Wylfa nuclear plant 'poses no health threat'

Radioactivity released from the Wylfa nuclear power plant in Wales poses no threat to the health of people in Ireland, a new report has found.

The report, from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), was presented to Minister for the Environment John Gormley yesterday, in advance of a meeting with other EU environment ministers in Austria to discuss the nuclear issue.

Following inspection of the plant recently, the RPII found that routine operations at the plant give rise to "extremely low" levels of radiation in Ireland, which have no health significance for the country.

The plant, opened in 1971 on the island of Anglesey, is 120 kilometres from Dublin and is the closest nuclear site to Ireland.

There was a high emphasis on safety at the plant, the report found, and recent modifications had enhanced that.

The report also found that if a nuclear accident were to take place at Wylfa, contamination levels in foods grown in Ireland would be "most unlikely" to exceed maximum permitted levels.

Evacuation, sheltering and the use of iodine tablets would not be justified in Ireland if such an accident occurred, the report found.

It also noted that a September 11th-style terrorist attack at Wylfa or a major earthquake, would be unlikely to cause a large release of radioactivity to the environment.

Dr Tony Colgan, director of the RPII advisory service, said there was a general sense that the plant was well run and staff were well trained.

"The design of the Wylfa plant, while safer than some of the older UK nuclear power plants, does not incorporate all of the safety features of more modern reactors," he said.

"In these circumstances, human performance issues become central to safe operation."

Mr Gormley emphasised the responsibility of nuclear states toward their non-nuclear neighbours.

He said RPII visits to Sellafield in 2004 and to Wylfa were welcome and useful, "but serve to illustrate, particularly in the case of Sellafield, the inevitable safety and environmental risks and consequences of a nuclear leap of faith".

He said that the meeting of environment ministers showed that the nuclear power question is not settled.

"While we acknowledge that it is the sovereign right of countries to choose their own mix of energy supplies, we share serious concerns that nuclear is being put forward as a solution to the climate change problem," Mr Gormley said.