sellafield

BNFL and the nuclear wastes trade

Last edited 22 November 2001 at 9:00am

BNFL and it's subsidiary Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd, owns 7 ships which transport nuclear waste fuel and other nuclear materials, including plutonium, around the globe.
The ships carry nuclear waste fuel from BNFL's overseas customers in Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands to its notorious Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria. The ships also carry nuclear waste fuel from the same overseas customers to the French version of Sellafield, La Hague.

What is CORE?

Last edited 22 November 2001 at 9:00am
BNFL boat: Sanpiper

BNFL boat: Sanpiper

Government Terrorism Bill will add to cloak of secrecy around Sellafield

Last edited 21 November 2001 at 9:00am
21 November, 2001

Greenpeace today published aerial photographs of British Nuclear Fuel's Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria to show people the sheer scale and range of nuclear activities that go on there. The pictures pin-point many of the dangerous processes that take place at the plant, which pollute the environment and result in highly radioactive material being transported across the UK. These include the Calder Hall reactor, the THORP plutonium reprocessing facility (one of the biggest buildings in Europe) and the controversial new MOX fuel plant which the Government hopes to open in December.

Aerial view of Sellafield

Last edited 21 November 2001 at 1:00am

Aerial view of Sellafield

Sellafield 'bomb factory' go-ahead not unlawful

Last edited 15 November 2001 at 9:00am
15 November, 2001

Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth vow to fight on as the controversial MOX plant faces three more court challenges

A High Court Judge today ruled that the Government's recent decision to give British Nuclear Fuels Ltd the go-ahead for the MOX plant at Sellafield was not unlawful under European Law. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace had made the case that the Government had wrongly disregarded the £70 million it cost to build the plant when giving the economic justification under EU law (1). In a controversial judgement, Mr Justice Collins ruled that the costs of setting up a new nuclear plant should not be weighed in the balance of economic costs and benefits when deciding whether any nuclear practice is economically justified. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth will consider whether to appeal Mr Justice Collins' decision.

Judge reserves judgement over Sellafield 'MOX' plant

Last edited 12 November 2001 at 9:00am
12 November, 2001

The Judicial Review of the Government's recent decision to allow British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) to begin operations at the mixed oxide (MOX) plant in Sellafield ended at lunchtime today. The legal action was brought by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.

Government forced to defend itself in High Court over Sellafield plutonium plant

Last edited 10 November 2001 at 9:00am
10 November, 2001

Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace argue plant is not economically viable

The Government goes to court today (10.30 am 8/11/01) to defend itself in a joint legal action by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth to prevent the controversial new Sellafield plutonium plant from being opened.

Sellafield nuclear reprocessing facility

Last edited 6 February 2014 at 2:47pm
Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant

Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant

Nuclear power and radioactive waste

Last edited 9 November 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
9 November, 2001

Radioactive substances are produced at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining, to the operation of reactors, to the reprocessing of spent fuel. These include plutonium, caesium, ruthenium, iodine, krypton and strontium. Most will remain hazardous for thousands, and in some cases millions, of years. Despite decades of discussion, the nuclear industry has failed to come up with a safe way of dealing with them. So, as they are released into the environment, building up in the food chain and human bodies, they leave a poisonous legacy to future generations.

Download the report:

Greenpeace challenge the Sellafield MOX plant

Posted by bex — 9 November 2001 at 9:00am - Comments
Sellafield nuclear plant

Sellafield nuclear plant

After a total of five separate public consultation exercises, beginning in February 1997, the Government has finally approved the start of operations at the Sellafield MOX Plant. The plant will manufacture fuel (made from mixed oxides of plutonium and uranium - hence MOX) for nuclear power stations using material recovered from old, exhausted (or 'spent') fuel rods. The MOX fuel will initially be manufactured for the export market and will be dispatched on armed ships or perhaps even by plane direct from Sellafield in Cumbria.