Rokkasho, Aomori
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Rokkasho (六ヶ所村; Rokkashomura) is a village located at 40.97 N, 141.37 E in Kamikita District, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
In 2003 the village had an estimated population of 12,134 and a population density of 47.96 persons per km². The total area of the village is 253.01 km².
Rokkasho was a candidate to host the plasma fusion reactor ITER, but lost out to Cadarache, France.
Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited operates a range of nuclear facilities at Rokkasho-mura, including a uranium-enrichment plant and plutonium reprocessing plant.
[edit] External links
- Rokkasho official website in Japanese with versions in other languages
- English version of official website
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Since the 1970's local opposition to plans to operate Japan's first large commercial plutonium plant at Rokkasho have focussed on the threat to the environment and public health due to large-scale release of radioactivity. During the 1990's anti-nuclear groups in Japan released studies showing the risks of routine operation of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant. The facility in full operation is designed to separate as much as 8 tons of plutonium each year from spent reactor fuel from Japan's domestic nuclear reactors. As of 2006 Japan owned approximately 45 tons of separated plutonium. For further information see:
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/english0/index.php?id=6
http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/press/2002/eng/20021122_html
http://cnic.jp/english/topics/cycle/rokkasho/index.html
http://japanfocus.org/products/details/1931
http://www.wmdinsights.org/I2/EA1_Rokkashos.htm
In May, 2006 an international awareness campaign about the dangers of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant was launched by Ryuichi Sakamoto, with a home at www.stop-rokkasho.org.
