BNFL's Honesty Questioned by Core

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

BNFL's HONESTY QUESTIONED BY CORE.

UK, February 9, 1998 - Cumbrian Pressure Group CORE (Cumbrians
Opposed to a Radioactive Environment, has today accused British
Nuclear Fuels of being less than honest in their public
reporting of two  accidents at Sellafield - a leak of Ruthenium
gas (R-106) from the Waste Vitrification Plant (WVP) on 9th
November 1997 which lasted for several weeks, and the plutonium
release in Building B209 on 28th January 1998. These are just
two of numerous accidents at Sellafield in recent months.

Documents leaked to CORE and others obtained from the Public
Register show that in both accidents BNFL have deliberately
played down the significance of the leaks in an attempt to
mislead the general public, and as a company face-saving
measure.

A CORE spokesperson said today " With their operations being
under close scrutiny at the moment, we believe BNFL have
deliberately shirked telling the whole truth about these
accidents and in so doing have performed a great disservice to
the public "

The dispersion and contamination from the release of R-106 from
the WVP,  which triggered protests from contractors working near
the plant who claimed they had not been properly informed of the
accident,  is now shown to be far more significant than admitted
by BNFL in the week following the accident. Levels of R-106,
monitored by ICI's Tracerco and by MAFF, of over 7000 Becquerels
per kilogram (Bq/kg) were measured on grass and gorse to the
south of the Sellafield site and of just under 1200 Bq/kg in
winter oats in the area. Most contaminated was the Seascale Golf
Course, and levels around Seascale itself were up to 400 Bq/kg.

Just 3 days after the accident, MAFF confirmed to the
Environment Agency that of significance were the higher
monitoring results which suggested that leafy vegetables in the
area could be at levels close to the EU Community Food
Intervention Level of 1250 Bq/kg. Yet over a month after the
accident BNFL, whilst confirming to the Local Liaison  Committee
that off-site "reassurance monitoring"  had been undertaken,
made no mention of the extent of the dispersion or high off-site
levels of R-106.

 The plutonium leak in B209, provisionally classified in January
as Level 1 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) was
confirmed at that level by BNFL to CORE  in the first week of
February. Yet a leaked Site Communication document clearly
reveals that the accident may have to be re-classified at Level
2 if workers are found to have received a radiation dose greater
than the statutory limit. This will not be known for some time.

The anonymous tip-off to CORE suggests that B209 is still in use
and not closed down as stated by BNFL, and raises the question
why such deadly material as plutonium contaminated waste, sealed
in a polythene bag, was left in a foreman's office and in such
a position that it could be easily dislodged to fall to the
floor spilling plutonium dust in the area.

The CORE spokesperson added " It is disingenuous in the extreme
for BNFL to treat their workforce and the local community this
way. Were golfers warned about the risks of exposure following
the ruthenium leak, and were residents of Seascale cautioned
about contaminated home-grown produce ?  Is B209 still in use
and why didn't they come clean about the INES classification ? 
If they have been this devious over these two accidents, what
has been going on behind the scenes with all the others ? BNFL
must be made to answer these questions ".

 R-106 has a radioactive half life of 1 year and targets the
kidney, lungs and reproductive system. MAFF's annual monitoring
of foodstuffs around Sellafield shows levels normally less than
3Bq/kg of R-106.

An application by BNFL to the Environment Agency to increase
routine gas discharge limits of R-106 by 70% is currently under
public consultation.


For further information contact CORE on 01229 833851.