April 21, 2011
Civil groups on Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture on April 20 took to the streets to protest against the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington re-entering Yokosuka Port.
The Yokosuka-based USS GW has been at sea off the coasts of Kyushu and Shikoku for about one month to avoid radiation contamination from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The U.S. Navy will reportedly transport radioactive waste that is produced during regular repair and maintenance work taken out of the GW.
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The Japanese Communist Party Yokosuka City Assembly members group on the same day issued a statement protesting to the central government and Yokosuka City Mayor Yoshida Yuto for having permitted the vessel to return to Yokosuka.
The statement of protest argues that many Yokosuka residents are fearful of the possibility of an accident like the one in Fukushima and that the city should have requested the government to postpone the warship’s arrival until its reactors are confirmed to be scientifically safe.
On the occasion of receiving prior notice that the GW would return to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base, Mayor Yoshida published a comment expressing his appreciation for the GW’s participation in disaster relief assistance and efforts to deal with the Fukushima crisis, although the vessel did not do anything to assist. The mayor also explained that he “received an explanation” about the safety of the nuclear warship in a note from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
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Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Japanese Communist Party representative Kasai Akira at a Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting pointed out that a verbal statement from the U.S. Embassy, saying the GW “is completely safe,” is not sufficient.
The note states that the GW’s reactors can cool themselves by water and by the reactors’ unique design without depending on electricity.
The United States, however, do not release information on the structure of either reactors or nuclear fuel. Kasai asked, “How can you objectively judge the safety of the vessel?”
Foreign Minister Matsumoto Takeaki answered, “I cannot comment about the technical assessment (of the vessel).” He also admitted that he “was just given the note” and that he did not have any information regarding the GW’s safety.
Kasai cited a past accident as an example: in November 1999, an aircraft carrier similar to the GW was stranded and its two atomic reactors were shut down due to an emergency situation that occurred in their cooling system.
Kasai pointed out that more than 300 nuclear accidents and incidents occurred in the U.S. Navy by the 1980s, according to available information.
Kasai criticized, “The central government just conveyed what the U.S. Embassy’s note says to the Yokosuka city government. It doesn’t mean that you fulfilled your obligation to confirm the safety of the vessel.”
The Yokosuka-based USS GW has been at sea off the coasts of Kyushu and Shikoku for about one month to avoid radiation contamination from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The U.S. Navy will reportedly transport radioactive waste that is produced during regular repair and maintenance work taken out of the GW.
* * * * *
The Japanese Communist Party Yokosuka City Assembly members group on the same day issued a statement protesting to the central government and Yokosuka City Mayor Yoshida Yuto for having permitted the vessel to return to Yokosuka.
The statement of protest argues that many Yokosuka residents are fearful of the possibility of an accident like the one in Fukushima and that the city should have requested the government to postpone the warship’s arrival until its reactors are confirmed to be scientifically safe.
On the occasion of receiving prior notice that the GW would return to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base, Mayor Yoshida published a comment expressing his appreciation for the GW’s participation in disaster relief assistance and efforts to deal with the Fukushima crisis, although the vessel did not do anything to assist. The mayor also explained that he “received an explanation” about the safety of the nuclear warship in a note from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Japanese Communist Party representative Kasai Akira at a Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting pointed out that a verbal statement from the U.S. Embassy, saying the GW “is completely safe,” is not sufficient.
The note states that the GW’s reactors can cool themselves by water and by the reactors’ unique design without depending on electricity.
The United States, however, do not release information on the structure of either reactors or nuclear fuel. Kasai asked, “How can you objectively judge the safety of the vessel?”
Foreign Minister Matsumoto Takeaki answered, “I cannot comment about the technical assessment (of the vessel).” He also admitted that he “was just given the note” and that he did not have any information regarding the GW’s safety.
Kasai cited a past accident as an example: in November 1999, an aircraft carrier similar to the GW was stranded and its two atomic reactors were shut down due to an emergency situation that occurred in their cooling system.
Kasai pointed out that more than 300 nuclear accidents and incidents occurred in the U.S. Navy by the 1980s, according to available information.
Kasai criticized, “The central government just conveyed what the U.S. Embassy’s note says to the Yokosuka city government. It doesn’t mean that you fulfilled your obligation to confirm the safety of the vessel.”
