NEW LEAK AT SELLAFIELD THREATENS FUTURE OF PLUTONIUM FACTORY

24 May 1998

London/Sellafield -- It was revealed today that a serious leak of radioactive waste in the Sellafield plutonium reprocessing plant THORP (1) threatens the future operation of the facility. A letter from a British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) worker, sent anonymously to the anti-nuclear group CORE, reveals that BNFL are attempting to cover-up the scale of the problem in an effort to restart the facility before important clean up work is completed.

In early April, BNFL announced that the multi-billion pound THORP plant was to be shut for "maintenance" for 12 weeks until early July. In the following weeks, BNFL has emphasised the routine nature of this maintenance, despite admitting that there is a problem with damaged pipes that carry radioactive waste within the plant.

In a letter dated April 18th, a worker at Sellafield reveals that in fact there has been a leaking of nuclear waste due to the severe damage caused to the pipes and that, instead of 12 weeks, the troubled plant could be out of operation for many more months. As reported in a UK national newspaper today, BNFL are desperate to restart operations at THORP, before repairing the damaged pipes or removing the leaked nuclear waste.

"Sellafield's THORP plant is in real trouble. Years behind schedule, they have to try and restart as quickly as possible. BNFL must not be allowed to operate a plant that clearly has inherent design faults, threatening worker safety and the environment," said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace International.

BNFL have admitted that in the design phase of the plant they knew of the wearing down of the piping as the nuclear waste is pumped through the THORP facility. Since THORP began operations in 1994, BNFL have detected accelerated erosion of the waste pipes. BNFL are now believed to be pressuring the UK Government Agency NII (Nuclear Installations Inspectorate) to allow them to restart the plant using the back-up piping system, instead of replacing the damaged pipes.

The revelation that THORP is in deep trouble, comes at the same time as major controversy is brewing with THORP customers in Europe over contaminated nuclear waste transports. In Germany this past week it has been revealed that utilities and government ministries have known for ten years that the containers transported to Sellafield for reprocessing were contaminated.

Divers working for Greenpeace are currently investigating environmental contamination caused by Sellafield's radioactive discharges into the Irish Sea.

'Leaks inside THORP, contaminated transport containers and nuclear waste discharges into the Irish sea - the reprocessing industry in Europe shows total disregard for the environment so it must be closed down. The Nuclear Installation Inspectorate must not allow BNFL to proceed with their dangerous plans", said Burnie.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace International, mobile +31 6 535 00782 (in
Sellafield)