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| Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant |
Greenpeace today called on Minister Joe Jacob to unite with Denmark in international moves to end nuclear discharges from Sellafield. The Minister is expected to be questioned today in the Dail on Ireland's stance at the forthcoming meeting of the OSPAR Commission on Marine Pollution in Copenhagen next week.
Denmark and Ireland currently have two different proposals tabled for discussion in Copenhagen. Both call for an immediate end to nuclear reprocessing, the main cause of Sellafield's nuclear pollution.
"Greenpeace welcomes Ireland's tough stance on Sellafield," said Greenpeace spokesperson John Bowler, "But a united front is critical to win this key decision. Now is the time to fight to win."
The Irish OSPAR proposal calls for the immediate cessation of reprocessing at Sellafield. Denmark's proposal calls for an immediate suspension followed by a re-write of the discharge authorisations to make reprocessing illegal. Denmark's proposal also applies to the La Hague reprocessing plant in northern France - the French equivalent of Sellafield.
"Denmark's proposal is more comprehensive and still seeks to end reprocessing immediately," said Bowler, "This is a historic chance to stop both major sources of discharges of nuclear waste into the sea."
The Danish proposal includes a period of suspension of reprocessing before a final ban. This allows time for the details of storage arrangements to be worked out for all existing nuclear waste fuel. This nuclear waste must be dry-stored above ground in managed, monitored conditions if future releases of nuclear waste into the sea and air are to be avoided. The proposed Decision needs a 3/4 majority to be adopted. Contracts between Sellafield, La Hague and their major customers in Germany, Switzerland, Japan and the Netherlands could then be re-written, stopping reprocessing permanently.
"Every day at Sellafield is another day of nuclear pollution," said Bowler, "Now for the first time an international proposal is on the table to end it for good. Greenpeace calls on Ireland to join the host country Denmark in making this meeting a historic success for human health and environment."
Nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield and La Hague, separates unused uranium and plutonium from nuclear waste fuel. In the process, Sellafield discharges some 8 million litres of nuclear waste into the Irish Sea, threatening human health and the environment. Radioactive gases are also released from Sellafield's chimneys and stockpiles of dangerous nuclear wastes, including nuclear weapons-useable plutonium, build up on the site.
Notes for editors:
(1) A number of politicians have put down questions on OSPAR for this afternoon in the Dail.
The 1992 OSPAR Convention requires the prevention and elimination of marine pollution in the North-East Atlantic region, including the Irish Sea. The OSPAR member states meet annually to adopt measures necessary to comply with the Convention. They include: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The European Union is also a member.
