N-Base Briefing News February(1) 2001
11th February 2001
Yet another power blackout at fuel cycle plants
There has been another main power cut at the fuel
cycle area of Dounreay, which includes the reprocessing plants - and there
was another failure of the area's backup supply. The 90 minute power failure
took place on Sunday 4th February. The newly renovated emergency backup
system also failed.
New waste store
The UK Atomic Energy Authority has asked the Highland
Council for permission to build a new temporary 7,000 sq.ft. low level waste
store at Dounreay. The UKAEA has faced with the problem of where to store
the mounting quantities of operating and decommissioning low level wastes
since the existing waste pits were filled up in the mid-1990s. Further expansion
of the pits was prevented by the fear of long-term coastal erosion. As a
short-term temporary measure waste containers have been stored in the old
aircraft hanger at Dounreay, but now the UKAEA wants to build a new temporary
waste store next to the hanger to take another 900 shipping containers full
of radioactive wastes. The hanger is scheduled to be full by the middle
of next year.
SNP candidate supports Dounreay decommissioning work
The prospective Scottish National Party candidate
for Caithness and Sutherland, Mr John Macadam, has said his party supports
the present work of decommissioning and clean-up at Dounreay. During a visit
to the site Mr Macadam said it was 'immaterial' what had happened in the
past. Now the UKAEA was working to a 'completely new agenda', Mr Macadam
said. Asked about the consultation on the future of the 25 tonnes of plutonium
fuel at Dounreay - whether to store or reprocess the fuel - Mr Macadam said
the SNP was 'always willing to enter into a dialogue' over the best environmental
option for dealing with the fuel.
High-level waste legal order
Nuclear regulators have issued a legal order requiring
British Nuclear Fuels to reduce its stocks of liquid high-level waste. The
Nuclear Installations Inspectorate issued the order at the end of January
and requires BNFL to reduce its stock of liquid high level wastes from 1575
cu. metres to 200 cu. metres by 2015. There have been long-standing concerns
over the size and safety of the high-level wastes held at Sellafield and
regulators have repeatedly called for BNFL to increase the rate the waste
is turned into vitrified glass blocks. While the NII said the new order
was 'a major step' forward, the Nuclear Free Local Authorities, which has
been campaigning since the mid 1990s to get the waste stocks reduced, said
the new order was 'feeble'. The company's reprocessing interests had been
placed above public safety, the NFLA said.
Prosecuted
British Nuclear Fuels is to be prosecuted once again
for alleged breaches of safety regulations concerning sealed radioactive
sources. The Environment Agency has reported the company for breaches at
Sellafield and the Drigg low level waste dump.
Magnox fuel for Thorp ?
The possibility of adapting the Thorp reprocessing
plant at Sellafield so it can work with spent fuel from Mgnox reactors is
being investigated by British Nuclear Fuels. The company is looking at options
for treating Magnox fuel, and therefore possibly extending the life of some
Magnox reactors, after the specialist B205 Magnox reprocessing plant closes
which is presently planned for 2012. Earlier plans to develop a new magrox
fuel for the Magnox reactors, which could be reprocessed at Thorp without
adaptation, have been dropped.
Arctic route 'is safe'
Russian marine experts have claimed that the 'Northern
Sea Route' - the passage through northern Arctic coastal waters from Europe
to the Pacific - is safer than using international non-Russian shipping
routes. A report for the Russian Maritime Register says the likelihood of
a vessel being lost was 10 times lower in Arctic waters compared to international
waters. The report was produced in response to a proposal, which has apparently
been under discussion for a year, for shipments of nuclear waste and plutonium
fuel from Europe to Japan along the Russian Arctic coast. KIMO, the international
local authority environmental organisation, has said the proposal is 'sheer
madness'. British Nuclear Fuels, whose ships are likely to carry the waste
or fuel to Japan, told KIMO it has no plans to use the Arctic route, while
in comments to the media the company said that 'as a commercial operator
we will always look at any route options, should they become available.'
A trial using the Arctic route is suggested for this summer and there are
also planned discussions on international requirements for ice-navigation
and ship safety.
Shipments to Japan
The shipment of high-level nuclear reprocessing wastes
is scheduled to arrive in Japan on 20th February. The 192 containers of
vitrified wastes are on board the Pacific Swan, which is owned by British
Nuclear Fuels. The vessel is due to dock at the port of Rokkasho. Meanwhile
the cargo of plutonium MOX fuel on board the Pacific Pintail, accompanied
by the Pacific Teal, has reached the Cape of Good Hope off South Africa.
Uranium shells
The local MP for the Dundrennan weapons range near
Kirkcudbright in south-west Scotland has demanded that the Government clears
up the estimated 6,000 depleted uranium shells fired into the Solway Firth.
Mr Alasdair Morgan, the MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, said the UK
had fired 70 times more test rounds containing depleted uranium at the range
than had been fired in training or anger during the Gulf War. He said some
of the shells fired at Dundrennan had fallen short of the targets at sea
and contaminated nearby land.
Phone mast rush - phones 'safe'
Local authorities in Scotland have received over
150 notifications for the erection of microwave mobile phone masts in the
last three months as companies try to beat the introduction of tougher new
planning regulations. At present masts under 50ft do not require planning
permission, although the Scottish Executive is proposing to change this
rule and make all masts subject of local planning controls. An 18-year study
by Denmark's National Cancer Institute has concluded that mobile phone usage
does not increase the risk of cancer.
Emergency plans
The public petitions committee of the Scottish Parliament
has asked the Scottish Executive to reveal details of its plans to deal
with a major nuclear accident. The committee had been considering the safety
of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet.
Reduced deaths
A study by the Radiation and Public Health Project,
based in New York, found that infant deaths around five American nuclear
power stations were reduced almost immediately after the reactors closed.
Details of the study were published in the scientific journal, Environmental
Epidemiology and Toxicology and can be found at www.radiation.org
No more power stations
The Japanese nuclear generator, the Tokyo Electric
Power Company (TEPCO), has said it is considering suspending any new nuclear
power stations for the next three to five years. |
