SUBCRITICAL NUCLEAR TEST

SUBCRITICAL NUCLEAR TESTING: THE NUCLEAR TEST YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE NOT HAVING A NUCLEAR TEST

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH PRESS RELEASE

The United States Department of Energy conducted a "subcritical" nuclear test at the U1A test complex in Nevada on December 9, 1998.

Subcritical nuclear tests are a nuclear test that you have when you're not having a nuclear test. They do not culminate in a full- scale nuclear explosion, and are used in order to model the very early stages of one.

US NGO's have protested subcritical nuclear testing strongly. A letter written by Friends of the earth Australia, to Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin on 29/8/98, attracted 94 signatures from NGO's worldwide.

The US DOE says that subcritical nuclear tests are within the letter of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans explosive nuclear tests. It says the tests are required "to ensure the safety and reliability of the US nuclear stockpile without nuclear testing".

Antinuclear groups in the US and elsewhere argue that subcritical nuclear tests are not necessary for safety and that they allow the further development and optimisation of weapons design, by investigating the early stages of a full -scale nuclear explosion. Even the US- DOE press release states that: "The experiment will address physics to be used in modelling the nuclear explosion process in simulation codes".

A recent resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly, (Resolution L48) on which Australia abstained, "Calls upon the Nuclear Weapons States to demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to the speedy and total elimination of their respective nuclear weapons, and without delay to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to the elimination of these weapons, thereby fulfilling their obligations under article VI of the Treaty on the Non proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)."

The Nuclear Weapons states are already legally obligated to do as the resolution says. Subcritical nuclear testing, simply because it presumes that nuclear weapons will be with us for an indefinite future, violates this obligation.

The Australian government should condemn this violation of the spirit and intent if not the letter, of the NPT and the CTBT.

DOE to Conduct Fifth Subcritical Experiment

DOE PRESS RELEASE

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will conduct its fifth subcritical experiment in Nevada on December 9. Subcritical experiments produce essential scientific data and technical information to support DOEs Stockpile Stewardship Program to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing. The experiments are called Subcritical because no critical mass is formed, no self sustaining nuclear reaction can occur and therefore no nuclear explosion can result. The experiments are fully consistant with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

The experiment will address physics to be used in modeling the nuclear explosion process in simulation codes. The experiment consists of a set of experimental packages to measure early time dynamic behavior of special nuclear material. (SNM)

Two identical experimental assemblies will be fielded with different diagnostics suites, that will measure the properties of plutonium. Each assembly will be composed of SNM and high explosives.

The experiment will be conducted at the Nevada Test Site's U1A complex, 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The U1a Complex is an underground laboratory of horizontal tunnels about one half mile in length mined at the base of a vertical shaft, approximately 960 feet beneath the surface, designed to contain these experiments in a safe and secure environment.

DEC. 10 FRIENDS OF THE EARTH PRESS RELEASE

Both Russia and the US have conducted 'subcritical' nuclear tests in the last two days. A 'subcritical' nuclear test is a nuclear test that stops just milliseconds short of a full chain reaction, allowing detailed investigation into the critical first stages of a nuclear explosion. The US nuclear test was conducted at the U1A facility in Nevada, while the Russian test was conducted at its arctic Novaya Zemlaya test site.

The US test was met with a prayer circle and nonviolent direct action at the Nevada Test Site, and another nonviolent direct action in front of the San Francisco offices of test site operator Bechtel Corporation. Protests were also held in Las Vegas and New Mexico.

According to an ITAR-TASS press release, the Russian subcritical test was carried out on Tuesday at the Novaya Zemlaya test site. At least one more test is scheduled for the end of the year, but Russian nuclear energy minister Mikhailov has refused to name a date, citing 'nuclear traditions'.

Both US nuclear tests and Russian nuclear tests take place on the land of displaced indigenous peoples.

By allowing the modelling of the first stages of a full-scale nuclear explosion, subcritical nuclear tests, in conjunction with supercomputer facilities, perform a critical function in the design and optimisation of new generations of nuclear weapons, and the improvement of existing warheads. Both Russia and the US argue that these tests are required for safety reasons, but this is not the case.

The performance of these tests by the US and Russia, together with their recent efforts to prevent the new agenda resolution from being adopted by the UN, demonstrates clearly that neither is serious about their legal obligation under the NPT, unanimously reaffirmed by the international Court of Justice in its 1996 advisory opinion, to get rid of all their nuclear weapons.

Australia was swift to condemn recent full-scale nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. It has been swift to condemn tests by France and China. These tests are as dangerous to international security. We fail in our international duty if we do not condemn these tests also.
Contact: John Hallam, (02)9283-2006 H(02)9810-2598.