N-Base Briefing 314

N-Base Briefing 314 9th February 2002

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EU reactor to shutdown

The Dutch environment minister and the European Commission have both asked for the Petten research reactor, north of Amsterdam, to be closed. The reactor is owned by the European Union and operated by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG. The requests for the reactor's closure came after it emerged that a crack in the pressure vessel, which had been present since the facility was built in 1984, might have widen. The operators kept the reactor operating last week because they said it was needed to produce material for cancer treatment, but the reactor was expected to begin shutdown this weekend for more detailed inspection.

Fire in Japan

Two workers were reported to have receive minor burns and exposure to a small level of radiation after a fire at the Onagawa nuclear power station 70 miles north-east of Tokyo on Saturday.

Strontium recovered

Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Georgian radiation protection authority lave recovered the generator boxes containing strontium-90 which had been found late last year by two men.

Low-level radiation dangers

A report published in the journal Science has suggested that low-levels of radiation increases mutations in humans. The study by scientists in Kazakhstan looked at the effects of Soviet nuclear testing on 40 families living downwind of the test sites. The findings differ from studies of survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs which did not find these effects.

Company packs up

The company which proposed building a repository in Australia for nuclear waste from international customers has collapsed. Pangea Resources had proposed building a repository in Australia and importing waste from around the world. The idea met widespread opposition in the country when it was introduced a few years ago. Pangea was a joint company in which British Nuclear Fuels was the main shareholder. Also involved was Enterra Holdings.

OSPAR meeting

A meeting of the OSPAR radioactive substances committee took place in Hamburg at the end of January where it was agreed there would be an evaluation in October of national strategies to see if they met OSPAR requirements to reduce discharges.