Archived press release

DOUNREAY VICTORY AS WASTE SHAFT TO BE CLEANED UP - Friends of the Earth Concerned at Vast Cost to Taxpayer

31 March 1998

Kevin Dunion, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "This is a complete vindication of what Friends of the Earth has been demanding for some time. We hope this marks a turning point for the entire operation at Dounreay. Instead of touting the world for the polluting business of nuclear waste reprocessing, the site can become a world centre of excellence in the field of nuclear decommissioning, thus safeguarding jobs.

This is a truly astronomical amount of money the taxpayer is being asked to stump up. If the costs of waste disposal and clean-up had ever been factored into the original plans for the nuclear industry, they would never have got any further than the drawing board. This is proof positive of all the lies we've ever been told about the great nuclear white elephant."

The news comes at a time when there still appears to be confusion as to exactly who is responsible for Dounreay's waste shaft.

Kevin Dunion, added: "The Government should clearly decide, between the Nuclear Industries Inspectorate and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, as to who has responsibility for Dounreay's nuclear waste shaft. If an incident similar to the 1977 shaft explosion were to happen today, it begs the question of who exactly would be responsible for protecting the environment and public health."

[1] Announcement by Department of Trade and Industry: 'Government Agrees Action on Dounreay's Shaft and Silo' today (31 March 98)

[2] In an article (25 Feb 98) entitled 'Inquiry call over shaft at Dounreay' in the Herald, it emerged that neither HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) nor the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) accept responsibility for the shaft's safety.

Scientists at Dounreay believe that up to 4kg of highly radioactive Plutonium 239 (Pu239)and 187kg of enriched Uranium (U235) have been dumped in the shaft over a period of 21 years. This is double previous estimates. The shaft was closed after an explosion in 1977.

[3] Dounreay is currently in discussions to reprocess 1300 spent nuclear fuel rods from Australia and recently took delivery of spent fuel rods from Germany. Friends of the Earth Scotland have called for an immediate end to reprocessing at Dounreay and are calling on the government to defer any decision on future contacts until the advice of a Scottish Parliament can be sought.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust