Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 22 - 28 [US FORCES]

Transfer of radioactive wastes from US nuclear-powered vessel violates aide-memoir

In the midst of protests that citizens staged, the U.S. Navy on May 23 transferred radioactive wastes from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington at the U.S. Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The transfer breaches Japan-U.S. agreements known as the aide-memoir and the fact sheet which state that nuclear-powered ships in Japanese ports will not conduct fuel exchange, repair their power system, or discharge radioactively-contaminated materials.

The U.S. military moved from the George Washington to a freighter three containers thought to contain low-level radioactive wastes produced during the carrier’s regular maintenance.

This was the fifth transfer since the carrier’s deployment to the Yokosuka base in September 2008.

Kasagi Takashi of the Kanagawa Council against A & H Bombs said, “If an accident occurs when a container is hoisted off the ship by crane, radioactive wastes will be spread all over Yokosuka Port.”

The council on the previous day made representations to the U.S Navy, demanding a cancellation of the transfer.