Processing of Spent Fuel

Japan has an enormous stockpile of spent fuel at approximately 24,000 canisters of vitrified waste. The AEC in Japan is pursuing a goal of reprocessing spent fuel domestically which includes using newer, but more dangerous FastBreeder Reactors (FBR) which can produce more fuel that they consume by transforming Uranium 238 into Plutonium 239 which can then be used by more traditional reactors in Japan.

Japan has been trying to implement a reprocessing regime since 1956 but as to date has only been able to process 5 tons of fuel, which is a tiny proportion of the stockpile amassed. The fact that a programme started 50 years ago has failed to yield any significant results shows the state of disarray that exists in the reprocessing industry within Japan.

Rokkasho Reprocssing Plant

Rather than agreeing to process spent fuel offshore, the policy to reprocess all spent fuel within Japan is putting all Japanese residents at risk. Because of the inability to reprocess fuel to date, stockpiles of spent fuel rods have been amassed onsite at power plants. As shown by the Fukushima incident, this is a real danger to Japan and is a further reason as to why fission based energy production is not sustainable for Japan.

Conclusion

Based on the entries above I propose that the 50 reactors in Japan should remain shut down indefinitely.

Nuclear energy is not a sustainable solution for Japan. 
As I have stated, Japan sits over a very active fault system which has already caused multiple incidents to occur. Furthermore waste and spent fuel are not being dealt with by the government or power companies. There are massive stockpiles of spent fuel being stored on site at reactors all over Japan. The risk involved is far too great to be overlooked any further.

References

About.Com Chemistry (n.d.). Vitrification Definition. Retrieved September 18, 2013 from http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/vitrificationde.htm

Dvorak, P., & Hayashi, Y. (2011). Lawmaker Broached Plant Risk. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703576204576226530875684182.html

Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) (n.d.). Fast Breeder Reactor. Retrieved September 18, 2013 from http://www.jaea.go.jp/jnc/jncweb/02r-d/fast.html

Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) (n.d.). The Mission. Retrieved September 18, 2013 from http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/about/index_e.htm

Katsuta, T., & Suzuki, T. (2011). Japan's spent fuel and plutonium management challenge. Retrieved September 18, 2013 from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421509003875

Kreiser, L., & Sterling, Y. A., & Herrera, P., & Milne, J. E., & Ashiabor, H. (2012) Green Taxation and Environmental Sustainability. [e-book]. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=lA_8R8HxcIgC&lpg=PA197&ots=AywiukUMNO&dq=nuclear%20waste%20in%20japan%20aomori&lr&pg=PA203#v=onepage&q&f=false

PreventionWeb. (n.d.). Japan: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/tags/index.php/pw:jpnnuclear2011/Japan:%20Fukushima%20Daiichi%20nuclear%20disaster%202011/

Radio Australia (2012). Dangerous Japanese fault line re-activated. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-02-15/346343

Rocky Mountain Institute (n.d.). Learning from Japan’s Nuclear Disaster. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://blog.rmi.org/LearningFromJapansNuclearDisaster

School of Electrical Engineering Alfvén Laboratory. (n.d.). Hannes Alfven (1908 – 1995). Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://www.alfvenlab.kth.se/hannes.html

Sovacool, B. K. (2010). A Critical Evaluation of Nuclear Power and Renewable Electricity in Asia. Journal of Contemporary Asia, Volume 40(Issue 3), Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00472331003798350#.UkI9bhDdssG

The Japan Times (2013). Tons of caesium-tainted wood chips found near Japan’s biggest lake. Retrieved September 11, 2013, from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/18/national/tons-of-cesium-tainted-wood-chips-found-near-japans-biggest-lake/#.UkI4QoZpmsy

The United Nations. (n.d.). The United Nations and Chernobyl. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://chernobyl.undp.org/english/

World Nuclear Association (2012). Nuclear Power Plants and Earthquakes. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Nuclear-Power-Plants-and-Earthquakes/#.UkFbzhDdssE

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Seismic Activity and Tsunami Zone

Even with all of this activity when Hidakatsu Yoshii wentbefore parliament in 2006 to express his concern that a “natural disaster could wipe out a nuclear reactor's backup systems” Yoshinobu Terasaka, head of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, replied that the plants were so well designed that "such a situation is practically impossible". This shows the mind set of pro-nuclear law makers in Japan. After violent quakes in 2004 and 2005 it was still not enough to urge the reconsideration that it is plainly not safe to operate nuclear reactors in Japan.

Following the 2000 quake a full review of the country’s seismic guidelines were ordered. But considering the age of existing plans designed to conform to more lenient standards, they are like ticking time bombs waiting to release toxic material into the atmosphere.