Sellafield Mox plant approved

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

UK - BBC
Friday, October 23, 1998 Published at 22:53 GMT 23:53 UK 

Nuclear go-ahead under fire  
New £300m plant at the Sellafield site  

Campaigners against nuclear waste have attacked a decision by 
the government's environment watchdog to back the controversial 
Sellafield Mox plant.  

The facility in Cumbria will create new nuclear fuel from foreign 
plutonium, reprocessed at the Sellafield Thorp plant.  

The £300m mixed oxide plant could generate more than £100m a 
year by producing a fuel for sale to overseas nuclear power 
stations.  

Environment Agency chiefs approved the plans, saying full 
operation of the Mox plant was "justified". It has sent its 
recommendations to ministers - giving them the chance to discuss 
wider concerns about nuclear reprocessing before they implement 
the scheme.  

It says they must consider the environmental impact of producing 
more nuclear fuel and the possible consequences if it got into the 
wrong hands.  


Friends of the Earth, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and 
Greenpeace have all criticised the scheme.  

FoE spokesman Dr Patrick Green was hopeful the scheme would 
still fail.  

He said: "In giving the final say on Mox to the environment and 
agriculture ministers, the Environment Agency may allow the 
cavalry to come to its rescue at the 11th hour.  

"When it finally gets around to the long-awaited full review of 
reprocessing, the government will find that BNFL must get out of 
reprocessing altogether.  


"The review will show that Thorp and Mox are a commercial 
disaster as well as an environmental nightmare."  

FoE urged ministers to carry out the full re-justification of the Thorp 
plant ordered by the government in 1993.  

Security fears  

CND chairman Dave Knight said it was not solely an environmental 
issue - the Mox plant had major implications for global security.  

He said: "The decision to go ahead would allow the proliferation of 
nuclear weapons materials around the globe. This is not the act of 
a responsible government."  

Greenpeace's Mike Townsley said: "Despite the Environment 
Agency's best efforts to put on a brave face, it is clear they are 
uncomfortable about the proposed authorisations against a 
backdrop of national and international concern over radioactive 
discharges and plutonium stockpiles."  

British Nuclear Fuels said it was fully committed to continuing to 
reduce discharges through abatement technologies.  

In the past 10 years the company has invested more than £2bn in 
waste management and effluent treatment facilities.  

Discharges of the most significant radioactive substances to the 
Irish Sea were now about 1% of the peak levels of the 1970s, the 
company said.  


-----------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
ICN Plaza
3300 Hyland Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(800) 548-5100 x2306
(714) 668-3149 Fax

sandyfl@earthlink.net or sperle@icnpharm.com

ICN Dosimetry Website:      Personal Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com    http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -

The opinions expressed are solely, absolutely, positively, definitely those of the author, and NOT my employer
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