ML20055F312
| ML20055F312 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/30/1989 |
| From: | Gray J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Stephen Burns, Lopezotin M, Rathbun D NRC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20055F310 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-90-84 NUDOCS 9007160262 | |
| Download: ML20055F312 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 7.
W ASHINO f ON, O. C. 2MM June 30, 1989 j
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Dennis Rathbun Maria Lopez-Otin Steve Burns J
X S arborough/Gail Marcus r#
FROM:
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TR P R3 PORT ON COMMISSIONER CURTISS' VISIT To JAPAN Attached for your information is a trip report for Commissioner Curtiss' visit to Japan on April 14-21, 1989.
Attachments As stated cct EDO GPA H.
Faulkner, IP/GPA e
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9007160262 9006277-i PDR FOI uveM m,A j
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June 30, 1989 OF FiCE OF THE COMMtssioNt A MEMORANDUM FOR:
File FRON:
Joseph R. Gray
SUBJECT:
COMMIS$10NEP CURTIS$' VISIT TO JAPAN, april 14 21, 1989, b
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Fuel Cycle Materials and Waste Panageneent l
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Fuel Imports /Pu Shipment _s: An important part of Jepan's Pu/M0X fuel cycle approach involves the use of Pu from Japanese fue! arocessed in the UK and France. According to Japanese news reports (see attached article from Japan Times, dated April 17,1989). Japan has decided to i
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build an amed ship for sea transport of the reprocessed Du beginning in 1992. Although there appears to be some l
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,,*culation that Japan might abandon the Pu air transport apgroach and the air transport cask development efforts required by the Murkowski Amendment PNC officials indicated that air shipment remains as Japan's primary means of Pu transport, Japan will continue to pursue cask certification for air transport although it will also pursue sea transport-options until air transport is assured.
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~ Large patrol vessel to be built fUe b
to escort plutonium freighter To break a nearly 1. year. time Self. Defense Force war. reprocessed in Britain and old stalemate over the protec. ships for the escort duty was France from Japanese spent tion of a Japanese ship car. ruled out from the beginning nuclear fuel, Japan itself does rying reprocessed plutonium la Interministerial talks on not yet have a significart re.
from Europe to Japan, the the matter, processing espability.
Maritime Safety Agency The MSA will seek about Because of this timetable, tMSA) will build a powerful Vil billion to build a new pa. the MSA will have to secure a patrol vessel for the escort trol vessel,which is to belarg. budgetary appr priation in,
mission, an a has disclosed, gency official er than the MSA's helicopter. this year's bud et negotia.-
carrying pattof vessel Mizuho tions to start ilding the The deelslon to build a 6,000 la both slie and tonnage. =
escort ship in time, trn.elass oceangoing escort The 8Mton Mituho, which The construction cost will vessel equipped with high. carries two medium.stae util. be jointly shouldert.d by the o
technology navigational gear Ity helicopters, has a range of MSA and other. government and relatively heavy arms - some 15,000 km, but even this agencies concerned, as well the largest ever for Japan's is regarded as insufficient for as the Power Reactor and No.
maritime polleing agency -
the pro' osed escort duty, eleat Fuel Developmeni p
'5# ort $h w I *'d endment o a bilate a -
3g an non st Ur er the Japanese.U.S. bl.
agreemient u atomic energy lateral anangements, a mini.
km. he of more than 30,000 mum of 153 tons of reptoc.
voya between Japan and the U.S.
e new t pe og att,;
Under the agreement, re.
essed plutonium will be ship.
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vised in October 19ss, Japan i
fween 1992 and 2000. Sfent nu.
to Japan from Europe be, i
fue n as
)a is required totransport the re.
high technotof"I E *'
navigational I processed plutonium by sea, clearfuelfromJakas already an s nucle.
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, and the carrier is forbidden to ar power plants make any stopovers.
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been sent to Britain and l
The agreement also re.
'!he Mizuho is armed with a France for reprocessing.
i quires that the freighter car. 35mm rapid fire cannon, but At one time, Japanese env.
I rying plutonium te escorted the new patrol ship is ex. er,Enent officials considir_ed by an armed ship or ships to pected to have more powerful atrlifting the renrnne=d nhn.
rotect them from possible bl. weapons in a virtually unpre. Ionium, but the idea in i
acking attempts by terror, redented measure for an MSA eventually shelved hacanu =r' 1
la.
\\cssel, sIront opp 3,sition fram 8b2 Due to constitutional con.
[L.L91tthp.pn's eleetdc tI L as th ninea-tom.fc l
stralnts on overseas missions power comr'aniegalan to et *
'in transport planes would of the three service Self De.
regac ors partly on plutoniumtheir nudcat powar _nevilabir riv over card ru fertse Forces, the use of Mari.
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