Archived press release

Nuclear Waste in Underground Water

2 February 1997

A Friends of the Earth report, released today (2/2/97), shows that underground water supplies could be contaminated with radioactive waste if a nuclear waste dump is built at Sellafield. The report, from leading environmental consultancy Aspinwall and Company,has been sent to the Secretary of State for the Environment, John Gummer, along with a letter urging him to abandon plans for the dump.[1]

The publication of the independent report follows news that Mr Gummer is considering reopening the public inquiry into Nirex's so-called rock characterisation facility (RCF) - the first stage in the construction of the nuclear dump.

Dr Rachel Western, Friends of the Earth's Senior Nuclear Research Officer, said:

"In the light of this new evidence, reopening the Public Inquiry would be a waste of money and would not serve the public interest. Mr Gummer, a Minister of proven integrity, must now throw out Nirex's ludicrous plans."

At the close of the RCF public inquiry, Nirex publicly undertook to provide the Environment Agency with critical safety data on groundwater movements in the rocks deep underneath Sellafield. Nirex acknowledged that this data was needed before construction of the RCF could commence.

The new report from Aspinwall and Company reviews Nirex's submission to the Environment Agency. It concludes that Nirex's interpretation of its own data is highly flawed and warns that the groundwater above the proposed dump will be vulnerable to contamination by nuclear waste.[2][3]

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Technical Assessment of Sellafield Baseline Hydrogeological Data, Aspinwall and Company, January 1997

[2] The Aspinwall and Company report warns that Nirex's submission to the Environment Agency "presents issues which must be resolved if a reliable long-term safety case is to be developed" for a nuclear dump. In particular it warns of:

• "significant upward vertical" ground-water movements in the BVG (the rock in which the dump would be sited)
• "significant vertical hydraulic continuity between the Sandstone Aquifer and the BVG"

The report concludes that even if more research is conducted "the predicted RCF impacts and long term repository safety case may not prove satisfactory."

{3] The West Cumbria Sherwood Sandstone Aquifer is currently mainly used for agricultural irrigation.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust