Dounreay Waste Shaft - Threat of Nuclear Explosion Revealed

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DOUNREAY WASTE SHAFT - THREAT OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSION REVEALED.

23rd February 98 - Greenpeace reacted angrily today to
revelations in the Scottish media that there is a "much higher
level of nuclear contamination than previously realised" in the
notorious Dounreay waste shaft and a distinct possibility of a
nuclear explosion. The shaft, which suffered an explosion in
1977 powerful enough to lift the 12.5 tonne concrete lid into
the air, is thought to contain enough fissile material to cause
a 'criticality' incident.

The revelations occur on the day that consultation about
increasing Dounreay's radioactive discharges ends. It is now up
to the Scottish Office to decide whether or not to call in this
application for the Secretary of State to make the final
decision.

"There are radioactive particles on the beach which no-one knows
the source of; a waste silo still in use which consultants have
warned could suffer a hydrogen explosion, and now this. There is
no way they can be trusted to cope with the situation now, never
mind any increases in discharge" said Greenpeace Nuclear
Campaigner Pete Roche.

Less than a fortnight ago the Director of Dounreay admitted to
the House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee when
asked about the particles on the beach that Dounreay is "not
currently in control of the situation".

"Dounreay is hoping the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
will give it permission to increase discharges of radioactive
waste into the environment, so that it can import more foreign
waste for reprocessing," said Roche. "Yet Dounreay is one of the
worst nuclear contaminated sites in western Europe, the
Government should call in their application and reject it.
Dounreay should be cleaning up its mess, not trying to make more
by reprocessing other countries waste."

The Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, has said he wants to
see sharp cuts in discharges of nuclear waste into the marine
environment.

"The Minister is right to demand a continuous reduction in
discharges. But he will not achieve that if SEPA allows these
authorisations to go through. Donald Dewar must call in these
applications, and force Dounreay to start reducing discharges
immediately", said Pete Roche.

ends

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org

Notes to Correspondents:

(1)  The Public Consultation Exercise into Dounreay's
application for new discharge authorisations ends today.

(2) Greenpeace's submission on SEPA's public consultation
exercise is available on request.