Ivor Callely
Question:119 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the likely level of pollution from the operation of the Sellafield MOX plant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4095/02]
Vol. 548 No. 2
119 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the likely level of pollution from the operation of the Sellafield MOX plant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4095/02]
120 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the level of pollution discharges by British Nuclear Fuels; the impact of such pollution discharges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4096/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Dáil Question No. 161 of 21 November 2001.
The Deputy will be aware that the level of discharges into the Irish Sea are regularly examined by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, details of which are contained in a series of biannual reports published by the RPII. The most recent report published by the RPII, covers the period 1998-1999. The more recent RPII data covering the year 2000 and the first half of last year are available on the RPII's website – www.rpii.ie.
The operation of the Sellafield MOX plant is expected to result in the estimated annual discharge of 12 megabequerels of radioactivity in liquid form which is not significant compared with the radioactive discharges into the Irish Sea from existing operations at Sellafield. According to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, radiation doses received by the Irish population as a direct result of discharges from the MOX plant will not be distinguishable from those due to natural background radiation. Based on the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of radiation, these radiation doses are not significant in terms of human health.