ATTENTION International Non-Proliferation and Environmental Community: The count-down on the arrival of the UK-flagged Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron to pick up 331 kilograms of plutonium at Tokai, Japan has begun.
The U.S. Department of Energy is still staunchly refusing to make any nuclear non-proliferation case for dumping 236 kilograms of UK-origin plutonium – now stored in Japan – at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
The Egret and Heron passed through the Panama Canal on February 5/6 and then “vanished” from the map but will soon arrive in Japan to pick up 331 kilograms of plutonium at the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) at Tokai.
In South Carolina, the position remains the same: no dumping of UK or French plutonium at SRS. The UK is a nuclear weapon state and has a plutonium stockpile of over 125 metric tons and must take care of its own plutonium. Ditto for France.
Dumping of 236 kilograms of UK plutonium and 2 kgs of French plutonium at SRS, with no viable exit out of the site, will be a blow to sound nuclear non-proliferation and environmental policies. Looks like this material is going to SRS for questionable and bizarre theatrics related to the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit. And, who is making money off the deal?
— Map images above courtesy of our Japanese colleagues: http://kakujoho.net/npp/pu_ghost-ship.html