The collision between a heavy goods lorry and a train carrying nuclear flasks on its way to collect used nuclear fuel from Dungeness nuclear plant could have been a catastrophe causing many thousands of cancer cases and leaving parts of Kent uninhabitable, warned Greenpeace today
Despite international opposition two armed British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) ships set sail from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria this morning, on the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster (1). The two vessels are bound for Japan to collect nuclear material containing enough plutonium to build 50 nuclear bombs. The dangerous cargo is to be delivered to the controversial Sellafield nuclear plant, which is currently the focus of a major campaign by Irish celebrities calling for its shutdown.
The Greenpeace 'Keep Wylfa shut' campaign ran during 2001 when Wylfa nuclear power station in north west Anglesey closed due to the discovery of defects in some welds inside the reactor pressure vessel in April 2000.
A failure of these welds could have lead to a significant release of radioactivity into the environment, putting people's health at risk.
Wylfa is an old power station, already operating well past its sell-by date. It is currently closed following the discovery of unexpected safety-related problems in April 2000. Despite a history of safety problems, its owners, BNFL Magnox, not only want to continue operating it, but also to extend its life to 50 years.
BNFL Magnox is proposing to manage the current safety problems, rather than repair them. Their strategy is aimed at restarting the reactors as soon as possible, and it inevitably carries with it safety implications.
Greenpeace and People Against Wylfa B (PAWB) have condemned the decision by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) to allow BNFL to restart Wylfa nuclear power station today [1]. Greenpeace and PAWB are calling for the station to be closed permanently on safety grounds. The NII decision, taken in secret, has failed to assess properly the potential dangers of restarting the station.
The reactors were closed in April 2000 following the discovery of defects in welds in the reactor pressure vessels. The NII was concerned that the welds could break open, releasing radioactive contents from the reactor. They asked BNFL to fit 'restraints' to the outside of the pressure vessel to limit radioactive releases if the welds did break open. The welds themselves have not been repaired.
British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) has refused to allow Greenpeace to attend this week's Wylfa Local Community Liaison Council to ask questions about the safety of the controversial nuclear plant on Anglesey (1).
15 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, environmental organisations warned that Wales is living under the threat of another nuclear accident.
In response to a letter from BNFL accusing them of inaccuracies in a report on safety problems at Wylfa nuclear power station, Greenpeace today challenged BNFL to a full public debate.
Welsh Assembly Members today heard the results of a Greenpeace funded report into the dangers of allowing the ageing Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey to reopen [1].
Speakers at the launch, held at the National Assembly, included report author, independent nuclear engineer John Large, Assembly Members Mick Bates (Liberal Democrats) and John Griffiths (Labour) and Dylan Morgan from PAWB (People Against Wylfa B/Pobol Atal Wylfa B).
Greenpeace and People Against Wylfa B (PAWB) have condemned the decision by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) to allow BNFL to restart Wylfa nuclear power station today [1]. Greenpeace and PAWB are calling for the station to be closed permanently on safety grounds. The NII decision, taken in secret, has failed to assess properly the potential dangers of restarting the station. 
