Japan’s nuclear-power plea

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 13

Japan’s nuclear-power plea

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) i GENEVA, Sept. 8. Japan submitted at the i United Nations “Atoms for Peace” conference in Geneva yesterday that ’ the use of atomic energy for such purposes as generating electricity should not cause any kind of environmental problems. Mr Wataru Hiraizumi, who is Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, and also chairman of her atomic energy commission, said, however, that his country was sensitive about possible pollution from nuclear reactors because of very high population-density: There were 900 people per square kilometre in the habitable areas of Japan four times the population-density of Britain, which was considered one of the most crowded European countries. “It is no exaggeration to say that the successful accomplishment of our ambitious nuclear-power development programme could deipend solely upon the

solution of the problems of siting nuclear reactors,” Mr Hiraizumi said. Discussion, on ways of limiting radioactive discharge should be initiated on a world scale, he' urged, and international machinery to act as a watchdog over radioactive waste disposal should be established under the auspices of an organisation such as the Vienna-based International Atomic Engergy Agency. Mr Hiraizumi went on to say that although the amount of radioactive material contained in the liquid and gaseous discharge from nuclearpower plants and spent fuel reprocessing facilities had not yet reached a level to cause problems, there was an urgent need for all countries to promote research on the reduction of radioactive discharge.

"This problem is likely to be an obstacle to nuclear power development,” he said, “particularly as the amount will increase remarkably as the scale of. nuclear power generation expands. It might become necessary to dispose of such wastes in the ocean, as well as storing it on land.” Later Mr Hiraizumi told a press conference that Japan was thinking of placing

nuclear reactors on off-shore sites.

Mr Hiraizumi also suggested in his speech that there should be a far greater flow of unrestricted information about the development of nuclear technology. “Governments should collaborate resolutely to restrict to a minimum the political and military restraints which now prevent complete freedom in the international exchange of scientific information,” he said. “The abolition of such restraints would accelerate progress at a rate without parallel in history. It is secrecy that stultifies progress.” Mr Hiraizumi added that the signing of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty by a majority of governments had made a significant change in the raison d’etre of the rigid restrictions imposed on the exchange of technical information relating to the peaceful uses of atomic energy.

At his press conference, Mr Hiraizumi was asked why Japan had not yet ratified the treaty. He replied: “There is a considerable amount of suspicion about it in my country, where many people fear that Japanese technology might be jeopardised

by the very strict inspections provided for in the treaty. These suspicions are not shared by the Government, but they are there all the same.” The Japanese Minister was then asked whether Japan intended to exert pressure on the United States Government to call off its proposed underground nuclear test at Amchitka, in the Aleutian Islands, next month. (The test involves a fivemegaton explosion, and would be the largest the United States has ever held underground.) Mr Hiraizumi replied that Japan had no plans at present to make the same high-level representations in Washington as had Canada. He added: “Theoretically, tests of this kind are not forbidden, but, of course, nobody yet knows what the consequences Would be.”

Amchitka lies about 2800 miles from Tokyo and Vancouver, and the Canadian Foreign Minister (Mr Mitchell Sharp) had told the conference the previous day that Canada had asked the United States to call it off because of fears of a possible tidal wave.