Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 4

Written Answers. - Nuclear Safety.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

238 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his policy on second generation waste stored at Sellafield; the amount and sources of this waste; the amount from Dounreay; and the risk of first and second generation waste reacting to cause an explosion as happened at Dounreay in Scotland previously. [13115/03]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

Government policy on all nuclear waste stored at Sellafield is that it should be safely and securely managed to ensure it poses no threat to Ireland and its environment. Regarding the mixing of different types of waste currently stored at Sellafield, whether generated there or elsewhere, my Department has no information that there is any plan to mix different types of waste, and there are no figures currently available to us regarding the sources and the break down of waste at Sellafield between first generation and second generation waste.

Dounreay is located on the north coast of Scotland, and was established on a former naval base as the centre for UK fast reactor research. It is now engaged on a major decommissioning and site restoration programme to deal with the legacy of past operations. It is estimated by the UK Government that the environmental restoration of Dounreay will involve the investment of £4.5 billion over the next 50-60 years.

The explosion at Dounreay occurred in the late 1970s. Radioactive waste had been disposed of in uncontrolled ways by dumping in a deep shaft on the site. No proper records of the disposals were kept and the explosion was caused by chemical reaction within the dumped materials. I understand from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, the regulator for both Dounreay and Sellafield, that an application has been made to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency by the operators of the Dounreay site, to transfer low level radioactive waste from Dounreay to Drigg near Sellafield. Any such application process involves statutory, including public, consultation. SEPA has applied to the Scottish Office, and the consultation processes will follow.