U.S. secretly asked Japan to help dump nuclear reactors [View All]

[kristopher]

U.S. secretly asked Japan to help dump nuclear reactors
BY TAKUYA SUZUKI STAFF WRITER
2011/09/27


A Russian Navy vessel dumps liquid radioactive waste into waters near Japan in October 1993. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The United States secretly sought Japan's support in 1972 to enable it to dump decommissioned nuclear reactors into the world's oceans under the London Convention, an international treaty being drawn up at the time.

Countries working on the wording of the pact wanted to specifically prohibit the dumping of radioactive waste at sea.

But Washington wanted to incorporate an exceptional clause in the case of decommissioned nuclear reactors.

These facts came to light in diplomatic records held by the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo and released at the request of The Asahi Shimbun.

Japan did not ...

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201109260363.html