Ukraine Shoots Down F-16 With Patriot, A... Sat Aug 31, 2024 11:53 | Anti-Empire
Surprise Offensive Puts 300 km² of Russ... Fri Aug 09, 2024 08:44 | Marko Marjanović
The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog. We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader 2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by The Saker >>
Free Speech Union and Fair Cop Threaten Yvette Cooper With Court Action Over Her Calls to Ramp Up Re... Sun Sep 01, 2024 11:00 | Richard Eldred The Free Speech Union and Fair Cop have threatened the Home Secretary with legal action over her calls to ramp up the recording of 'non-crime hate incidents'.
The post Free Speech Union and Fair Cop Threaten Yvette Cooper With Court Action Over Her Calls to Ramp Up Recording of ?Non-Crime Hate Incidents? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Bank of England Staff Told to Share Pronouns and Use ?Gender Neutral? Language Sun Sep 01, 2024 09:00 | Will Jones Bank of England staff have been told to share their pronouns at the start of meetings and use "gender neutral" language when speaking to customers.
The post Bank of England Staff Told to Share Pronouns and Use “Gender Neutral” Language appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Government?s Private Schools VAT Raid ?Risks Costing Taxpayer £1.8bn? Sun Sep 01, 2024 07:00 | Will Jones The Government?s VAT raid on private schools risks costing the taxpayer up to £1.8 billion as parents cut their work hours once their children move into the state sector, a report has found.
The post Government’s Private Schools VAT Raid “Risks Costing Taxpayer £1.8bn” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
News Round-Up Sun Sep 01, 2024 01:04 | Richard Eldred A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Domestic Abuse Charity Allows ?Men Who Identify as Women? to Apply for £47,000-a-Year ?Women-Only? R... Sat Aug 31, 2024 15:00 | Will Jones A domestic abuse charity has been criticised for encouraging "men who identify as women" to apply for a senior £47,000-a-year "women-only" post.
The post Domestic Abuse Charity Allows “Men Who Identify as Women” to Apply for £47,000-a-Year “Women-Only” Role appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°97 Fri Aug 30, 2024 12:14 | en
The New Iranian Foreign Policy Fri Aug 30, 2024 12:12 | en
Press lies about the Venezuelan presidential election, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Aug 27, 2024 06:59 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°96 Fri Aug 23, 2024 15:28 | en
China chooses international law, distances itself from Israel and reunifies the ... Fri Aug 23, 2024 15:18 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Sellafield spin goes on. BNFL paint rosy picture
national |
environment |
opinion/analysis
Friday March 26, 2004 17:44 by safer world
![Report this post to the editors Report this post to the editors](../graphics/report.gif)
'dirty thirty' is disintegrating... BNFL says all OK.
You might have seen last night's Prime Time Programme or today's Irish Examiner articles about Sellafield.
the main news is about a huge pond holding high level nuclear waste. The pond, which holds thousands of gallons of various nuclear crap is decaying and according to Dr. John Large, a nuclear expert and former Sellafield Worker, it contains up to 5 tonnes of Plutonium. Ah, yes Sellafield. That wonder of British Engineering and safety.
There are several plants and parts on this huge ugly site (located in the beautiful lake district in West Cumbria -about as far away from London one can get in England)
Here's a sample...
Windscale - shut down after a huge fire in 1957. Still being worked on for decommissioning. a few problems though.
The reactor has between 15-18 tonnes of reactor fuel still in it, and as a result of the fire has uranium hydride (which combusts at room temperature), hydrogen gas and various other nasties that make it 'tricky' to dismantle.
Calder Hall, shut down in the past 2 years due to fears over the primary safety mechanism, which were exposed in its identical sister plant Chapel Cross in Scotland.
MOX - cover ups false safety documents, and disappearing orders from overseas.
In today's Examiner, John Clarke, head of Environmental Health Safety and Quality at Sellafield says "When it comes to Sellafield, there's too much fear and not enough understanding"
Nothing to do with the secrecy, lies and cover ups?
Over a year ago, BNFL appeared on a PRIME TIME SPECIAL, and had an 'Independent' Irish scientist defend them, like a loyal guard dog.
That was Prof Mitchell from UCD Physics Dept.
Following a Freedom of Information request to his dept it emerged that the UCD physics dept is partly funded by the UK Nuclear Industry. no wonder he was so aggressive... even when telling a nurse that the fact that children have been born with Plutonium in their TEETH is nothing to worry about. (even though Plutonium does not occur naturally - it comes from nuclear reactors)
Windscale Pile number one is so dangerous that, after 47 years they still haven't figured out how to dismantle it without releasing more radiation or causing an explosion.
The MOX plant is doomed to economic failure.
It should never have opened, besides being a mad idea, it simply doesn't have enough customers.
It cost over £400 sterling to build, and nobody wants it. On the other hand, it would have costs less than this for BNFL to build a plant to remove the Technetium 99 radioactive isotope from the waste water Sellafield pours into the Irish Sea every day.
The THORP building caused radiation burns to a contract scaffold worker who touched a wall of the plant.
The following are a sample of recent incidents reported by the Health and Safety Executive Quarterly reports.
Fatality at Pile 1 chimney
A man fell to his death in the infamous Pile number one reactor Windscale (shut down following 1957 fire)
To date many witness/evidence statements have been taken, and simulations of the incident circumstances have been witnessed. No decision has been yet made on what regulatory action to take.
Contamination of Maintenance Worker in B299
We investigated an incident where a mechanic became contaminated with plutonium whilst undertaking cable repairs within a glovebox. We will be reviewing BNFL's glovebox standards in the forthcoming year.
Fuel Flask Incident in B205
a fuel magazine became detached from flask lifting equipment during rod feed operations to the B205 dissolver.
Swarf Flask Venting Operating Rule Breach
During routine operations in FHP, a crane control system fault resulted in a flask remaining suspended from the crane for a period whilst recovery operations were organised. During this period BNFL were not able to vent the flask in the period required by the operating rule. BNFL has investigated the event and we will consider the content of the report.
Q2 report 2003
2.2.3 Site Transport
incident which occurred in February 2003. Whilst BNFL operatives were loading a trailer (unhitched from its tractor unit) with scaffold material in the SDP scaffolding compound, the trailer rolled 27m down a slight incline and crashed into B861.2. No personnel were injured and the building was evacuated and made safe.
2.2.4 Contamination of Operators in B299
Since the last report, there have been a further two instances skin contamination in B299.
Q3 report.
2.2 INCIDENTS
2.2.1 Fatality at Pile 1 chimney
The Police are still examining a number of issues, the Coroner’s Inquiry cannot be held until they have completed their work.
2.2.2 Contamination of Operators in B299
In the last report, two instances of skin contamination following glove failures in B299 were reported.
There has been one minor event since then, where a fitter had been attributed with a small internal radiation exposure.
2.2.3 Magnox Reprocessing Plant – Evacuation
There was an evacuation of the Magnox reprocessing plant in August following coincident problems with the system that keeps the fuel dissolver vessel below atmospheric pressure and with the mechanism that allows the loading of fuel rods. As a result, there was a release of radioactive material into the working area.
2.2.4 Magnox Reprocessing Plant – Personal Contamination
BNFL notified NII in September that a maintenance fitter had received an internal radiation exposure following work in a process cell in May 2003. BNFL has said that the contamination event that led to the exposure was not reported to the individual’s supervisor or line management at the time and therefore, no investigation had been undertaken.
2.2.5 B570 Ventilation System
In July BNFL investigated a reduction in the airflow through the ventilation system serving some of the controlled areas on the B570 plant. The cause was traced to the failure of a High Efficiency Particulate (HEPA) filter casing resulting in a quantity of filter medium traveling through the system, until it was caught on a flow grid, partially obscuring the flow.
Despite all this, BNFL act as if they have everything under control.
The plant is huge, complicated and they have no idea what to do in the long term with all the radiactive crap they produce.
They're now taking stuff from the Dounreay reactor in Scotland as the Scottish dump is full.
What's the answer to storing this stuff?
Well, according to the good old EU, lets flog it to the people!
Instead of paying a fortune to store 30 million tonnes of crap, the European nuke industry scrapped it at 50 cents a tonne and made a profit of $15,000,000 !!!
From crap to scrap!
That's right, check out the 1996 Euratom treaty, and look for a small but important piece on "Below Regulatory Concern"
this allows the Nuclear Industry to 'recycle' what it calls 'low level' nuclear waste into CONSUMER GOODS , y'know knives, forks, cars, TV sets, wheelchairs and toaster... just not surgical equipment or equipment for testing for radiation, like geiger counters.
Yes, this was passed, and YES in Ireland as well. And NO they DID NOT MENTION IT to the public at large.
BNFL keeps arguing about jobs, 11,000 people are employed at Sellafield. Well, they don't need to be employed at production do they? It will take a lot of people a long, long, time to decommission this garbage site so the sooner they start, the better, and of course, if they stop producing more garbage it would make more sense (to everyone except the fanatics who run the nuclear industry)
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4I think that Gluaiseacht's SHUT DOWN SELLAFIELD campaign went into hibernation after Bush + Blair invaded Iraq, but it's worth a quick look at some of their efforts, including occupying the Sellafield Visitors Centre, and putting a frown on the face of John Clarke (head of safety referred to above)
he came to the visitors centre with some business types who appeared to be existing or potential customers, and what greeted them? a bunch of activists chained together on the roof showing how great security is (and this was a few days before the dodgy MOX came back to Sellafield from Japan)
Maybe it has been too long since we visited our friends at BNFL? ...
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=7357
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=12149
Safe jobs for Cumbria, Safe Energy for All
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=779
Check the Bellona report
http://www.bellona.no/pdfs/wp5_2001_Sellafield_English.pdf
Ronald Hanas who supervised storage of materials at Sellafield, has made the following complaints about the plant
1. Failure to register 328 items of radioactive material.
2. Illegal storage of radioactive materials in a warehouse in a nearby town.
3. The loan of radioactive material to unauthorised recipient.
4. Transport of plutonium on public highways in unsuitable containers.
5. Repeatadly leaving radioactive material unsupervised.
6. Tampering of seals on containers so radioactive material could be moved without check.
7. Allowing water from storage ponds to precolate into water tables.
Sellafield Blockade, why it happened
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=469
11 arrested at Valentines Day Protest at Sellafield.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0214/sellafield.html
blow people up.
power big things.
drop it into the ocean where of course it will be forgotten won't it?
sell it to someone.
who have you blown up?
what have you powered?
where did you drop it?
who did you sell it to?
Go on tell us, you know you can trust us,
we are open source.
http://www.indymedia.ie/contact.php
The Department of Health has said it is prepared to consider recalling the iodine tablets issued to 2.1 million homes in 2002, after a conference was told they would be useless in the event of a nuclear incident at Sellafield, and could even pose a health risk to some people.
Speaking at a special meeting of Louth Co Council yesterday, experts for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) said the iodine tablets were only effective when taken in response to a leak of the radioactive isotope iodine 131. Sellafield stopped handling this isotope some years ago, they said.
Dr Rex Strong, a physicist with BNFL, said the tablets may even adversely affect the health of people who may be vulnerable to iodine overdose.
Mr Chris Hone of the National Radiological Protection Institute confirmed the tablets would be no use in response to a radioactive leak from Sellafield.
Mr Hone said whether the tablets actually ever would have been useful in the event of a leak of iodine 131 was "a vexed question".
The tablets were issued to 2.1 million households in June and July 2002 by the Department of Health.
The move followed a memorable radio discussion in which the then minister for state with responsibility for nuclear safety, Mr Joe Jacob, outlined the State's response to an accident or an act of sabotage at Sellafield. The iodine tablets were a key part of Government strategy, Mr Jacob indicated.
Yesterday Mr Jacob was not available for comment. A spokesman for the Department of Health said that as far as the Department was aware Sellafield was still handling iodine 131 when the tablets were issued in June 2002.
The spokesman said the Department accepted that this was no longer the case. If the tablets were now considered a potential cause of ill-health the Department would consider recalling them, he added.
The BNFL experts were in Co Louth at the invitation of Louth Co Council to discuss safety issues at the Sellafield plant, which is on the UK's Cumbrian coast, about 112 miles from Dundalk.
Responding to allegations that records of material kept at Sellafield were not properly maintained, the BNFL personnel said they remained confident that material had not "escaped or been stolen". Mr John Clarke, Head of Environmental Health Safety and Quality at Sellafield, said that "in the past there was not the requirement for record- keeping that there is today." But he also said the company could be confident that no material had gone missing.
"There is only two ways it can get out of the pond. It could either leak through a hole in the pond down into the ground or somebody could somehow go in and take something out. If you had seen the plant you would know the chances of something like that are almost impossible."
Mr Clarke said the amount of radiation created by Sellafield was measured at two units while ordinary background radiation could be as high as 3,000 units.
However, Co Louth GP Dr Mary Grehan took issue with scientific studies put forward by BNFL. Dr Grehan said that while national figures may not show alarming numbers of cancers in the region, there were very high levels of specific and unusual cancers.
She also referred to a British study which showed high levels of leukaemia in children under five years of age.
Dr Grehan maintained the incidence of cancer, stillbirth and Down's Syndrome babies was again increasing in the region.
Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
-- William Blake
Mr Blake really wanted you to think about that.
= THINK ABOUT IT. Don't just think "oh no that's one of those rabid jingoistic happy brit songs", it means "think about it".