Archived press release

Nirex case crumbles as RCF inquiry ends

30 January 1996

Friends of the Earth has proven that Nirex's scientific case for its proposed rock characterisation facility (RCF) is fundamentally flawed, the environmental group will today tell Mr Chris McDonald, Planning Inspector,during its closing speech to RCF Public Inquiry in Cleator Moor, Cumbria. The 17 week long Inquiry is scheduled to end on February 2nd.

Dr Patrick Green, Friends of the Earth's Senior Energy, Nuclear and Climate Campaigner said;

"The scale of Nirex's scientific defeat is spectacular. Friends of the Earth has won all the major scientific arguments and proved that Nirex's RCF proposal is premature and scientifically flawed. Planning permission must now be refused."

Friends of the Earth's evidence to the Inquiry was produced by seven leading independent scientific experts who revealed, for the first time, the full extent of the deficiencies in Nirex's scientific understanding of the Sellafield site.[1] Their evidence demonstrates that Nirex's planning application was premature and specifies how Nirex must carry out a further 5-10 years of surface based investigations before it can start to construct an RCF. Premature construction of the RCF would waste millions of pounds and would jeopardise future attempts at producing a safety case for disposal at the Sellafield site.

Friends of the Earth's witnesses presented their evidence over six days from January 9th and were subjected to cross-examination by Nirex's QCs. Nirex claimed that it would pull the witnesses "apart in cross-examination",[2] but Friends of the Earth's witnesses turned the scientific tables on Nirex instead. Friends of the Earth's evidence to the Inquiry stands unrebutted.

Friends of the Earth's closing speech to the Inquiry will summarise the full extent of the deficiencies in Nirex's case and specify the additional scientific work that Nirex must carry out before permission can be given for RCF construction. Friends of the Earth will call on the Inspector to recommend refusal of planning permission in his report to the Secretary of State. This is expected to be submitted in October 1996.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Friends of the Earth expert witnesses were:

1. Dr Peter Kokelaar on "The Borrowdale Volcanic Group"

Reader in Volcanology at the University of Liverpool with over 15 years experience of the Borrowdale Volcanic Rocks.

2. Professor David Smythe on "The 3-D Structural Geology of the PRZ"

Chair of Geophysics in the Department of Geology and Applied Geology at the University of Glasgow. Fellow of the Geological Society. Member of the British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) Geological Review Panel from 1990-91. Planned and executed a trial 3-D seismic survey of the PRZ for UK Nirex Ltd in summer 1994.

3. Mr George Reeves on "Hydrogeological Investigation Programmes: Best Practice"

Course Director for the MSc Course in Engineering Geology at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society.

Member of the Government's Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee RWMAC). Between 1981-86 was responsible for the borehole drilling programme for Canada's deep disposal research programme.

4. Dr Shaun Salmon on "The Hydrogeology of Sellafield"

Senior Hydrogeologist with Aspinwall & Company. Senior member of Aspinwall's modelling team. Member of the Institution of Water and Environmental Management and a Fellow of the Geological Society.

5. Dr Stephen Hencher on "Fracture Flow Modeling"

Senior Lecturer in Engineering Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Leeds. Chartered Engineer and Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society. UK representative to Council of the International Society for Rock Mechanics. Currently researching the application of discrete fracture models to the study of fluid flow through rock masses. This work is being carried out with the support of elf aquitaine.

6. Dr John Allison on "The RCF: Engineering Issues"

Partner in the firm of Bullen Consultants, an engineering consultancy practice. Director of the firm's subsidiary company, Environmental Management Consultants Limited. Specific responsibility for the management of the firm's work in the fields of ground engineering and waste management. Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a Member of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, and a Fellow of the Geological Society. Former member of a European Community task group on backfilling and sealing of radioactive waste repositories.

7. Dr Roy Wogelius on "The RCF: Geochemical Issues"

Lecturer in Geochemical Spectroscopy at the University of Manchester. Formerly worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency reviewing permit applications for hazardous waste disposal sites.

[2] Sellafield's Trojan Horse, News Focus, New Scientist 6 January 1996

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust