radioactivity

Is Britain still the 'dirty man of Europe'?

Posted by bex — 13 June 2003 at 8:00am - Comments
In 1998, the UK Government promised a 'progressive and substantial' reduction of radioactive discharges from the Sellafield spent fuel reprocessing plant into the Irish Sea.


At the time of the decision, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, famously declared "I was ashamed of Britain's record in the past but now we have shed the tag of the Dirty Man of Europe and have joined the family of nations".

Yet discharges from Sellafield are higher now than in 1998 and are set to double over the next few years (Find out more in Greenpeace's briefing paper on OSPAR and radioactive discharges from Sellafield).

Article tagged as: nuclear power, nuclear waste, radioactivity, UK

Sellafield's radioactive salmon

Posted by bex — 21 May 2003 at 8:00am - Comments

Radioactive waste from Sellafield has been found in Scottish farmed salmon sold in major British supermarkets. Tests commissioned by Greenpeace revealed traces of radioactive waste in packets of fresh and smoked salmon.

salmon
The tests, conducted independently by Southampton University's oceanography centre, found low levels Technetium-99 (Tc-99) in farmed Scottish salmon sold at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Safeway, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.


Tc-99 is a byproduct of Magnox fuel reprocessing. Dr David Santillo, a scientist at Greenpeace's research laboratories at Exeter University, said: "Tc-99 should not be there at all. It is inexplicable yet significant. Scottish salmon is marketed as something that comes from a pristine environment."

Article tagged as: north sea, nuclear power, oceans, radioactivity, reactor safety, salmon, sellafield

Local Authority offsite emergency planning for UK nuclear power plants

Last edited 27 November 2002 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
21 March, 2007

Publication date: November 2002

Summary

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Article tagged as: nuclear accidents, nuclear waste, radioactive waste, radioactivity, reports

Emergency Planning: The ever-present nuclear threat

Last edited 27 November 2002 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
21 March, 2007

Publication date: November 2002

Summary

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Article tagged as: emergency, nuclear accidents, nuclear power, radioactivity, reports, terrorism

Mayak

Last edited 28 October 2002 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
21 March, 2007

Greenpeace briefing

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Article tagged as: health impacts, mayak, nuclear accidents, nuclear power, radioactivity, reports, russia

Sellafield to release notorious nuclear chemical into Irish sea

Last edited 10 September 2002 at 8:00am
10 September, 2002

Greenpeace today reacted with anger to revelations in the Norwegian press that the Sellafield nuclear plant plans to discharge large amounts of a notorious radioactive substance into the Irish Sea this week (1).

Discharges of Technetium 99 have been hugely controversial, particularly in Norway and Ireland, with contamination from the radioactive chemical found on the coasts of both countries. Lobsters are regularly found off Sellafield with levels of Technetium 99 which breach the levels set by the European Community for intervention following a nuclear accident [2]. It will take between two to three years for this week's releases to reach the Norwegian coast.

Article tagged as: irish sea, nuclear power, press releases, radioactivity, reprocessing, sellafield

Science: shaping campaigns

Last edited 22 March 2002 at 9:00am
Dr Kevin Brigden at work in Greenpeace's research laboratory, Exeter University

Dr Kevin Brigden at work in Greenpeace's research laboratory, Exeter University

Article tagged as: bhopal, chemical home, coral reefs, CSS, destructive fishing, e-waste, eels, GM contamination, harp seal, oceans, POPs, radioactivity, REACH, science, toxics

North Sea Ministers Conference

Last edited 18 March 2002 at 9:00am
18 March, 2002

Wave power

The North Sea Ministers Conference this year will focus on a number of key environmental issues including the development and use of renewable energy, radioactive waste transports, radioactive discharges and the release of hazardous substances into the environment. 

Greenpeace will be attending the conference to encourage ministers to commit to action to reverse the ongoing damage to the climate through the use of fossil fuels and to protect the environment and economy of the North Sea area from radioactive and chemical pollution.

Article tagged as: climate change, north sea, nuclear power, press releases, radioactivity, renewable energy

Rotten to the core

Last edited 1 November 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
21 March, 2007

Revelations about BNFL's business and Sellafield since publication of the three nuclear installations inspectorate safety reports

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Article tagged as: nuclear transports, nuclear waste, radioactivity, sellafield

Wylfa restart approved in secret despite continuing safety fears

Last edited 6 August 2001 at 8:00am
6 August, 2001
Wylfa power stationGreenpeace 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.

Article tagged as: BNFL, NII, nuclear accidents, PAWB, press releases, radioactivity, reactor safety, wylfa