters.

While off the Hawaiian coasts on April 11, the Pacific Pintail's passage raises further concerns with Hawaii legislators. In a letter to US President Bill Clinton, Hawaii Governor Cayetano renews Hawaii's request for assistance in expediting an evaluation of Hawaii's emergency plans in the event any shipments of dangerous levels of radioactive waste and plutonium passing near Hawaii should result in a nuclear emergency. In addition, the Hawaiian Governor states his concern about the high level radioactive waste and plutonium shipments passing Hawaii, to Japan's Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama and to French President Eduard Balladur.

OFF THE JAPANESE COAST After the Japanese nuclear industry confirms on April 18th that the arrival of the Pacific Pintail and its radioactive waste will be on April 25th in Mutsu Ogawara in the Japanese province of Aomori, the Greenpeace vessel Solo changes course and heads for Tokyo. The Pacific Pintail's last tracked position reported by Solo at 23:00 GMT on April 18th, is 32 degrees and 17 minutes North and 154 degrees and 04 minutes East. The Pintail then sails towards Mutsu Ogawara in Aomori Prefecture at a speed of 9.5 knots. Greenpeace concludes that the controversial shipment is intentionally being delayed from arriving in Mutsu since the Pintail could easily arrive on April 22rd at current speed. The delay is most likely caused by government fears that the arrival of the radioactive waste could effect the outcome of the local elections to be held on April 23rd.

After leaving the Pacific Pintail, Greenpeace announces it will continue to inform countries and grass-roots organizations along possible shipping routes on future plutonium, nuclear waste, and spent fuel departures from Europe and Japan as part of its campaign to end plutonium production and radioactive waste generation.

SOLO ARRIVES IN TOKYO After a non-stop journey of 58 days, the Greenpeace vessel Solo arrives in Tokyo.

In New York on April 17th the Review and Extension Conference of the-Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has started. The 170 States party to the Treaty will vote on whether to extend the NPT indefinitely after discussing the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, weapons technology and materials in the context of full nuclear disarmament and global security. It is obvious that unless the international community seriously commits to nuclear disarmament and an end to the spread of nuclear technology, the spiral of nuclear proliferation could continue indefinitely. Fifty years after the bombing of Hiroshima, this NPT conference is an opportunity to say, enough is enough. Greenpeace calls on States to oppose an indefinite extension of the Treaty and instead to demand for a series of NPT extension periods linked to a firm and real timetable for nuclear disarmament.

Greenpeace believes that instead of following a policy of encouraging weapons-usable, commercial plutonium production, Japan should take a leadership role in ending the production and stockpiling of this dangerous material. Greenpeace calls on all NPT Parties to demand immediate negotiations on a commercial plutonium cut-off as one of the necessary steps to curb the proliferation of weapons-usable materials and technology world- wide.

-Bas Bruyne, Campaigner on board Greenpeace vessel Solo