August 1, 2013 | No. 765 Editorial Dear readers of the WISE/NIRS Nuclear Monitor, This issue of the Monitor includes articles on the recent IAEA nuclear security conference, the latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report, and uranium mining in Niger. The Nuclear News section includes a request from support to stop the Monitored this Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant in Japan, as well as updates from Canada, South Korea, France and Japan. issue: We’d like to correct an editing error made in the last issue of the Monitor. The Swedish ‘SFR repository’ mentioned in Charly Hultén’s article (#764.4321 - Tran- Nuclear security conference commits ... to suranics, mercury and banned fluids discovered in Swedish nuclear waste reposi- holding more conferences........................1 tory) is not the planned repository for spent nuclear fuel. It is, as the second line Jim Green of the article makes clear, a repository planned for short-lived isotopes, in opera- tion since 1988. Apologies to Charly for our editing error. World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013 . 3 Regards from the Nuclear Monitor editorial team Email: [email protected] Uranium Mining in Niger . 5 Jim Green Nuclear News............................................9 − Stop Japan’s Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant − Canada: Cameco agreement to silence Nuclear security conference indigenous protests on uranium mining − South Korea: Nuclear scandal widens − France: Activists target uranium and commits ... to holding more nuclear plants Smiling Sun in 30+ languages... conferences and more to come . 11 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hosted a conference titled ‘International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts’ from July 1−5 in Vienna. [1] There were more than 1,300 registered partici- pants, including 34 government ministers, from 125 countries. In his closing statement to the Conference, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said: “This Conference has been an important milestone for nuclear security. The Ministerial Statement, from an inclusive global forum, sends a strong message that nuclear security is recognized as a priority by Gover- nments.” 765.4323 Few shared that generous opinion. One of the few solid commitments from the conference was a commitment to hold more conferences. Maybe. The Ministerial Declaration calls on the IAEA “to consider organizing international con- ferences on nuclear security every three years.” The conference did not result in any strengthening of the patchwork of mostly non-binding, mostly underfunded nuclear security initiatives around the world. Nuclear Monitor 765 Kissinger, Nunn, Perry and Shulz noted noting that member states would have “Fukushima blurred the line between in a March 2013 article that “no global to agree to fund such expanded security nuclear safety and nuclear security.” [8] system is in place for tracking, accoun- activities through the IAEA’s regular ting for, managing and securing all budget, but current funding for security Matthew Bunn, a Harvard University weapons-usable nuclear materials.” [2] work relies on voluntary contributions professor and former White House The same can be said for the broader made on an irregular basis. [5] The adviser, said at a recent briefing: range of nuclear and radioactive materi- Ministerial Declaration went no further “Fukushima sent a message to terrorists als that can be used in dirty bombs. than to recognise “the importance of that if you manage to cause a the IAEA having access to appropriate nuclear power plant to melt down, that The Ministerial Declaration encoura- resources and expertise to undertake really causes major panic and disrup- ges nations to fully implement existing its work, including through further tion in a society. ... All you need to do to international accords, including the voluntary contributions to the IAEA’s do that is cut off the power for an exten- Convention on the Physical Protection Nuclear Security Fund by existing and ded period of time.” [9] of Nuclear Material and a 2005 amend- new donors.” ment to the International Convention Conventional military strikes on nuclear for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear As of 2008, the IAEA relied on voluntary plants by nation-states is another issue Terrorism. Energy Secretary Ernest funding for 90% of its nuclear security that the nation-states assembled in Moniz acknowledged that the US program, 30% of its nuclear safety Vienna were reluctant to address. remains outside the Convention on the program, and 15% of its verification/ Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, safeguards program [6]. Mohamed El References and Sources but claimed that the US is a leader on Baradei, then IAEA Director-General, nuclear security because the President told the IAEA Board of Governors in 1. IAEA, July 2013, ‘IAEA Ministerial made a speech on the topic (!) and the 2009: “I will be cheating world public Meeting Concludes With Focus on US government intends to host a confe- opinion to be creating the impression Stronger Nuclear Security’ rence on the topic in 2016 (!!). [3] that we are doing what we’re supposed www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2013/ to do, when we know we don’t have the nsfocusconcludes.html A report released by the Arms Control money to do it.” Association and the Partnership for 2. Henry A. Kissinger, Sam Nunn, Wil- Global Security details actions that the Limited scope liam J. Perry, George P. Shultz, 5 March 53 countries that participated in the 2013, ‘Next Steps in Reducing Nuclear 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in South Victor Gilinsky, a former member of the Risks: The Pace of Nonproliferation Korea have taken since the meeting. [4] US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Work Today Doesn’t Match the Urgency It notes that there has been some pro- noted in 2009 that “even so-called arms of the Threat’, Wall Street Journal, gress − for example 22 countries have controllers fall over themselves trying www.nti.org/analysis/opinions/next- taken steps to “prevent the smuggling of to establish their bona fides by sup- steps-reducing-nuclear-risks-pace-non- illicit radioactive materials by enhancing porting nuclear energy development proliferation-work-today-doesnt-match- transport security, expanding border and devising painless proposals ...” [7] urgency-threat/ controls and developing new detection That mentality was in evidence at the and monitoring technologies.” But still IAEA nuclear security conference. The 3. Douglas P. Guarino, 1 July 2013, ‘In the emphasis seems to be on talk-fests Ministerial Declaration calls upon states Vienna, a Focus on National Respon- − 44 countries have hosted nuclear “to ensure that measures to strengthen sibility for Nuclear Materials Security’, security workshops, conferences or nuclear security do not hamper interna- Global Security Newswire, exercises. The NGOs state that “the tional cooperation in the field of peace- www.nti.rsvp1.com/gsn/article/vienna- largely nationally focused efforts to date ful nuclear activities.” focus-national-responsibility-nuclear- are inadequate” and that the lack of materials-security/ universal reporting requirements makes Gilinsky advocates a reversal of priori- it difficult to assess the overall progress ties: “Security should come first − not 4. Arms Control Association and the of the security summit process. as an afterthought. We should support Partnership for Global Security, 1 July as much nuclear power as is consistent 2013, The Nuclear Security Summit: International Atomic Energy Agency with international security; not as much Progress Report, security as the spread of nuclear power www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/ The Ministerial Declaration affirmed will allow.” New-Report-Finds-Gaps-in-Nuclear- “the central role of the IAEA in streng- Materials-Security-Effort thening the nuclear security framework Fukushima illustrates one of the issues globally and in leading the coordination that ought to be addressed under the 5. Rachel Oswald, 19 July 2013, ‘U.S. of international activities in the field of umbrella of nuclear security. Kenneth Energy Chief Hopes for Bigger IAEA nuclear security.” Luongo from the Partnership for Global Role in Global Nuclear Security’, Global Security said that the disaster high- Security Newswire, Many delegates called for an expanded lighted the fact that the international www.nti.rsvp1.com/gsn/article/us- role for the IAEA. Miles Pomper from community does not “have an ade- energy-chief-hopes-bigger-iaea-role- the James Martin Center for Nonproli- quate system for dealing with radiation global-nuclear-security feration Studies expressed scepticism, that crosses borders.” He noted that 2 Nuclear Monitor 765 6. IAEA, 2008, ‘20/20 Vision for the fukushima-shows-nuclear-terrorism- Future: Background Report by the 8. Douglas P. Guarino, 14 March 2012, risks-at-un-meeting.html Director General for the Commission of ‘U.S. Defends Narrow Focus for Nuclear Eminent Persons’, Security Summit’, Global Security Author: Jim Green, Friends of the www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/ Newswire, Earth, Australia (and editor of the PDF/20-20vision_220208.pdf www.nti.org/gsn/article/us-defends- Nuclear Monitor) narrow-focus-nuclear-security-summit/ Email: [email protected] 7. Victor Gilinsky, ‘A call to resist the Web: foe.org.au/anti-nuclear nuclear revival’, Bulletin of the Atomic 9. Jonathan Tirone, 4 July 2013, Scientists, 27 January 2009, ‘Fukushima Shows Nuclear-Terrorism www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op- Risks at UN Meeting’, eds/call-to-resist-the-nuclear-revival www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-01/