We, the undersigned representatives of nongovernmental organizations around the world, call on the governments of the United States and Russia to forego the fabrication and use of plutonium (mixed oxide) fuel as a means to render surplus weapons plutonium unsuitable and unavailable for reuse in weapons, and demand that they pursue safer and more proliferation-resistant disposition methods.

We acknowledge that each country's declaration of roughly 50 metric tons of plutonium as surplus to military needs is a positive step toward worldwide nuclear disarmament and support the goal of preventing this plutonium from being diverted, stolen, or reused in weapons.

In an attempt to achieve this goal, the US and Russian governments have agreed to a plan to convert most of this plutonium into mixed oxide (MOX) plutonium fuel for use in commercial nuclear power reactors (mainly light water reactors) in both Russia and the United States and possibly Canada or other countries. Russia also plans to use weapons MOX in plutonium breeder reactors, which are capable of producing more plutonium than they consume (though during the life of the program they will operate the reactors in such a way as not to produce more plutonium).

We oppose the MOX plan for the following reasons:

• It would create a proliferation threat particularly while it is being transported to or stored at reactor sites, as the plutonium in fresh MOX fuel can be separated and used for weapons purposes.
• It would establish a MOX infrastructure, thus encouraging reprocessing of plutonium-bearing spent fuel both in the US and Russia. Reprocessing generates vast amounts of high level liquid radioactive waste and increases stockpiles of separated plutonium. (Russia has specifically stated that it would reprocess and re-extract the plutonium at the end of the disposition program.)
• It raises many unresolved technical and safety questions as weapons-grade plutonium has never been used as a fuel in commercial reactors. At minimum, it would complicate safe reactor operation and increase the consequences of a severe nuclear reactor accident.
• It is likely to take longer and cost more to dispose of plutonium using MOX compared to the current alternative, immobilization.
• It would not prevent plutonium from entering the environment. It would merely incorporate it into high-level radioactive waste.
• It would breach the barrier between civil and military nuclear activities and undermine global nonproliferation efforts.

We believe that immobilization is a far better option for plutonium disposition. It involves putting plutonium into a non-weapons usable form by mixing it with other materials and making the resultant waste form proliferation resistant, that is, resistant to theft and re-extraction by non-governmental parties or nuclear-capable states.

Under current US-Russian agreements, only the US will pursue immobilization and just for a portion of its surplus plutonium not deemed suitable for MOX. At this time, Russia is not planning on pursuing this option at all, and must be pressed by the international community to reverse its position.

We believe the full amount of plutonium declared surplus by each country should be immobilized and that research and development for immobilization, along with the necessary funding, should be increased to improve and further develop this technology. In the period before immobilization technologies are available, all plutonium should be stored securely and safely and placed under international safeguards.

Further, we believe that any plutonium disposition program must ensure public access to information including, but not limited to: adequate notification of decision timelines, information on program costs, knowledge of operating records of the various actors involved, detailed data on projected environmental impacts, and reliable data on safety and health risks. The public in the communities most directly affected in both countries should have ample opportunity for meaningful input into the decision-making process, including the right to intervene legally.

In both countries there should be sound independent oversight of the program and all aspects of the program should adhere to all relevant environmental or public process laws.

Therefore, we, as concerned colleagues across the globe who embrace efforts to reduce nuclear arms and safely dispose of surplus weapons plutonium, declare International Nix MOX Action Day, September 28, 2000. We pledge to expand a united international movement that will challenge every effort to develop, encourage, or use MOX fuel as a means of plutonium disposition, will work toward the goal of having all plutonium declared surplus, and vow to continue our efforts to ensure the isolation of plutonium from the environment.

Signed,

USA
Pat Ortmeyer Women's Action for New Directions Cambridge, MA USA	Kathy Crandall Alliance for Nuclear Accountability Washington, DC, USA
Kimberly Roberts Physicians for Social Responsibility Washington, DC USA	Michele Boyd Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Takoma Park, Maryland USA
Tom Clements Nuclear Control Institute Washington, DC USA	Kevin Kamps Nuclear Information & Resource Service Washington, DC USA
Wenonah Hauter Public Citizen Washington, DC USA	Lawrence Turk Greenpeace USA Washington, DC USA
Ellen Thomas Proposition One Committee Washington DC USA	John Loretz International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) Cambridge, MA USA
Linda Gunter Safe Energy Communication Council Washington, DC USA	Larry Leaman-Miller American Friends Service Committee Denver, CO USA
Louis Zeller Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Glendale Springs, NC USA	Mary Olson Nuclear Information Resource Service SE Asheville, North Carolina USA
Harry Rogers Carolina Peace Resource Center Columbia, SC USA	Sara Barczak Georgians for Clean Energy Savannah, GA USA
Glenn Carroll GANE Georgians Against Nuclear Energy Atlanta, GA USA	Terry J. Lodge, lead counsel in Hirt, et al. v. Richardson (anti-Parallex Project litigation) Toledo, OH USA
Bob Darby, Tom Ferguson Food Not Bombs/Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA	Susan Bloomfield Sierra Club Savannah River Group Augusta, GA USA
Ed Arnold PSR Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA	Jen Kato WAND Atlanta Atlanta, GA USA
Bruce K. Gagnon Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space Gainesville, FL USA	Faith Young Energy People Dixon Springs, TN USA
Kevin Petajan West Allis Community Media Center Milwaukee, WI USA	Alyson Ewald Sacred Earth Network Petersham, MA USA
Peg Ryglisyn, Michael Albrizio Connecticut Opposed to Waste Broad Brook, CT USA	Judi Friedman PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy) Canton, CT USA
Nancy Burton Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone Mystic CT USA	Norman Cohen Coalition for Peace and Justice Linwood, NJ USA
Norm Cohen the UNPLUG Salem Campaign Linwood, NJ USA
Fred and Sue Fracke Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power PA, USA	Phil Kaufman Citizens Against Hazardous and Nuclear Waste West Hazleton, PA USA
Scott D. Portzline Three Mile Island Alert Harrisburg PA USA	David N. Pyles New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution Brattleboro, VT USA
Edward Smeloff Pace Energy Project as a signatory to the resolution. White Plains, NY USA	Pamela Slater STAR Foundation (standing for truth about radiation) Scarsdale, NY USA
Deb Katz Citizen's Awareness Network Shelburne Falls, MA USA	Susan Griffin Chenango North South Plymouth, New York USA
Alice Slater Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) New York, NY USA	Terri Maurer-Carter Women's International League for Peace (WILPF) Delaware Member-At-Large, DE USA
Bill Smirnow Nuclear Free New York Huntington, New York USA	Scott Cullen Standing for Truth About Radiation (STAR) East Hampton, NY USA
Kyle Rabin Environmental Advocates Albany, NY USA	Linda R. Safley ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS CENTER Baltimore, MD USA
Kay Cumbow Citizens For Alternatives To Chemical Contamination Lake Station, MI USA	Dale R. Anderson Kalamazoo Area Coalition For Peace & Justice Kalamazoo, MI USA
Alice Hirt Don't Waste Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan USA	Keith Gunter Citizens' Resistance at Fermi Two Monroe, MI USA
Michael J Keegan Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes Monroe, MI USA	Joann Brooks The Holland Peacemakers Holland, Michigan USA
Kay Cumbow Citizens for a Healthy Planet Brown City, MI USA	Robert C. Anderson Peace Video Project Kalamazoo, MI USA
Dave Kraft Nuclear Energy Information Service Evanston, IL USA	Mark Donham, Kristi Hanson RACE, Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists, Southern Illinois, Kentucky , Missouri, Indiana USA
George Crocker North American Water Office Lake Elmo MN USA	Bruce A Drew Prairie Island Coalition Minneapolis MN USA
Lorraine Caputo Crouch WILPF Columbia, Missouri USA	Chuck Broscious Environmental Defense Institute Troy, Idaho USA
Buffalo Bruce Western Nebraska Resources Council, Chadron, Nebraska USA	B.J. Medley ECO Tulsa, Oklahoma USA
LeRoy Moore, Judith Mohling Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center Boulder, CO USA	Jay Coghlan Nuclear Watch of New Mexico. Santa Fe, NM USA
Frank C. Subjeck Air, Water, Earth, Org. Lake Havasu City, Arizona USA	Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa the Nuclear Resister Tucson AZ USA
Owen Berio Dawn Watch Springdale, WA USA	Greg Wingard, Waste Action Project Seattle, WA USA
Lynn Sims Don't Waste Oregon Portland, Oregon USA	Paige Knight HANFORD WATCH Portland, Oregon USA
Bernice Kring Citizens Along the Roads and Tracks (CART) Sacramento, CA USA	Michael Welch Redwood Alliance & REEI Arcata, CA USA
Mary Beth Brangan The Nuclear Democracy Network Bolinas, CA USA	James Heddle The Ecological Options Network Bolinas, CA USA
June Von Ruden San Luis Obispo Mothers For Peace San Luis Obispo, CA USA	Marylia Kelley Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) Livermore, CA USA
Daniel Hirsch Committee to Bridge the Gap Los Angeles, CA USA	Samara Dun JustAct: Youth Action for Global Justice San Francisco, CA USA
Jennifer Olaranna Viereck HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth Tecopa CA USA	Laura Hunter San Diego Environmental Health Coalition San Diego, CA USA
Carol Jahnkow Peace Resource Center of San Diego San Diego, CA USA
RUSSIA
Vladimir Mikheev Citizen Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation, Krasnoyarsk, Russia	Nikolai Zubov Krasnoyarsk branch of the Socio-Ecological Union, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Alexey Yablokov President of Center for Russian Environmental Policy	Vladimir Slivyak ECODEFENSE! Moscow, Russia
Pavel Malyshev ECODEFENSE! Kaliningrad, Russia	Alisa Nikoulina Antinuclear campaign of the Socio-Ecological Union, Moscow, Russia
Galina Ragouzina World Information Service on Energy (WISE) Russian Bureau in Kaliningrad Kaliningrad, Russia	Alexandra Koroleva The Environmental Education Council of Kaliningrad regional Duma Kaliningrad, Russia
Anatoly Korolev Baltic Resource and Information Center Kaliningrad, Russia	Dmitry Kaptsov Green Arrow Sochi, Russia
Mikhail Piskunov Center for Assistance to Citizen Initiatives Dimitrovgrad, Russia	Tatyana Razzhavina Information-Juridical Center Dimitrovgrad, Russia
Tamara Dobretsova In the Name of Life Kostroma, Russia	Alexey Kozlov Anti-nuclear Resistance Voronezh, Russia
Vitaly Kudrin ECODEFENSE! Voronezh, Russia	Anna Shvedova Stop Corporation! Voronezh, Russia
Konstantin Hramenkov Green Arrow Voronezh, Russia	Alexey Leschev Environment program of the Center for Citizen Initiatives Development Voronezh, Russia
Olga Razbash Environmental and Human Rights Moscow, Russia	Ashat Kayumov Socio-Ecological Union/Dront Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Sergey Paschenko Siberian Scientists for Global Responsibility Novosibirsk, Russia	Ekaterina Ahmadeeva Ecofront Chelyabinsk, Russia
CANADA
Irene Kock, David H. Martin Nuclear Awareness Project Uxbridge, Ontario Canada	Kristen Ostling Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Norman Rubin Energy Probe Toronto, Ontario Canada	Ross Clark Ontario Greens
Theresa McClenaghan Canadian Environmental Law Association Toronto, Ontario Canada	Dr. Rosalie Bertell, International Institute of Concern for Public Health West Toronto Ontario Canada
Anne Adelson Canadian Voice of Women for Peace Toronto, Ontario Canada	Brian Bedford OPIRG-Guelph Ontario Public Interest Research Group Guelph, Ontario Canada
Chris Michener Pembroke Area Field Naturalists Golden Lake, Ontario Canada	Ole Hendrickson Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area Pembroke, Ontario Canada
Citizens' Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario Windsor, Ontario Canada	Mike Buckthought OPIRG-Carleton Ontario Canada
Walter Robbins Campaign STOP (Stop Trafficking of Plutonium) Kingston, Ontario Canada	Clearinghouse Group Glassville, NB, Canada
Bill Adamson Inter-Church Uranium Committee, Saskatoon, Sask. Canada	Anne Williams Lethbridge Network for Peace Lethbridge, Alberta Canada
Jeanette Liberty-Duns Project Ploughshares Saskatoon Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada	Shannon Croutch, Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) Saskatoon, SK Canada
Patrick Rasmussen Mouvement Vert Mauricie St. Matthieu du Parc QuÊbec Canada	Dr. Gordon Edwards Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility Montreal QC Canada
Jacques Boucher Disarmament and Peace Concerns Centre de ressources sur la non-violence Montréal, Québec, Canada	Enviro-Clare, Nova Scotia, Canada
Concerned Citizens of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada	Liz Armstrong Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition Erin ON Canada

Peter Tabuns
Greenpeace Canada
Toronto, Ontario

MEXICO
Luis Gutierrez-Esparza Latin American Circle for International Studies Mexico City Mexico
EUROPE
Olov Wikstrom The Waste Net, Skelleftea, Sweden	Ingrid Bildstrom Avfallskedjan Fransta, Sweden
Jorma Kahanpaa Swedish Anti Nuclear Movement	Marc FAIVET collectif STOP MêLOX et MOX
Solange Fernex WILPF France Paris, France	Philippe BROUSSE Rouseau "Sortir du nuclaire" (Network of more than 500 groups and associations) LYON - FRANCE
Bruna Nota Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Geneva, Switzerland	Dr. Arthur Muhl President, Swiss affiliate of IPPNW
Claus Biegert Nuclear-Free Future Award Munich, Germany	Claudia Baitinger In der Furge DORSTEN - Germany
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, WILPF, German section (Internationale Frauenliga für Frieden und Freiheit) München Germany	Bernd Bennecke Basis-Gruen Luebeck, Germany
Bernd Frieboese BARSEBÄCKSOFFENSIV Berlin, Germany	Ludger Klein-Ridder Umwelt-AG der Anne-Frank-Gesamtschule in Gütersloh Gütersloh, Deutschland
Birgitta Möller Miljöpartiet de Gröna i Helsingborg	Dachverband der Oberpfälzer Bürgerinitiativen gegen Atomanlagen e.V. Schwandorf
Margaaret Turner UK Section of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom	Antonina Galkina Spilni Dii Nikolaev, Ukraine
Hakob Sanasaryan President of Greens' Union of Armenia Yerevan, Republic of Armenia	Alexandr Ivanchik Dolgozhitel Chernigov, Ukraine
Viktoria Tkach Int'l Black Sea Network Nikolaev, Ukraine	Tatyana Elunina Step to Understanding Odessa, Ukraine
Alexandra Tolstyh Zeleny Svit Nikolaev, Ukraine	Ivan Sitnikov Invalids of Chernobyl Nikolaev, Ukraine
Sergey Shapovalov Institute of Ecology Nikolaev, Ukraine	Oleg Derkach National Environmental Center of Ukraine Nikolaev, Ukraine
Alexandr Kashtalyan Center for Wildlife Protection Minsk, Belorussia	Thomas Nilsen The Bellona Foundation Norway
JAPAN
Yumi Kikuchi Monkey Bay Wildlife Fund Japan	Hideyuki Ban Citizens' Nuclear Information Center Tokyo, JAPAN
Satomi Oba Director of Plutoium Action Hiroshima Hiroshima City, Japan
AUSTRALIA
Irene Gale AM Australian Peace Committee (SA Branch)Inc. Adelaide SA Australia	Jo Valentine People for Nuclear Disarmament Perth, Western Australia
Jo Valentine Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia Perth, Western Australia