N-BASE BRIEFING 115  - - - - - - 28th January 1998

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115.1 Dounreay 'bigger threat than BSE' says farmer
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Concern about the implication of Dounreay's activities and the 
widespread contamination now being unveiled on the 
agricultural industry have been expressed by a number of 
members of the local Caithness section of the Scottish 
National Farmers Union.  In the past the local farmers' 
union has objected to plans for a national nuclear dump 
and a major new reprocessing plant at Dounreay while, in 
general, supporting the nuclear industry in the area.


However, at a recent meeting several farmers spoke out against 
the industry, although no formal decision were taken.  Mr 
John Mackay, Strath Farm, Watten, said the Dounreay 
operators, the  UKAEA, had "told lies" to cover-up what 
had been happening on the site.  "We just get a lot of 
whitewash from them.  We go on about BSE but I think we 
have got a far worse thing sitting out there."  Another 
Watten farmer, Mr Willie Sinclair,  said he was concerned 
at privatisation at the plant and the threat to safety in 
the drive for profits.


UKAEA's response to the farmers' debate has been to invite 
member to Dounreay for a meeting.


115.2 News in Brief
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High-level waste ship's canal plans raise a storm

There is increasing opposition to the third shipment of 
vitrified high-level reprocessing wastes which is 
presently en route from France to Japan.  The 
British-owned Pacific Swan left Cherbourg on Wednesday 
21st January and is expected in the Caribbean with its 30 
tonnes of nuclear waste in about two weeks.  Five Democrat 
Representatives from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, the Virgin 
Islands and American Samoa called on the Clinton 
Administration to stop the shipment through the Panama 
Canal until all safety and security concerns are answered. 
 The Representatives said they especially objected to the 
use of the canal: "We regard the canal as an unacceptable 
route and urge you to strongly oppose its use for 
shipments of vitrified high level wastes."   The two 
previous shipments from Europe to Japan have either gone 
round Africa or Cape Horn - raising protests from states 
along both routes.   The Prime Ministers of the Caribbean 
Island States have protested about the shipment through 
their waters and the Bahamas government "categorically and 
unconditionally opposes and condemns" the shipment.


Submarines admission

The UK government has admitted that workers on maintaining the 
country's fleet of nuclear submarines have been exposed to 
high levels of radiation.  This follows a long campaign by 
former workers at both the Chatham and Rosyth dockyards 
that their health had suffered from exposure to radiation. 
  Defence minister Mr John Spillar has now said the 
government accepts "that some individuals who worked in 
nuclear dockyards had levels of radiation that were high 
and have acquired cancers which could possibly be due to 
radiation."


AEAT deal

AEA Technology, the privatised part of the UKAEA, has sold its 
information technology business to Integris for GBP35 
million.


Radioactive metal

Concern has been expressed in the House of Commons by Liberal 
Democrat MPs about the recycling of radioactive metal from 
decommissioned nuclear plant for use in consumer goods.  
British Nuclear Fuels has sold about 7,000 tonnes of 
decontaminated radioactive metal from the Capenhurst site. 
 The metal, which remains mildly radioactive after 
decontamination, is used in the production of cars, 
windows and a wide variety of consumer goods, including 
kitchen equipment such as pans.  BNFL claim the recycled 
metal cannot find its way into can for food.