Japan calls for dedicated military bases to secure reactors

Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for the creation of a
specialized Japanese nuclear security force to secure Japan’s nuclear
plants against military attack. The governor of Fukui, which hosts
Japan’s largest number of reactors, went further: He requested Japan’s
defense ministry build dedicated military bases to halt such attacks.
What’s stunning is how sharply Japan’s response to Russia’s attacks
contrasted with Washington’s. Victor Gilinsky and I spotlighted this in
the attached The National Interest piece, “Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Spotlights the Dangers of Nuclear Reactors in War.” In it, we note how
our Energy Department has been more intent in reassuring Americans about
how little radiation was released from the plants in Ukraine than in
clarifying what their military vulnerabilities are. As we explain, this
penchant for downplaying the military vulnerabilities of nuclear facilities
is as old as commercial nuclear power in the United States. The department,
in fact, is still keen to export reactors to Jordan, Romania, Poland, the
Czech Republic, and — until last month — Ukraine. If we are serious
about nuclear security, this has got to change. At a minimum, Congress
should follow Japan’s lead and ask the Pentagon to clarify what the
military vulnerabilities of civil nuclear plants are and identify what, if
anything, can be done to reduce them. Meanwhile, instead of pushing reactor
exports to potential war zones, our government and others should tap the
brakes.

NPEC 17th March 2022 

https://npolicy.org/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-spotlights-the-dangers-of-nuclear-reactors-in-war-the-national-interest/