Startup of Japanese nuclear-fuel plant raises concerns in US
MAY 02, 2013
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026980
Wall Street Journal : A massive $21 billion plutonium-reprocessing plant that has been in the works since 1992 is finally nearing completion, according to Japanese officials. Once up and running, the plant at Rokkasho in northern Japan will be capable of producing 9 tons of weapons-usable plutonium annually. Although Japanese officials insist the plutonium will be used for power generation only, just two of the country’s fifty reactors are back online since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. The Obama administration is not pleased with the timing in light of North Korea’s recent atomic weapons tests. Many in the US fear Rokkasho’s going on line will spark a nuclear competition among nearby countries, such as China and South Korea.
© 2013 American Institute of Physics
