Comprehensive Social Impact Assessment of MOX Use in Light Water Reactors; Final Report of the International MOX Assessment

[2], xvi, 335, [1] pages. Tables. Figures. Acronyms, References. Ink notations and institutional stamp inside the front cover. Having been long involved in issues of Japanese and worldwide civil plutonium programs -- sharing worldwide concerns over safety, security, economics and social aspects of plutonium utilization--the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center felt it urgent to conduct an independent full scale impact assessment of MOX (mixed oxide of uranium and plutonium) use in light water reactors and applied for research grant of the Toyota Foundation in 1995. As the proposal was approved by Toyota, the International MOX Assessment (IMA) Project --was started in November 1995 as a two year project until the end of October 1997. The full title of the project is Comprehensive Social Impact Assessment of MOX (uranium-plutonium mixed oxide) Use in Light Water Reactors. It was a long wait, but worth it. The report is comprehensive and detailed (especially chapter 2 on security aspects and 4 on Economics of MOX use). It is a very useful reference and necessary reading for those already working on the issue, who can best understand the technical language and appreciate the detailed information. The report was written as a challenge to the nuclear industry and the (Japanese) authorities to change their policy. Which countries are meant and the current policy on MOX-use, however cannot be easily found in the report. The IMA Project chose to focus almost entirely on Japan. Reviewers concluded that the report was a good reference for assessing MOX The IMA was formed by nine researchers: Frank Barnaby (consultant), Ichiro Hokimoto (Kokugakuin University), Komei Hosokawa (Saga University), Chihiro Kamisawa (CNIC), Baku Nishio (CNIC), Michael Sailer (Oeko-Institute), Mycle Schneider (WISE-Paris) and Jinzaburo Tagaki (CNIC).…