Collaboration with: T5.4-P20 Nuclear Pacific: An International Public Inquiry on French Nuclear Testing in French Polynesia Nabil Ahmed (Forensic Architecture, Goldsmith University of London) [email protected], Olga Lucko (architect) [email protected] NUCLEAR PACIFIC INVESTIGATION: MURUROA AND FANGATAUFA ATOLL FORUM United States, France and Britain conducted over 315 tests France conducted atmospheric and underground nuclear sites have become waste sites with former boreholes used According to the United Nations Decolonization Committee We seek to facilitate an international public inquiry and explore in the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia, Kirimati, and weapons tests on and under the atoll of Mururoa and Fangataufa as waste depositories. It is argued that underground tests in French Polynesia remains a non self-governing territory and possible international legal forums to seek accountability of Australia between the 1940s to the 1990s. The tests have in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia between the two atolls have led to the leaching of radioactive material an overseas territory of France. As in other Pacific islands, France to compensate the victims of nuclear testing in French left a legacy of ocean and land contamination, nuclear waste, 1966 and 1996. Forty four atmospheric tests were carried into the surrounding marine environment. Nongovernmental there has been a popular anti-nuclear movement in French Polynesia as well as the Pacific environment, using the law displacement and intergenerational health impacts on island out between 1966 and 1974, seventy eight underground groups claim that lasting damage has been made to the Polynesia led initially by independentist leaders such as of Ecocide or Crimes Against Nature. populations and workers employed in the nuclear industrial tests between 1975 and 1986 and further underground tests stability of the atolls as a result of the underground tests. Pouvanna a Oopa in the 1950’s, and ex-workers in the complex. While the United States recognizes the impact between 1995 and 1998. The atolls lie in the easternmost French nuclear testing military industrial complex, and the of their nuclear experiments in the Marshall Islands that part of the territory of French Polynesia and around 1000 evangelical church. Currently the movement is led by two resulted in an imperfect nuclear claims tribunal, France and kilometres from it’s capital Papeete in Tahiti. In the aftermath, organizations, ‘‘Muroroa e Tatou’’ and ‘‘Association 193’’. the UK have yet to face any serious legal challenge in French the aerial testing deposited radioactive fallout over the entire Polynesia and Kirimati over victim compensation, land rights territory of French Polynesia. The two nuclear test sites have claims and environmental damage. 10 Hiva Oa Mururoa Fangataufa USA Amchitka: 3 underground tests South Korea 3 Radioactive waste Recognized radioactive leaks Significant Contamination Depth: 2192 m "Wildlife refuge" Depth: 1800m- 2800m 115 containers Remediation 2001 to 2025 Radioactive waste 10 3031 conteneurs North West Pacific Ocean 6 (15078,9 GBq) Technological waste (8239 GBq) Puka Puka 2 Okinawa Depth: >3000 m Rangiroa Nuclear weapon of a rugged 1068 containers American aircraft JAPAN Sasebe Midway Faralion 6 1 Contaminated refrigerating North Mariana Technological waste USA Technological waste and 2 atmospheric attacks on Hiroshima liquid from a US submarine Radioactive waste (518GBq) and Nagasaki, 1945 "Swordfish" Depth: 5487 m "special" nuclear materials 1 San Diego: 1 underwater tests Bora Bora Makemo Guam 7 containers (536 500 GBq) Population of Japan: 127 million Radioactive waste Depth: 900m- 1700m Enewetak 47 500 containers 25 Hawaii Radioactive waste contained in San Diego 2 Technological waste concrete dome Technological waste (5254 GBq) 19 7 (3.33 Gbq) Hawaii population: Tahiti Inhabited atoll Depth: 1800m- 3600m Anaa 39 containers 1.432 million 22 MARSHALL ISLANDS Restrictions on local agricultural 7529 containers Hao Pukarua productions Depth: 3456 m Hawaii Depleted uranium Bikini atoll: 21 atmospheric tests Reao Johnston atoll Military sites: Pohakuloa Training 1 underwater tests 12 12 atmospheric test Center and Schofield Barraks 4 Failed decontamination. 22 Scattered 744 ammunition shots 5 Atoll unsutable for human habitation 44 recognized by the US Army in 2005 REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI Hereheretue Population currently displaced on anf 2007 (more than 2000 shots 34 Rongelap Vairaatea NUCLEAR FALLOUT IN FRENCH POLYNESIA the Kili atoll known from other sources) Waste content: Plutonium, Pacific Ocean US: 1 atmospheric test Bikini Tureia FROM ATMOSPHERIC TESTS 1966-1974 Enewetak atoll: 42 atmospheric tests Cesium-137 from the "Bravo" test of Contaminated military ships 1 Christmas island US: 24 atmospheric tests 2 underwater tests 1 March 1954 6 and vehicles abandoned in the UK: 6 atmospheric tests Partial rehabilitation Contaminated soils stored on an 3 lagoon 30 Partial evacuation of local inhabitants 1/3 stayed on site. Resettlement of the population since 1980 island Acteons Litigation between the people Environmental rehabilitation works commissioned by the Number and location of Republic of Kiribati since 2004. Tematangi Mururoa Respublic of Marshall Islands population : 52,993 of Rongelap who refuses to 25 nuclear fallouts return to its atoll and the Malden Island UK: 3 atmospheric tests 3 American authorities. 3 Fangataufa Tahiti Samoa Unsutable for human habitation. Wildlife sanctuary. Radioactive waste Christmas and Malden islands Tubuai 1 Potentially radioactive waste Republic of Kiribati population: 112,423 23 Areas covered by the Uranium Mines Missing information on the management of Morin Law 3 mining sites in operation: Olympic Dam potentially radioactive technological waste 7 Morane Mine, Ranger Uranium Mine, Beverley Hao Mangareva Contamination of rivers and groundwater Radioactive waste Cost of Queensland Raivavae Cook Island Hao Depth: 2500 m Radiological waste Complaints from Island Waste content: Plutonium, Cesium-137, Not monitored 130 barrels of 44 gallons population due to contamination by Strontium-90 0 300 km Monte Bello Christmas, Moruroa and Fangataufa 3 Areas officially rehabilitated by military FRENCH POLYNESIA Waste content: plutonium, césium-137 atmospheric trials Request for independant expertise Former test site prohibited classified as Aboriginal territories Radiological waste Mururoa Mururoa: 38 atmospheric tests Rapa "Marine Reserve" and "Protected Area South Australia 30 gallons Radioactive waste 193 137 underground tests for the Environment Waste content: Plutonium, Césium-137; Otahuhu Depth: 2500-3000 m Polonium-210, Béryllium Waste content: Cesium-137 Site Oscar: 60sq.km Fangataufa atoll: 8 atmospheric tests Former nuclear testing site considered a Population and workers of the 2800 tons 10 underground tests ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NUCLEAR TESTING Underground tests under the rim and the lagoon In 2010 French parliament passed a 3 desert Sydney Lucas Heights metallurgical plant evacuated Site November: 20 sq.km Atolls are unsutable for human habitation 1975-1996 (147 tests, total yield 3.2Mt) Enriched uranium 50 tons Number of other islands and atollls still nuclear compensation law under a 1 OPAL research reactor Radioactive waste storage :27 wells undergoing environmental rehabilitation Atmospheric tests 1966- 1974 in operation; 3 dismantling Storage and disposal not seriusly monitored (41 tests, total yield 10Mt) The precise location and depth of each well in the rim is research reactors (HIFAR, presumption of causation that was ratified 9 French Polynesia population : 282,764 MOATA and CF) Mururoa unknown. The precise location of the shots in the lagoon in 2017. Known as the Morin Law, the Waste content : Plutonium, Cesium-137, Barge shooting was performed 3 meters above the level of comes from unofficial sources provided by Bruno Barillot. AUSTRALIA Strontium-90, Americum-241, Cobalt-60 Fangataufa conditions of which are so restrictive that Underground storage of nuclear material the lagoon. As a result the water, corals and sediments of The energy released during each firing is an evaluation New Zealand Waste content: Plutonium, Cesium-137, from 137 underground shots Monte Bello Islands: 3 atmosperic test Maralinga: 9 atmospheric tests Radioactive waste Strontium-90, Americum-241, Cobalt-60 the lagoon were dragged in the explosion causing heavy made by the IAEA in 1996. The configuration of the atolls out of over 1000 claim applications, 7 Lagoon containing several kg of plutonium Depth: 18m;549m<2800m Atoll uninhabited and unsutable for any contamination. is such that underground test wells could only be drilled Uninhabited Aboriginal population evacuated 39 conteneurs human activity received compensation. The geographical partially (1039 GBq) on limited areas of the coral corona. At Mururoa atoll Decontamination measures not know area included in the law are Moruroa Decontamination operations in 1967, Atmospheric safety trials 1966- 1974 underground tests were concentrated in 4 zones inevitably The Montebello archipelago is classified and then from 1996 to 2000 (5 tests) weakening the outer slopes of the atoll. The IAEA report and Fangatufa, and extends to Hao atoll as a protected area for the environment Compensation and compensation and marine reserve system revealed underground fire was not all contained in the and parts of Tahiti. The French Ministry During five atmospheric safety trials a virtually complete volcanic