WHO NEEDS 'EM?:

Decision on nuclear fusion site put off (The Japan Times, Dec. 22, 2003)

Six parties involved in a $12 billion, 30-year energy project failed Saturday to reach an accord on the venue for the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor due to a sharp division over the two rival sites in Japan and France.

Representatives from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the United States and the European Union instead agreed to work out a compromise by the end of January and try to hold a fence-mending meeting in early February. [...]

Japan has proposed hosting the project in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, while the EU has selected the southern French town of Cadarache as its candidate.

Announcing the joint communique, Werner Burkart, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said, "I hope that a few months from now there will be the final decision on the implementation of ITER."

Burkart said the venue for the February meeting will be determined by the six parties, but he signaled the IAEA's readiness to host the meeting in Vienna, where the agency's headquarters is located.

The IAEA participated in the meeting as a facilitator.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, who represented Japan at the meeting, said, "The six parties were divided into equal halves."

While avoiding citing specific countries, Hosoda, who was formerly state minister in charge of science and technology, said two supported Japan and two threw their support behind the EU bid.

According to conference participants, South Korea and the U.S. expressed support for Japan's bid, while China and Russia rallied behind France.

Why not just cut the French, Chinese and Russians out of the deal?

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 21, 2003 6:17 PM