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Nuclear Safety.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2004

Thursday, 30 September 2004

Ceisteanna (6)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

6 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the information available to his Department on the progress made regarding the vitrification of the highly active liquid waste stored at the Sellafield complex; when it is estimated that the process will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22594/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (5 píosaí cainte)

The vitrification plant at Sellafield, which came into operation in 1991 with two vitrification lines, encapsulates the liquid high level radioactive waste held in storage tanks at Sellafield into glass blocks. This is a more stable form of storage and reduces the risk of leakages and subsequent radioactive contamination of the environment.

As a result of technical problems with the vitrification plant, throughput performance over the years has been well below that expected. One could say the same about BNFL. However, my Department understands from the relevant UK Government department and the UK health and safety executive that improvements have been made to the original two vitrification lines and that because of these improvements, throughput has increased steadily. A third vitrification line aimed at increasing vitrification capacity has recently gone into full operation.

As the House will be aware, British Nuclear Fuels Limited was given a direction in January 2001 by the UK health and safety executive's nuclear installations inspectorate to reduce, by way of vitrification, the amount of liquid waste in the storage tanks to a small buffer stock volume by July 2015. My Department understands that BNFL continues to comply with this direction and is on track to meet the 2015 deadline. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has been asked to maintain contact with the UK's nuclear installations inspectorate with a view to monitoring progress in regard to the deadline.

The RPII and the Government are concerned about the continuing storage of this highly active waste in liquid form in tanks at Sellafield and have been pressing, and will continue to press, the UK authorities to accelerate the rate of vitrification. This liquid waste arises from the reprocessing operations at Sellafield. As such, the need for vitrification will ultimately cease when the production of the liquid waste also ceases. The Government will, therefore, continue to use available avenues, both diplomatic and legal, to bring about an end to reprocessing operations at Sellafield, an issue on which all sides of the House are in agreement.

Is the Minister satisfied with the June-July 2015 target for completion of the vitrification process? Does he have a view on how much that deadline, which is 11 years away, could be reduced? Can he give a commitment to the House that he will pursue with the UK authorities a shortening of that deadline?

I agree with the Deputy that 2015 is a long time away. As Keynes once said: "In the long run, we are all dead." This and successive Governments have been concerned about the risks associated with highly active liquid waste and have encouraged the acceleration of the vitrification process. I will remind my UK colleagues on every occasion of the concern of Members on all sides of the House and of people throughout the island on this matter. I will take on board Deputy Gilmore's advice should the opportunity present itself.

When I raised this matter with the Minister's predecessor I was told the UK authorities and, specifically, British Nuclear Fuels continue to refuse to grant the inspectorate of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland access to certain areas of the plant. Perhaps this Minister will use this opportunity to speak with his British counterpart in an effort to gain full access for the inspectorate to areas of the plant closed to inspection.

I know that security arrangements are not available for public consumption but I have asked and suggested on a number of occasions that the Taoiseach be briefed by the British Prime Minister on the adequacies of security at Sellafield against terrorist attacks. During my last visit to Sellafield I was concerned about the admitted increased levels of discharges of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea in the future and with the lack of information regarding adequate security measures. As a sovereign State which could be affected by any incidents at Sellafield we are entitled to such information.

I agree with the Deputy. A judge of the Canadian High Court made the point many years ago that the light of public scrutiny should be allowed to fall into all areas of public administration, and that applies in the case of BNFL to all areas of Sellafield. Both the Irish and British public will be greatly assured if there is independent observation and scrutiny of what happens in that plant. It would be good if the authorities could adopt a more forward looking and progressive view. I will take any opportunity available to me to impress that upon my British colleagues.

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