Sellafield pollution declining but Ireland still under threat - RPII

Pollution from Sellafield is declining but the threat to Ireland from an accident or a terrorist attack on the nuclear reprocessing plant remains considerable, according to a new report from Ireland's nuclear watchdog.

The report from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) says that while reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at Sellafield is due to finish in 2012, the plant will pose a problem for the next 150 years until it is finally decommissioned.

RPII experts who visited Sellafield last September found significant changes since a previous visit five years ago, and a "greater focus" on dealing with waste.

New abatement technology has led to a significant reduction in discharges of radioactive technetium-99 from Sellafield into the Irish Sea, according to the report. However, decommissioning the plant may lead to a further rise in discharges.

In addition, the recent identification of "hot-spots" of activity in some tanks used to store radioactive material is cited as "a matter of concern".

"Our overall impression was that a good start had been made, but that the scale of decommissioning works to be undertaken would present very real challenges to both the operators and regulators for many years to come," RPII chief executive Dr Ann McGarry said yesterday.

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche welcomed the report, and said it showed that concerns about Sellafield would remain in the medium term. "I am pleased that the institute is in an improved position to make its expert observations and assessments, and this will be a great aid to our overall objective of ensuring a safe decommissioning to the Sellafield site."

During the visit, RPII staff attempted to assess the possible consequences for Ireland of an accident at Sellafield.

It says the potential contamination levels from such an accident would not warrant "immediate countermeasures" such as evacuation or sheltering from radioactive fallout.

However, the levels of contamination of the food chain from an accident would require intervention from the Irish authorities.

On the threat of a terrorist attack, the RPII says that for security reasons its British counterparts have not disclosed their assessments.

"While accepting fully the need to protect sensitive information about plant security, the lack of an established framework for assessing the adequacy of threat assessments and security arrangements remains a significant concern," the report states.

The RPII visit is the result of a new working arrangement between the Irish and British authorities, arising from legal proceedings taken by the Government in 2002. While the tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea generally found against Ireland, it recommended that the two governments discuss improved co-operation and consultation in relation to the MOX plant at Sellafield.