N-BASE BRIEFING 157 - 22nd November 1998
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157.1 New contamination greet Minister
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The news that divers had found a further 89 radioactive 'hotspots'
in the seabed off Dounreay, including one found 1km from the
plant - bringing the 'hotspots' discovered to date up to nearly
300 - came on Tuesday, the day before Department of Trade
and Industry Minister John Battle visited the site. Details
of the findings of the diving survey over the summer were
given to the Dounreay Local liaison Committee by Dounreay
management. Environmental programme manager Mr John Simson
said it seemed to indicate there was "a sizeable population of
particles" offshore. It is thought the particles were
originally discharged through the diffuser at the end
of the site's pipeline. There was known to be problems
with the diffuser and both it and the pipeline were replaced
in the early 1990s.
Industry minister Mr Battle was at Dounreay to present an
industrial safety award - and during the visit he said the
government has not yet decided whether it will finance the
repairs and improvements required by regulators before any
reprocessing work at the site cane begin. Mr Battle said the
money would be found to pay for the safety improvements at the
site - but no decision had been taken on the while issue of
whether to re-start reprocessing or not. The safety inspectors
listed 143 recommendations and Dounreay is preparing costs
to meet these before presenting the figures to government.
157.2 Radioactive peat
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The peaty soil of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is
more likely to retain radioactive contamination than other
soils according to a new study by the Institute of Terrestrial
Ecology. This means more radioactivity from nuclear tests and
Chernobyl would have been retained in the soil and the area is
at greatest risk in Europe from future nuclear accident. Any
aerial discharges or marine pollution blown inland would
also be more likely to be retained in the peat which is found
in the north of Scotland.
The institute is conducting tests into long-term contamination
for the European Union and the UK Government. Peat is less
able to break up radioactive contamination, is more likely to
absorb and retain the contamination and eventually pass it on
to sheep, deer, cattle or grouse.
157.3 News in Brief
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Vulcan designed for earthquakes
The refurbished pressurised water reactor at HMS Vulcan -
the Ministry of Defence facility next to Dounreay- is being
build to withstand the worst earthquake the area is likely to
face in 10,000 years according to the operators, Rolls Royce .
HMS Vulcan is used to develop and test reactors for the UK's
fleet of nuclear submarines. New fuel for the reactor is due
to be loaded next year and the reactor is scheduled to start
in 2000.
More contamination
Several new areas of low-level contamination have been found outwith
the Dounreay site - including in spume washed ashore. An aerial
survey found areas of contamination around the Forss River to
the west of the site, while contamination has also been found
on a 600 cubic metre of the foreshore below the site. Management
has said this is likely to be from a leak in a low-level drain.
New contamination has been found in a dump used for building
materials to the east of the plant. Finally ruthenium and
tributyl phosphate has been found in spume, or foam, from the sea
which had been washed ashore on rocks just of the east of the
site.
Train plan moved
Plans by British Nuclear Fuels to use a railway yard in a
resident area of London to marshal wagons carrying highly
radioactive spent fuel from three nuclear power stations prior
to transporting them to Sellafield for reprocessing look likely
to be dropped following protests. Instead BNFL is trying to
negotiate the use of a yard in an industrial area at Willesden
which has previously been used for similar transports for a
number of years.
Millions in compensation
Workers in the nuclear industry have been awarded over GBP3
million in recent years for radiation-related diseases. A total
of 75 workers received the awards under a 'voluntary' scheme run
by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, British Nuclear Fuels,
Nuclear Electric, the Ministry of Defence and the Devonport and
Rosyth naval dockyards. Under the scheme 'voluntary' payments can
be made on the condition that the workers do not go to court
and it is accepted that the industry does not accept direct
responsibility. In this way the industry does not have to
admit a direct link between radiation exposure and diseases,
mainly cancer.
New power stations ?
The head of the nuclear generator British Energy, chief
executive Peter Hollins, has suggested new nuclear power
stations in the UK could become financially viable in the
relatively near future because of the pressure to reduce CO2
emissions. Mr Hollins said is 'tradeable permits' for
environment emissions were introduced this could make nuclear
power viable.
Support for Chapelcross
The Scottish Secretary of State Donald Dewar has supported
efforts by British Nuclear Fuels for long-term access to the
so-called interconnectors - the power line which carries
electricity to England. The line is operated by the two
Scottish electricity generators and at present BNFL sells up
to GBP35 million of power from its Chapelcross reactor through
the interconnector. If the Scottish generators are allowed
to reserve the interconnector for their own electricity,
the English market would be lost to Chapelcross and it would
be financially unviable according to BNFL
Nuclear Hazards Conference
The Second Irish and UK Local Authorities Conference on Nuclear
Hazards is to take place in Manchester on 3rd-4th December.
Details are available from the Nuclear Free Local Authorities on
0161 831 9108
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