N-Base Briefing 483
28th January 2006
ISSN 1478-4661
Energy review launched
The long-awaited UK energy review was formally launched this week. The
three-month consultation was launched by the Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry Alan Johnson. He said no decisions had been taken on new
nuclear reactors but "the door was ajar". The full consultation
document is available here: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review
Fast tracking
The nuclear industry continues to push the Government hard for the
licensing and planning changes it feels are necessary if new reactors are
to be built. A British Nuclear Fuels report obtained under Freedom of
Information argues for pre-licensing of reactors before any site is
selected and for public inquiries to be limited to discussing purely local
issues. All safety, security and environmental issues would be decided
beforehand. Without these changes, the BNFL report warns, it could take
10-16 years before any new reactor was built.
CORWM comments
The comments by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CORWM) is a
draft report that were highlighted in last week's N-Base Briefing have
received widespread publicity and fuelled the debate on the Government's
energy review and the possibility of new nuclear reactors. In its draft
report, due to be completed this summer, CORWM comments that its
recommendations will not "solve" the waste problem – "Having
a strategy is a start. The real challenge follows."
Safety report
As part of the energy review the Government has asked the Health and Safety
Executive to report on health and safety issues relating to the various
energy sources and technologies. In particular the HSE's Nuclear
Installations Inspectorate will consider "the potential role of pre-
licensing assessments" of new nuclear reactors. Pre-licensing of
reactor designs, rather than licensing of individual projects, before any
site is selected is seen by the industry as a vital piece of the jigsaw for
clearing the path for new reactors to be built.
BBC poll
A BBC website poll finished with 28 per cent voting in favour of nuclear
power and 72 per cent against.
Waste checks ordered...
The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has ordered improved checks at
Dounreay on the containers that waste drums are stored inside. Low level
waste is kept in stainless steel drums that are super-compacted before put
into shipping containers that are currently stored in a former hanger.
The NII is concerned about corrosion on the containers.
...drum holed
An investigation has begun after a hole was found in a 20-year-old
stainless steel waste drum. Waste from the fast reactor programme was
placed into the double-wrapped and double-skinned drum in 1985.
Cell clean-up
Work has started cleaning up the spillage that closed the waste cementation
plant in September. The spillage occurred when liquid waste was poured
onto a drum that still had its lid attached. The initial clean-up work has
been to decontaminate another waste drum that was adjacent to the incident.
Two contaminated
Two people working on a former fuel pond at Dounreay were found to have
contamination on their protective clothing this week. One of the men also
had slight contamination on his chin that was cleaned by occupational
health staff.
No worries
Officials from Electricite de France attended a public meeting in Jersey
this week to try and reassure islanders about the safety of a proposed new
reactor at Flamanville, 30 miles from the island. The officials said that
in the worst case leak radioactivity could not spread beyond a radius of
five to 10 kilometres from the plant.
New CORWM reports
The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management has published a series of
reports and briefing papers on its web site – www.corwm.org.uk
Drigg information
British Nuclear Fuels has submitted additional information in the hope of
overturning the decision of Cumbria Country councillors to reject an
application for the temporary storage of extra waste at the Drigg waste
facility. Because the decision to reject the planning application went
against the recommendation of officials, members have to vote a second time
on the proposal. This vote is on Monday.
Wyfla extension
The economic development minister, Andrew Davies, has told the Welsh
Assembly that ministers have asked whether the lifespan of the Wyfla power
station on Anglesey could be extended. At present Wyfla is due to close in
2010.
Top 100
Nuclear generator British Energy has joined the top 100 companies on the
Financial Times Stock Exchange. A company spokesman said rising energy
prices had increase BE's share value and restored investor confidence.
Decommissioning warning
A former director of Sellafield has warned that privatising the work to
decommission the UK's civil nuclear sites could threaten safety. Mr Brian
Watson, who retired from Sellafield in 2004, said it was "government
dogma" that was driving the move to private commercial companies
running the decommissioning work.
Radiation conference
The 21st Low Level Radiation and Health Conference will be held in Ontario,
Canada, in August. The theme of the conference will be the lessons before
and since Chernobyl. Details from mothers@mcmaster.ca
Toshiba preferred
The Toshiba Corporation has been selected by British Nuclear Fuels as the
preferred bidder to buy its Westinghouse subsidiary.
Historic waste
British Nuclear Fuels says it has finished the clean-up of historic medium
active concentrate waste (MAC) from the reprocessing of Magnox fuel.
© Copyright N-Base/NENIG