3 December 2010
NFLA report highlights concerns over aquatic radioactive discharges from UK new nuclear build programme into Irish Sea and North Sea
The Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) today issues a report (1) which highlights the large amount of radioactive discharges which may end up in the Irish Sea and the North Sea from the proposed development of new nuclear reactors on the English and Welsh coastlines.
The report was commissioned by the NFLA as a result of a presentation from the independent marine pollution consultant Tim Deere-Jones (2), to the NFLA All Ireland Forum meeting in Swords, Fingal in late October. It also comes out of Tim’s correspondence with the Environment Agency and a thorough analysis of its ‘Generic Design Assessment’ (GDA) of the radioactive materials and waste production from the two proposed UK nuclear reactor designs – EDF / Areva’s European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) and Westinghouse / Toshiba’s AP1000 design. (3)
The key findings of the report are as follows:
The NFLA is highly concerned what the effects of such discharges will have on the marine environment and on human and animal health. In its co-operation with the international local authority marine pollution group KIMO, the NFLA is also concerned how difficult it will be - with such increased discharges - to achieve the UK’s international treaty obligations under the OSPAR Treaty; where it is committed to reduce marine radioactive discharges to as ‘close to zero’ as possible by 2020. Given delayed reprocessing contracts at Sellafield will see a likely increase of radioactive discharges over the next few decades, a new UK nuclear build programme can only exacerbate this problem.
Tim Deere-Jones said:
“The development of a new nuclear build programme in England and
Wales could have a huge effect on the marine environment around the British
and Irish Isles and as far away as Norway. I am highly concerned that the
Environment Agency is allowing such increased quantities of radioactive
isotopes, particularly tritium, which has long half-lives and take many
years to decay, into the Irish Sea and the North Sea. Such discharges provide
a large number of uncertain risks and much more research is required before
any such releases be permitted.”
NFLA Chair, Bailie George Regan, added:
“There are many risks with the development of a new nuclear build programme in England and Wales, which will have significant knock-on effects across the British and Irish Isles. I am very concerned we will be releasing many harmful radioactive substances into our seas and rivers with unknown risks to the coastal communities of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. We will be contacting the Environment Agency, the UK and Irish Governments to formally raise these concerns and ask for a rethink. The UK should not ignore its international treaty requirements and I encourage the Irish and Norwegian Governments in particular to take a real interest in this development.”
Ends.
Further information
Sean Morris, NFLA Secretary 00 44 (0)161 234 3244 or 00 44 (0)7771 930186
Notes to Editors:
(1) NFLA New Nuclear Monitor Edition 22, December 2010. Available with
this media release and on the NFLA website – http://www.nuclearpolicy.info – which
contains further information on the remit and work of the organisation.
(2) Tim Deere-Jones is an independent marine pollution consultant, who has worked for Friends of the Earth Cymru and other environmental organisations. He has an extensive marine biology background and has been involved in the clean-up to a number of marine pollution incidents, notably the ‘Sea Empress’ oil spill off the Pembrokeshire coast. He has undertaken a number of reports for the NFLA in the past, which can be found on the NFLA website. His presentation to the NFLA All-Ireland Forum on the 22nd October in Swords, Fingal is available from the NFLA Secretariat, along with presentations from NFLA Policy Advisor Pete Roche and KIMO International Secretary John Mouat.
(3) The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive are the responsible bodies for the Generic Design Assessment of two new nuclear reactor designs – the EPR and the AP-1000. The Environment Agency gave its initial view on the designs in a recent consultation. Final approval of the designs is expected around June 2011. Further details can be found on the joint website http://www.hse.gov.uk/newreactors/index.htm. The NFLA response to the Environment Agency consultation can be found on its website.