風知草：プルトニウムの反乱＝山田孝男

この技術開発はイギリスでも日本でも見通しが立っていない。
出来ないことを、素直に出来ないと認める勇気だって必要なのです。
規模を縮小して大学の研究機関あたりにダメ元で委託したらどうでしょうか。
（スラチャイ）

(Mainichi Japan) December 5, 2011
Plutonium brings no real chance of prosperity
風知草：プルトニウムの反乱＝山田孝男

Some readers appear to wonder why I recently write only about nuclear power generation in this column. I do so because I believe that it is a crucial issue that will determine the fate of Japan as well as the whole world.
　なんで原発のことばかり書くのかと心配してくださる向きもあるが、これからの日本と世界を左右する決定的なテーマだと思うからである。

There have recently been various news reports that offer valuable insight into the future of nuclear power generation.
　原発の今後を考えるうえで示唆に富む報道が続いている。

The Dec. 2 morning edition of the Mainichi Shimbun ran an article reporting that in 2002, the then administrative vice minister of economy, trade and industry and the chairman and president of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) were nearing an agreement to withdraw from a nuclear fuel recycling project.
本紙（２日朝刊）によれば、０２年、当時の経済産業省事務次官と東京電力の会長・社長が、「核燃料再処理事業から撤退」で合意に近づいていた。

Nuclear fuel recycling refers to a process of treating spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power stations with chemicals and extracting reusable uranium and plutonium from it.
　核燃料再処理とは、原発から出る使用済み燃料に化学処理を施し、再利用可能なウランやプルトニウムを取り出すことをいう。これがうまくいかない。

This project has so far been unsuccessful and there are no prospects that the project will work.
うまくいく見通しもない。

It was only natural that the government regulator and the power supplier were negotiating a withdrawal from the project.
撤退協議は自然だった。

The negotiations came to nothing after top executives of TEPCO were forced to resign over the utility's cover-up of a series of technical problems. Nevertheless, the Mainichi report indicates that a change in Japan's nuclear power policy is not a pipe dream.
結局、立ち消えになった（＝東電のトラブル隠し発覚で首脳陣が交代し、途絶）とはいえ、この逸話は、原発政策転換が夢物語ではないことを示している。

Furthermore, the Mainichi evening edition of the same day (the morning edition the following day in some areas) reported that the United Kingdom is planning to dispose of some of its surplus plutonium, which it had accumulated as a result of nuclear fuel reprocessing, in an underground repository. This news is of greater significance.
　同じ日の本紙夕刊（統合版地域は３日朝刊）に、イギリスが核燃料再処理で蓄積したプルトニウムをもてあまし、一部を地下処分場に捨てる予定だという記事が出ていた。このニュースはさらに重要だ。

Plutonium is generated as a result of burning uranium in nuclear reactors.
　プルトニウムは原子炉のウラン燃焼過程で生まれる。

One gram of the substance has energy equal to that in 1 kiloliter of oil.
１グラムに石油１キロリットル分のエネルギーを秘める。

It can be used as a material for both atomic bombs and fuel for nuclear reactors.
The U.K. has steadily accumulated plutonium, but failed to develop fast-breeder nuclear reactors, which had been viewed as the core of the peaceful use of such a substance.
原爆の材料にも、原発の燃料にもなる。イギリスはせっせと蓄えてきたが、平和利用の柱と目されていた高速増殖炉の開発に失敗した。

The U.K. then attempted to develop technology for the use of plutonium-uranium MOX fuel in thermal reactors at nuclear power stations, a project known in Japan as "pluthermal." However, the country has been unsuccessful in producing such fuel. The same is true with Japan.
　そこでＭＯＸ（ウラン・プルトニウム混合酸化物）燃料にして原発で燃やすプルサーマル発電をめざしたが、ＭＯＸがつくれない（日本も同じ。

Areva SA, a nuclear technology company in France, is now manufacturing plutonium-uranium MOX fuel, but questions remain as to its quality.
現在、仏アレバ社だけが生産しているが、品質の評価は定まらない）。

The U.K. ended up being the world's largest holder of surplus plutonium.
そうこうするうちに、イギリスは世界最大の「余剰（＝利用先のない）プルトニウム」保有国になってしまった。

The U.K. faced a major challenge in dealing with a massive amount of plutonium, which needs to be stored safely. 　イギリスは困った。プルトニウムは厳重に保管しなければならない。

The storage of plutonium costs a huge amount of money, but the U.K. can no longer afford to pay for this.
カネがかかるが、カネはない。

The U.K. needs to prevent such a substance from falling into the hands of terrorists.
とはいえ、ズサン管理でテロリストの手に渡ったら困る。

The country has consequently decided to bury part of its plutonium in an underground repository that is scheduled to begin operations in 2040.
そこで一部を、２０４０年操業開始予定の地下処分場に埋めることにした。

Even if the U.K. says it will bury only "part" of its surplus plutonium, its amount is enough to produce hundreds of atomic bombs.
　一部といっても、原爆を数十発から数百発つくれる量だ。

The amount of surplus plutonium that needs to be buried could increase as there is no prospect that the U.K. will be successful in developing technology to use plutonium-uranium MOX fuel in thermal reactors.
ＭＯＸ開発は引き続きイバラの道だから、埋める量が増える可能性がある。

Moreover, the U.K. will abandon its project to reprocess spent nuclear fuel over the next decade.
しかもイギリスは今後１０年かけ、核燃料の再処理をやめる。

Behind the decision is the growing awareness that plutonium offers no positives, while also being a terrible nuisance.
この政策の背景には、もはやプルトニウムは希望ではなく、厄介者だという根本的な認識の変化がある。

This is the essence of the story written by Haruyuki Aikawa, a Mainichi correspondent in London.
これが、ロンドンから届いた会川晴之記者の特報のミソだ。

The U.K. has already abandoned developing fast-breeder nuclear reactors, and is set to give up nuclear fuel reprocessing as well.
　イギリスは高速増殖炉開発を既にやめ、核燃料再処理もやめる。

Moreover, its planned construction of a facility to dispose of radioactive waste including plutonium is likely to materialize even though it is still at a planning phase.
計画段階とはいえ、プルトニウムを含む核廃棄物の処分場のメドもついた。

In contrast, there are no prospects that Japan can build a disposal facility.
　日本は処分場建設の見込みが立たない。

However, for Japan to call for operations at the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor in Fukui Prefecture and the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the Aomori Prefecture village of Rokkasho to be carried out as planned, would be like putting the cart before the horse as it appears the country is incapable of building a disposal facility.
だが、だから、もんじゅや核燃料再処理工場（青森県六ケ所村）を動かせというのは本末転倒だ。

Plutonium is directly related to security issues.
　プルトニウムは安全保障にも直結する。

The U.K. possesses nuclear weapons but Japan does not. One may wonder whether Japan's independence will be threatened if it abandons nuclear fuel recycling and loses its ability to produce plutonium.
イギリスは核保有国だが、日本の場合、プルトニウムから離れて潜在能力を失えば、独立を脅かされないか。

Even though it is an important point of contention the issue should not be used as a reason to underestimate the harm of plutonium.
重要な論点だが、これさえ、プルトニウムの害毒を軽視する理由にはならないと思う。

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano who is in charge of energy policy, Goshi Hosono, state minister for handling the nuclear crisis, and Yoshito Sengoku, second-in-command in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's Policy Research Committee, have been hearing the views of experts on the issue.
　これらの問題について、エネルギー担当閣僚である枝野幸男経産相、細野豪志原発事故担当相や、仙谷由人・民主党政調会長代行らが、専門家から意見聴取を続けている。

It is not enough for the government to talk only about the dream of "prosperity" built on dependence on nuclear power. Japan's ability to overcome the mess that follows such prosperity is now being tested.
　国内はもちろん、対外交渉においても、原発依存の繁栄の夢を説くだけでなく、繁栄の後始末を引き受け、乗り越える覚悟が問われている。

(By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer)
（毎週月曜日掲載）
毎日新聞　2011年12月5日　東京朝刊