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Perspectives
Nuclear Proliferation
Nuclear Legacy
Nuclear Energy & Waste
Foundation Activities
Educator’s Section
Perspectives
Preventing a Nuclear 9/11
In the September/October 2006 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Harvard University professor Graham Allison discusses a “nuclear 9/11” and concludes that “a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States is more likely than not in the decade ahead.” Allison underlines this assessment by pointing out that former US Defense Secretary William Perry thinks that he (Allison) underestimates the risk, and that former Senator Sam Nunn, currently chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, thinks that the risk of a nuclear detonation by terrorists on US soil is higher today than the risk of nuclear war at the height of the Cold War. It is the failure by the majority of US policymakers to recognize and adequately respond to this threat that Allison refers to in the title of his article, “The ongoing failure of imagination.” Allison’s prescription is good as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. In certain respects Allison, like those he criticizes, also suffers from a failure of imagination. He fails to imagine the necessity and possibility of a world without nuclear weapons as the key to foreclosing the prospects of nuclear terrorism. In general, Allison, like many others in the US nuclear policy field, seems committed to trying to prevent nuclear terrorism while maintaining the two-tier structure of nuclear weapons “haves” and “have-nots.” He wants to hold the line at eight nuclear weapons states, and to assure that there are no new domestic capabilities to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium. He makes no mention of the failure of the nuclear weapons states to fulfill their Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations for good faith negotiations for nuclear disarmament, or of the benefits that such efforts would have on reducing the risks of nuclear terrorism.
David Krieger is president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and a leader in the global effort to abolish nuclear weapons.
The Modern Nuclear Threat
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a tragic chapter in the history of the human race. These bombings not only demonstrate the cruelty that humanity can inflict upon itself, but they also foreshadow a terrifying future if we do not halt nuclear proliferation and embrace nuclear disarmament. It has been 61 years since nuclear weapons were first used in war. I wish I could say that the world has learned the lesson that the survivors, the hibakusha, have been trying to teach us since then: The lesson that humans and nuclear weapons cannot coexist.
Unfortunately, all evidence points to the contrary. The world is a far more dangerous place than it was 61 years ago. The world is a far more dangerous place than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. The likelihood that countries will seek nuclear weapons and the likelihood that countries will use nuclear weapons has increased.
Today, I would like to give a very brief overview of the nuclear threat that we currently face. I will start by describing what would happen if a nuclear missile were detonated over Washington, DC. Then, I will explain how recent policy changes by the United States are putting a strain on arms control efforts. Finally, I will suggest ways the US can help minimize the probability of nuclear weapons use.
Nickolas Roth is NAPF's Director of the Washington, DC office
Take Action
Say No to Expanding Nuclear Pit Production at Los Alamos
Write to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the federal agency responsible for the US nuclear arsenal! Tell them you oppose expanded nuclear weapons production at Los Alamos National Laboratory!
The NNSA has issued a legally required draft “Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations" at the Los Alamos National Laboratory” (“LANL Site-Wide EIS”). The NNSA is required by law to consider your comments in the preparation of its Final LANL Site-Wide EIS! In it, NNSA proposes to expand LANL’s already previously expanded nuclear weapons programs. Under this plan:
The capacity for production of plutonium pits will be quadrupled from 20 to 80 per year. Pits are the atomic “triggers” for today’s thermonuclear weapons. Sixty-one years ago a nuclear weapon using a plutonium pit killed ~75,000 human beings in Nagasaki, Japan. These new pits will be used in a new generation of nuclear weapons capable of causing destruction on a far greater scale.
Because of increased production, radioactive bomb wastes will almost double.
The Lab will increase its storage capacity of “special nuclear materials, mainly plutonium” to 7.3 tons. A decade ago DOE declared an inventory of 3 tons at LANL.
Los Alamos is incrementally becoming the nation’s only permanent location for plutonium pit production. LANL is and will likely be the key site for the indefinite preservation of US nuclear weapons. Ironically, while national infrastructure deteriorates, Los Alamos County is the richest county in the US!
Here is your opportunity to make your opinion heard!
Written comments must be mailed, faxed or e-mailed by September 20, 2006 to: National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site Office, Attn: Ms. Elizabeth Withers, Office of Environmental Stewardship, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544; or by fax: (505) 667-5948; or by e-mail to LANL_SWEIS@doeal.gov; or oral comments can be recorded at 1-877-491-4957.
The LANL Site-Wide EIS can be read/downloaded at www.doeal.gov/laso/nepa/sweis.htm. Better yet, go to Nuclear Watch New Mexico www.nukewatch.org for a fully searchable electronic version of the Site-Wide EIS, plus a treasure trove of 700+ background reference documents that the government refuses to post online. Stay tuned to www.nukewatch.org for updates and sample citizen comments by September 13.
Don’t be silent if you have an opinion on these critical issues! Send your comments by September 20.
Nuclear Proliferation
Israel Buys Two Submarine Capable of Carrying Nuclear Warheads
On 23 August 2006, AFP reported that Israel had purchased from Germany two submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The two dolphin class U212s hold a crew of 35 and have a range of 2,810 miles. Equipped with state-of-the art technology, these submarines can stay submerged far longer than other submarines in the Israeli navy and possess the latest in sonar technology. They are also capable of launching cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
It is thought that this announcement is a response to threats of ballistic missile attacks from Iranian clerics. The day before the sub purchase was announced, Rafi Eitan, a member of Israel’s security cabinet stated, "Iran has threatened to attack us with its ballistic missiles and we should prepare behind our lines and civilians for such an attack."
Tensions between Israel and Iran have been escalating in recent months due to Israel’s belief that the recent raids by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, resulting in a war between Israel and Lebanon, were coordinated by Iranians. The Israeli government believes that this was a ploy by the Iranian government to distract the world from its nuclear weapons program.
Source: Renaudie, Jean-Luc, “Israel buys upgraded subs to counter Iran threat,” AFP, 23 August 2006.
IAEA Reports Trafficking Incidents
On 21 August 2006, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report stating that in the past year there were more than 100 incidents where nuclear or radioactive materials were illegally transported.
The IAEA’s Illicit Tracking Database, which tracks the illegal shipment of nuclear materials around the world, stated that in 2005 there were 103 cases; the second highest annual number since tracking began in 1993. Two of these cases involved highly enriched uranium, an essential component in building a nuclear bomb. One case was in New Jersey where 3.3 grams were lost and the other was from a nuclear power plant in Fukui, Japan.
The report also comments, “From the terrorism threat standpoint, these cases are of little concern, but they show security vulnerabilities at facilities handling HEU.”
Sources: “IAEA reports nuclear trafficking incidents,” Global Security Network, 22 August 2006. “IAEA Releases Latest Illicit Trafficking Database Statistics,” 21 August 2006.
Materials Used in Creating WMDs Found in Hong Kong Flowerpot
On August 7, the Global Security Network revealed that materials for nuclear or chemical weapons intended to be shipped to Iran were found in Hong Kong.
Chinese police were tipped off to a box in a flower bed in the Kai Yip Housing Estate. They found two packets containing white powder and two bottles of liquid. The delivery bill attached to the box showed that it was supposed to have been shipped to Iran eight months prior.
Although the police have not identified the contents of the box, a reporter noticed the letters KHF2 written on the packets. KHF2 is a corrosive that could be used to make nerve gas or to extract plutonium.
Source: “WMD material found in Hong Kong flower container,” Global Security Network, 7 August 2006.
Nuclear Legacy
Bush Administration Reclassifies Documents Relating to Cold War Nuclear Weapons Deployment
On 26 April 2006, the Washington Post reported that the Bush administration recently classified public historical documents describing US strategic nuclear weapon deployments during the Cold War.
A report published by the George Washington University’s National Security Archive revealed that the Energy and Defense departments have reclassified documents pertaining to the number of nuclear weapons the US deployed during the 1960s and 1970s. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties have already required that the United States and Soviet Union share this information as well as more detailed information. Many of these documents have been available to the public for quite some time.
“I would say the horse is out of the barn and they are only making themselves look ridiculous,” said Cold War historian Robert Norris of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “At someone’s direction, declassification reviewers have gotten carried away and are applying the rather vague and open-ended guidelines to the point of absurdity.”
Source: “U.S. Defense Department Seeks Greater WMD Secrecy,” Global Security Network, 26 April 2006. Burr, William, “How many and where were the nukes: What the US government no longer wants you to know about nuclear weapons during the cold war,” National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 197, 18 August 2006.
Nuclear Energy & Waste
Emergency Shuts Down Swedish Reactor
On 25 July 2006, a Swedish nuclear reactor was shut down due to a short circuit in a unit that supplies power to the reactor.
An initial report by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, the department that monitors all nuclear activity in Sweden, stated that deficiencies in the Forsmark nuclear reactor should be taken seriously. The event leading to the shutdown was ranked a 2 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The International Atomic Agency (IAEA) has established a ranking system for nuclear events. A ranking of 7 is considered the most serious.
Four of the ten nuclear reactors in Sweden that use the same backup power system as the one at Forsmark have also been shut down. Until their safety is secured and the cause of the short circuit established, they will remain shut down. These reactors are built with the same design and safety specifications as approximately 300 other nuclear reactors around the world.
Claes-Inge Andersson, in charge of communications for SKI which is the company that runs the plant, stated that these type of accidents are expected and accounted for in safety plans. "Two of the four back-up diesel generators failed to start automatically following on the short circuit, but the two functioning generators were sufficient to run the cooling system, which proves that the reactor safety functioned successfully,” said Andersson.
Opponents of nuclear power in Sweden have stated that this incident clearly shows that nuclear energy is not safe. They have demanded that an independent investigation looking into the cause be launched.
Source: Sderlindh, Lisa Monique, “Sweden: Emergency nuclear reactor shutdown fuels fears.” Inter Press Service/Global Information Network, 9 August 2006.
Nuclear Waste Piles Up in TN ∓ GA Power Plant
On 3 August 2006, the Chattanooga Times and Free Press published an article stating that the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy was becoming increasingly concerned about the large quantity of spent nuclear fuel at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Georgia.
The plant contains more than 1,400 metric tons of high-level radioactive waste which is being stored in pools. It will remain there until a permanent repository is created for the growing amount nuclear waste in the United States. The lack of a permanent repository has caused an excess amount of nuclear waste in all nuclear reactors in that area. The close by Sequoyah, Watts Bar and Browns Ferry Nuclear Plants hold a total of 2,500 metric tons of nuclear waste. This area holds more nuclear waste than almost any other in the country.
Concerned over how the waste is being stored alongside the Tennessee River, Stephen Smith, Director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, stated that "this waste is being piled up on the river banks, and the river is the drinking water source for thousands of people."
Most of the 63 operating commercial nuclear power plants in the United States have similar problems. Currently, there are 55,000 metric tons of nuclear waste in the United States and that number increases by about 2,000 tons a year.
David Lochbaum, Director of the nuclear safety project for the Union of Concerned Scientists, is concerned that the large amount of radioactive material being stored at these plants poses a great risk. If the pools that contain the radioactive material were to leak or to be attacked, it would cause disaster. He feels it would be safer to empty the pools periodically to minimize the amount of nuclear material that could escape.
Source: Sohn, Pam, “Nuclear waste piles up: TVA says spent fuel is safe, but watchdog group warns of risks,” Chattanooga Times and Free Press, 3 August 2006.
Groundwater Contaminated by Titanium in San Diego, California
On 22 August 2006, test results showed that the leak of radioactive material that contaminated groundwater beneath the San Onofre nuclear power plant did not reach drinking water sources in San Clemente, California.
The drinking water well was shut down the previous week as a precaution after workers who were dismantling a containment dome discovered that cancer causing tritium had been detected beneath a generator in northwest San Diego County.
San Diego gets 3% of its drinkable water from that well. City officials will not put the well back into service until they know more about its geology and hydrology. No timetable has been set.
The groundwater beneath the reactor contained 50,000 to 330,000 picocuries of tritium per liter. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water safety limit for tritium is 20,000 picocuries per liter. The state of California would like to bring tritium levels closer to 400 picocuries per liter.
San Onofre has extracted approximately 10,000 gallons of contaminated water and piped it into the ocean where it will be diluted. The plant will continue this process as long as there is groundwater in the contaminated area. It is unknown how much tritium leaked into the ground, where it came from, or how long the leak lasted.
Mehta, Seema, “Well not contaminated, tests show; Groundwater trainted by radioactive leak at San Onofre hasn’t seeped to a San Clemente source. City will keep closed as further study is made,” LA Times, 22 August 2006.
Foundation Activities
23rd Annual Evening for Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's 23rd Annual Evening for Peace will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2006. Human Rights campaigner Bianca Jagger will receive the Foundation's World Citizenship Award, and former Maryknoll priest and long-time peace activist Blase Bonpane will receive the Foundation's Distinguished Peace Leadership Award. For information on the event, please contact the Foundation at (805) 965-3443.
2006 Annual Report Now Available
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 2006 Waging Peace Annual Report is now available. The report, published annually, provides information on important issues of peace and international law, as well as information on Foundation activities. Donors will receive the Waging Peace Annual Report via mail. Back issues of Waging Peace can be ordered from the Foundation. To order a copy, please send an e-mail to frontdesk@napf.org.
Youth Empowerment Initiative Nuclear Immersion Trip
From August 8-18, staff, volunteers, and young allies of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Youth Empowerment Initiative participated in the first-ever Nuclear Abolition Immersion trip. Over two weeks, participants took part in many different activities. The 2006 trip began in Livermore, California, with a peace camp and rally on August 6th to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. After leaving Livermore, participants plunged into the belly of the nuclear beast: Los Alamos, New Mexico. In New Mexico, the participants worked with the Los Alamos Study Group to oppose new plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During the trip the participants made meaningful connections with disarmament activists, policy-makers and community members while taking steps toward a nuclear weapons-free world.
NAPF Co-Sponsored Panel With Hans Blix
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has received over 200 entries for the 2006 Swackhamer Peace Essay Contest. The Swackhamer Peace Essay Contest is an annual international high school essay contest answering topical questions related to global peace and security. This year’s topic asked entrants to explain the consequences of the US led war on Iraq. The entrants were also asked to make recommendations on how the US can peacefully prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. We are especially pleased with the quality of the entries. The winners will be announced October 1st.
Foundation Welcomes New Research and Advocacy Director
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, is co-sponsoring a panel at the UN’s 59th Annual DPI/NGO Conference. The conference will gather more than 2,500 attendees from over 90 countries from September 6-8 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The workshop sponsored by the NAPF, “How Does Reducing Weapons of Mass Destruction Contribute to Peacebuilding and Human Security, and What Can Grassroots Efforts Offer?” will feature panelists Hans Blix, Randy Rydell, Masamichi Kamiya, Akira Kawasaki and the new Director of our Washington, DC office, Nickolas Roth. The panel will be on September 7th. For event details, contact the NAPF’s Washington DC office by phone at (202) 543-4100 extension 105 or by email at nroth@napf.org.
Educator's Section
2006 Think Outside the Bomb Conferences
If the generations to come are to be free from the threat of nuclear war, disarmament should begin now – and the next generation of leaders must be the ones to demand it. The Think Outside the Bomb conferences are precisely about cultivating such a critical mass of young leadership.
Stopping the construction of new nuclear power plants, ending the exploitation inherently wrought by the nuclear fuel cycle, and achieving the demilitarization of our schools and communities are all intimately connected with the cause of nuclear disarmament. Nuclear weapons are not created in a vacuum. Nor will they be abolished in one.
In August 2005, some 50 young people from across the United States came together at a conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to form the “Think Outside the Bomb” national network. Now, we are broadening and deepening our efforts by holding three larger regional conferences in different parts of the US. We invite you to join us!
Resources
Weapons of Terror: Freeing the World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms
The Independent Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction, chaired by Dr. Hans Blix, has released a report that addresses the proliferation, existence and use of weapons of mass destruction. The report gives 60 recommendations to reduce the threat that these weapons pose to all people on earth.
Quotable
“We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to humanity and we owe it to our people to see that the [Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty] CTBT comes into force as early as possible.”
Mohamed ElBaredei, IAEA Chief, commenting at a symposium marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Treaty.
“I want to see it happen...a full end-to-end process where we actually put all the pieces together. That just hasn't happened.”
Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense, showing public skepticism of missile defense at Fort Greely, Alaska.
“Unfortunately, after reviewing the Missile Defense Agency's test schedule, we see no evidence of the comprehensive and realistic end-to-end test of the limited missile defense system.”
Ike Skelton, US Representative, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee criticizing promises for a fully-functional missile defense system.
Editorial Team
- Nickolas Roth
- David Krieger
- Andrew Culp