Radioactive Pigeons at Sellafield

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

SELLAFIELD PIGEONS CLASSIFIED AS NUCLEAR WASTE

UK, March 12, 1998 - New scientific analysis reveals today that
levels of radioactivity in pigeons living near BNFL's notorious
Sellafield nuclear plant (1) are so high that they are now
classified as nuclear waste. Greenpeace has warned that sampling
results suggest that the birds may pose a serious public health
and environmental hazard. 


This news comes at a time when a public consultation on
discharges of nuclear waste from Sellafield's sea pipe
and chimneys is coming to a close - it is due to finish
next Monday, March 16. (2). BNFL, which owns Sellafield,
has applied to the Environment Agency to increase discharges of
radioactive gases and to continue to discharge all its liquid
reprocessing wastes into the sea.


The new Greenpeace findings are based on the analysis of
pigeon flesh, feathers and faeces-contaminated soil. The
French radiation laboratory, ACRO, which carried out the
analysis, found that contamination levels in the pigeons'
feathers was so high that the birds would be classified
as nuclear waste and, therefore, should not be handled,
used, transported or disposed of without prior authorisation.



"It is truly shocking that Sellafield's environment is so
contaminated that birds are getting exposed to deadly nuclear
material which they then carry off-site," said Dr Helen
Wallace of Greenpeace. "Their feathers and droppings pose a
direct threat to human health and the environment."


According to the ACRO report (3), 90% of the contamination comes
from Caesium-137, with 403,000 bequerels per kilogramme. This is
on the feathers of the birds, and thus poses a
serious health risk to anyone coming into contact with
them. In addition the presence of the isotope Cerium-144, which
has a half -life of approximately one year, suggests that some
of the contamination is much more recent than
MAFF and BNFL have stated.


Analysis of pigeon droppings shows that they have contaminated
the soil off the Sellafield site to levels of radioactivity
higher than those which forced the US Government to clean up
after nuclear weapons testing at Rongelap Atoll in the Pacific.


While the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF)
warned local people against handling or eating pigeons
within ten miles of Sellafield in February, it has not
yet released additional sampling information about the
levels of the birds' contamination or warned people just
how dangerous it thinks handling the pigeons could be.



More/2...



Sellafield Pigeons Classified as Nuclear Waste/2...



Dr Wallace said, "How can BNFL pretend that they have their
plutonium factory under control when they have nuclear
waste flying over the fence? The feathers of these birds
pose a serious threat to human health in local gardens,
streets and parks. It is unbelievable that BNFL is still
operating given these levels of contamination. All discharges of
nuclear waste from Sellafield must stop and existing
nuclear wastes must be properly contained and monitored."


Notes for Editors: Greenpeace is presenting evidence to
the House of Lords Science and Technology select committee on
nuclear waste management today (Thursday 12 March, 10.30am) and
will be available for interview afterwards. 


A letter concerning the levels of radioactivity found in
pigeons and lobsters at Sellafield has been sent to Michael
Meacher MP to alert him to the serious implications of
the findings and to urge him to raise the matter of Sellafield's
discharge authorisations with the OSPAR Commission. There is to
be a Ministerial Meeting of OSPAR States in July
this year in Lisbon when the issue of radioactive discharges
will be on the agenda.


Last week, Nordic environment Ministers, represented by
Anna Lindh, the Swedish Environment Minister, wrote to
Michael Meacher expressing their grave concerns about the levels
of nuclear discharges reaching their shores and
urging him to take action.


(1) Sellafield imports nuclear waste fuel for reprocessing from
countries like Germany and Japan. Reprocessing of
nuclear waste fuel at Sellafield causes massive radioactive
discharges, separates out weapons-useable plutonium and
increases the volume of nuclear waste in Britain.


(2) BNFL, which owns Sellafield, has applied to the Environment
Agency to increase discharges of radioactive gases, have
controls on discharges from the THORP reprocessing plant
weakened, and continue to discharge all its liquid reprocessing
wastes to sea.


(3) Analysis report of the Association for the Control of
Radiation in the West (ACRO), Independent Laboratory for
the Analysis of Radioactivity. Available on request.

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