53

Dumping Worries plO

Sellafield Saga 1Contents Rethinking waste 3 Comment The report of the House of Commons Environment Committee's Inquiry The report of the Environment Committee into waste management by Steve Martin. couldn't have come at a better time: it News 4-5 criticises waste dumping policy as the dump Dounreay News 6-7 sites are announced; it recommends revising Dounreay 30 Years Ago 8 Why was that particular site chosen? the certificates of authorisation to reduce by Steve Martin. discharges at Sellafield as the plant is Secret Transport 9 subjected to intensive media scrutiny fol­ The industry's reluctance to tell all by Pete Mutton. lowing the series of incidents in January Waste Dumping Worries 10-11 and February; and it recommends prohibiting Local opposition takes on a the carriage of nuclear material by air national dimension by Jerry Fitch. just as a public inquiry is about to open One Leak Too Many 12-13 The accident at Trawsfynnyd into a proposal which includes flying plu­ could happen again by Don Arnott. tonium across EUrope. Sellafield Saga 14-15 A litany of bad management and cover-ups by Jean Emery. Should the Government and nuclear in­ Druridge Check-Up 16 dustry sit back and rethink their strategy? Baseline Health survey: a key tool Of course it should! Will they? Of course in the campaign against proposed nuclear power stations by Bridget not. but we've got to make sure they Gubbins. do. We cannot allow this report, however Renewable Energy Bill 17 flawed, to sink without trace into nuclear Energy issues have finally reached ~thology like the Flowers report. the parliamentary parties by David Ross. AT Centre 18-19 This issue of SCRAM includes major fea­ Renewable Energy Live at the Centre ture stories on the inportant areas , of in Wales by Tim Brown. nuclear power policy. We look at the secret Appropriate Technology 19-21 Reviews 22-23 negotiations which led to the choice of Little Black Rabbit, Listings 24 Dounreay for the fast reactor research centre and the present secrecy surrounding the transport of plutonium nitrate from Dounreay to Sellafield. We also catalogue the recent spate of incidents at Sellafield Pete Mutton is a member of the Highland Anti­ and suggest that the plant's days are num­ Nuclear Group Jerry Fitch is the Chair of Bedfordshire bered. We report on the canpaign against Against Nuclear Dumping the dumping of nuclear waste and how it is Don Arnott is a former consultant for the gathering support and momentum. In the International Atomic Energy Agency middle pages we describe what went wrong at Jean Emery is a member of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment Trawsfynydd and ask whether it could happen Bridget Gubbins is the press officer of the again. Druridge Bay Campaign David Ross is a freelance journalist on energy issues We also look on the bright side. A Re­ Tim Brown works for the Centre for Alternative newable Energy Bill has been published and Technology received its First Reading. While not ex­ pecting it to change the world, we feel that this Bill is a good sign that Energy issues.have finally reached Parliament. This journal is produced for the British Anti­ Nuclear and Safe Energy movements by the Scottish Campaign to Resist the Ato~Jc Menace Renewable energy is already a reality in (SCRAM). mid Wales; the Centre for Alternative Tech­ nology was founded over 10 years ago and Editor: Steve Martin News Editor: Thorn Dibdin attracts over 50,000 visitors a year, but Reviews Editor: Rosie Bell now the Centre urgently needs a cash injec­ Graphics: Wilf Plum tion of £20,000 to keep going - dig deep Layout: Andy Wisl=lart into your pockets and help them out (and SCRAM, 11 Forth Street, Edinburgh EHl 3LE don't forget that SCRAM is always short of Tel: 031 557 4283/4 funds too). ISSN 0140 7340 Bi-monthly Deadline for the next issue: Articles 14 May, News 21 May. Sf~llilll 2 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 Rethinking Waste The report of the House of Commons Environment Committee's financial costs of such a decision inquiry into waste management marks another important are too gre~t, and they called upon stage in the nuclear debate. Steve Martin picks out same the Government and BNFL to publish a detailed analysis of THORP. The of the more important recommendations. reluctance of the electricity boards to sign a contract with THORP was seen as significant, but The Committee's report is cri­ excluded from becoming the final the boards have since announced tical of the Government's policy of facility. The large-scale public that they do intend to sign: a case relying on advice from the nuclear opposition to test drilling in of the industry closing ranks to industry alone, and recommends that Galloway was partly due to the protect itself! environmental organisations should belief that the site would eventu­ Magnox reprocessing was also be represented on the advisory ally be chosen for the dump. examined but the Committee accepts bodies. It also recommends that the industry advice that fuel rod cor­ industry should be •more open and rosion during prolonged water stor­ forthright in all its affairs• and age necessitates reprocessing. Evi­ should release all technical papers dence to the contrary from Green­ to the public unless there are peace arrived too late for con­ overriding defence or commercial sideration but the Committee excep­ reasons for not doing so. tionally appended the evidence to their report because it seems to "challenge what we have been given previously and our acceptance of the need to continue to reprocess The bulk of the report examines magnox. • waste management which the Commit­ tee feels is so important that the DISCHARGES UK's slowly evolving strategy is "regrettably inadequate•; and they The "dilute and disperse• phil­ were struck by the progress being osophy of waste management comes made in the other countries visited under attack in the report and is - France, Germany, canada, SWeden regarded as highly unsatisfactory. and the United States - and how far The concept is central to Sella­ behind the UK has fallen. field's operations and involves The main recommendations centre discharging radioactive material on classification; the current into the environment in the hope practice of defining low, inter­ that it will disperse into sup­ mediate and high level wastes by posedly safe concentrations. This their radioactivity alone is "fre­ element of waste management should quently .misleading• and should be REPROCESSING be reduced to as small as technic­ extended to include other criteria: ally achievable according to the physical state; activity; radiation Reprocessing is central to waste report. type; longevity; biochemical pro­ management doctrine in this country Discharge authorisations should perties. The new scheme should have although all other countries except be revised and should include five categories: very LOW Level, the French do not reprocess but "levels of particulate matter and Low Level., short-lived and long­ directly dispose of spent fuel. The plutonium and other actinides" as lived Intermediate Level and High Committee examined the industry's low as technically achievable with Level which will ensure that long­ justification of reprocessing and constant efforts to reduce these to lived wastes cannot be dumped in could not accept most of the argu­ as near zero as possible. near surface facilities. ments. Apart from being much lower than The operation of the low level BNFL •overstated (the waste man­ at present the new authorisations dump at Drigg is described as agement) aspect of their case• in should be fixed limits and should "haphazard" and "wholly unsatisfac­ the opinion of the committee and not include any •reasonableness" tory• and • is not an acceptable "that at the very least the econ­ qualification. The discrepancy bet­ model for any future disposal omic case is doubtful" when repro­ ween permitted and actual dis­ site•. Much of the material dunped cessing costs are greater than charges also worried the COmmittee. at Drigg is not contaminated and those for the raw material. The In most cases less than 10% of the dealing with it elsewhere could strategic supply case is too bound limit is discharged so it too ea­ significantly extend Drigg's oper­ up with energy policy for the En­ sily accomodates unusual events or ating life, subject to very strin­ vironment Committee to comment but accidents and leads BNFL to claim gent .rules. they do suggest that stockpiling that a large accidental discharge Apart from the French other uranium at its current low cost is within permitted limits. countries concentrate their efforts could be a viable economic alterna­ on geological disposal, and the tive. This report does not question Col'llnittee believes that "if any The committee could not examine nuclear power as such but its re­ disposal system is acceptable to military plutonium requirements so commendations are aimed at increa­ public opinion then the Swedes seem their conclusions had to be based sing the public accountability of to have found it•. It must be re­ on civil uses (such as the fast the industry. If accepted the re­ mentlered that the SWedish people reactor) and so they feel that "the port will have far reaching effects voted to phase out nuclear power by size of existing stocks of pluto­ on the industry and could show the about 2010 so they have a very good nium in comparison with the current true cost of nuclear power. Need­ idea of exactly what amount of need is so large as to render plu­ less to say the report is likely to waste they have to deal with. tonium valueless in monetary be ignored just as the Flowers Deep geological research is ur­ terms.• report was, but it provides useful gently needed in this country and The Committee therefore recom­ ammunition for the campaign and the camtittee recomnended that the mended that THORP should be aban­ could affect the Dounreay inquiry - research site should be explicitly doned unless the employment and or am I being too hopeful? •

SCRAM Journal April/May '86 3 •News Sizewell BNFL

A leak of sodium/potassium coolant The French electricity utility's Shadow environment spokesman Dr. in the PFR building: at DoUnreay design and construction programme John CUnningham's favourite em­ caused a small fire at the plant on director, M. R~ Carle, has told a ployer: British Nuclear fuels, have March 19. The leak was from one of Lords Select Committee that ~he placed a £10 million shipbuilding three cooling loops which are de­ safety measures for the Sizewell B contract with a Japanese firm. signed to remove decay heat from Am could be too strict. This is British Shipbuilders, who have the core in •special circumstances• the only way he can account for the completed five succesful contracts and required the loop to be drained high cost the CEGB expects to pay with BNFL, claim that the Japanese and subsequently a •controlled for the station. price is subsidised to the extent shutdown• of the reactor. Penalty clauses in the contracts that it would not even cover the No radiation was involved and are allegedly costing £3.4m a month cost of materials. It is believed no-one was injured according to according to Lord Gray because of thet there are no shipbuilding DoUnreay management, but it demon­ the delay in making a decision on yards in Dr. John's Cope land strates how careful the plant oper­ the plant. About £10m cculd also be constituency. ators have to be when dealing with paid out to contractors if the PWR a material as dangerous as liquid design is not selected. sodium which spontaneously combusts The Inquiry Report is not now on contact with air: any slight expected to be published until the IUKAEA leak could have serious consequen­ autumn. Because of the continuing Alastair Goodlad, Under Secretary ces. delay the Government is preparing of State for Energy, has assured to make a quick decision after the the Commons that placing the UKAEA Energy Secretary receives the Re­ on a trading basis is not a prelude port. The plan is to pave the way for privatisation. Concern was felt IYugoslavi a for an announcement of a progranune that the CEGB may have undue in­ Yugoslav plans to expand the nu­ of up to 6,000MW of PWR's early in fluence over the Authority, but Mr clear energy programme are falling 1987. The Goverrunent hcpes that Goodlad said that the CEGB's con­ foul of the country's federal further inquiries will be site­ tribution to the UKAEA will amount structure. specific and will not reiterate the to only 15% even after the shifts Opposition is strong amongst the arguments of the Sizewell Inquiry. in funding announced last year. six constituent Republics although Electrical Review, 14.3.86 Electrical ReviEM, 21/28.2.86 the federal Govermnent, which con­ trols major foreign currency con­ tracts, is accepting tenders for the construction of two new nuclear power stations by the end of the IETSU century.. They are seeking an 85% Who killed off wave power research in this country? Who is in charge countertrade ag~eement on all tech­ nology, equipment and service i~ of the EDRP inquiry case for the ports. UKAEA? The answer to both questions is Mr Peter navies. -cpposition is on both econanic Mr navies was previously pro­ and safety grounds. At a meeting of gramme manager for the Wave Energy the Communist Party central commdt­ Steering Committee based at Bar­ tee in February, a leading light of well, and was in charge of wave the anti nuclear movement, or. power research from 1975. The Ener­ Dragisa Ivanovic, described the gy Technology Support Unit, which decision to build the plants as •a supervised alternatives research, noose around YUgoslavia's neck,• in was established under the auspices terms of both cost in scarce of the UK Atomic Energy Authority foriegn exchange and of the health and was mostly staffed by people risk in storing nuclear waste. from the nuclear industry. YUgoslavia has a hundred years worth of coal reserves and owo­ nents are seeking a 25 year morato­ rium similat to the SWedish refer­ endum decision. They are worried 1China that once the country's domestic Wf~tern plans to exploit the Chi­ tiations for the last two years to uranium deposits run out, it would nese nuclear energy market are supply two 1000 MW reactors in a be dependent on a major foreign running awry, as orders for nuclear deal reported to be worth £1.2 power for imports which would af­ power stations are cancelled. Of­ billion. The cancelling· of the fect its non-aligned status. ficials are now describing the sunan project has ended plans for YUgoSlavia- already has a 664 MW Chinese government's proposals to the West Germans to send 150 tonnes reactor at Krsko in the western .build 10 nuclear plants by the end of spent fuel to China for storage . part of the country. Prevlak, the of the century as a vague target, only site· so far proposed for the not a set plan. Despite the dropping of the new plants, is in the same area. The first victim of China's sunan project, China's Premier Zhao Since the completion of the present shortage of ready cash is the SUnan Ziyang is reported to have told US reaetor they have had to increase reactor near Shanghai, which has Energy secretary John Herrington their electricity iuports from Aus­ been dropped from China's next Five that China's policy on building tria. Year Plan. The Chinese pulled out nuclear power station is unchanged. croatia, M1ich has considerable of a deal with the French CompaQy Indeed the Daya Bay project near energy problems, is the only Repub­ Framatome in 1979 after a year's Hong Kong seems likely to go ahead, lic seriously backing nuclear discussions-. The latest loser· is with heavily subsidised reactors power, although they can not afford the German Kraftwerk Union (KWU) from Framatome. GEC have already it. They are, however, reported to which had already signed a co­ signed a memorandum of agreement be seeking long term credit dealS' operation agreement in Bonn last with China to supply two turbine fran the Italians to finance just June. generators at a cost of £250M which such a project. KWU have been involved in nego- is 20% lower than hoped.

4 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 • C.U.R.B. News I

BNFL are dumping liquid nuclear products, when Capenhurst is a pear to be any means of stopping waste into Rivacre Brook, Ellesmere Uranium enrichment plant. flow in case of an accident. Port, from their Capenhurst enrich­ The people of Ellesmere port, ment plant. The brook passes which has the second highest cancer CURB, who can be contacted on through a densely populated area, rate in the country, are frightened 051 722 1512, are making 4 demands: including a children's play area that the new Trident Fuel enrich­ * the installaion of automatic and two schools, before spilling ment plant will greatly increase monitoring at the outlet, with a into the Manchester ship canal. the danger of accidental release. system to shut off the flow if ANY Compared with the discharges They have formed a new pressure radiation release occurs; from Sellafield, the contamination group, known as CURB (Clean Up * independent monitoring of Rivacre at Rivacre brook appears very min­ Rivacre Brook). brook; sil}..or, at least on paper. However the CURB is particularly concerned * immediate withdrawal of permis­ ~~,s figures released by BNFL appear that there are open grilles leading sion to dump waste into the brook; rather suspect, as they make no directly into the brook from the * diversion of the brook away from mention of Uranium or its decay plant and that there does not ap- the uranium enrichment plant.

A nuclear fuel flask was transpor­ refused to tell us exactly when it worries of the students was the ted by road from the Hunterston arrived or when it would be loaded lack of independent information on nuclear power station to Torness into the reactor. nuclear power . last October. According to the SSEB During a phone call to the Finally, an alarm sounded at press release, •The flask will Board's press office we discovered Torness in early February. It was contain no fuel. In fact, it is a that queries from SCRAM are dealt described as a "false alarm" by the new flask which has not been used with "in a special way• and that SSEB, yet they chose not to reply previously.• answers will not be given over the to a written request from SCRAM for SCRAM wrote to the SSEB to clar­ phone; we have to write instead. information on it. Fortunately we ify whether the flask was indeed This lack of co-operation is not discovered the facts after a chat empty as we had heard that fuel was a very good sign. What is worse is with the station manager following expected to arrive at the plant in the SSEB's constant refusal to a radio programme he took part in October. The reply from the public appear with SCRAM either at debates (and we couldn't because he did!): relations officer was restricted to or on the radio. A two-sided debate a construction worker accidently a copy of the press release. In which SCRAM was due to take part in leant against a fire alarm! Surely February we heard that the fuel was at an Edinburgh school became a the Board could have told us that in store at the plant but the Board one-sided talk; and one of the main in their letter? I Storage I'Bribes' The Department of the Environment Allerdale District Council Chairman trieved whenever necessary. is funding a research programme TOm TWeddle has described BNFL's The Government's plan for a land into the reactions of local objec­ contribution to the local tourist burial site will run into immediate tors to NIREX's radioactive waste industry as a "shot in the arm•. It union opposition, when they attempt dumping proposals. A university is uncertain whether this was a to implement it, as the transport researcher who is questioning literal or figurative reference. unions have given an undertaking to people at public meetings at FUl­ According to a report in the Greanpeace that they will not de­ beck on their reactions, admitted Harwell bulletin and BNFL News, liver nuclear waste to any site when challenged that her paymasters BNFL has already contributed almost that does not meet with the above are the DoE. The objectors believe £900,000 towards local projects. criteria. that the research is to guage the These gifts have been described by best way of releasing future un­ anti-nuclear activists as "bribes". popular plans to the public. The most expensive of them was £500,000 for a running-track at I Dounreay Whitehaven, near Sellafield. An 1Radwaste extra £20,000 was spent on re­ In February the Dounreay management Models for predicting the migration siting six pigeon lofts 200 yards announced that, over the previous 9 and biological transfer of radio­ away as they were in the way of the months, power fed into the grid nuclides from shallow land burial track. Not everyone is happy how­ from PFR had saved the tax payer sites are inadedquate, according to ever; as one pigeon fancier said: over £9 million. the International Atomic Energy •we're surprised they haven't got Douglas McRoberts, Dounreay's Agency (!AEA) • 12 countries were fitted carpets at that price.• senior information officer, said, represented at a meeting in Vienna A separate "gift• of £350,000 •The plant is purely for research last November to instigate a four has been given to Maryport in CUm­ and development, funded by the tax year research programme into such bria for an exhibition and "Museum payer. so the good news is that movement of radionuclides. Facility•. SCRAM was unable to over £9, lOO, 000 of taxpayers' money The meeting decided that the so­ ascertain whether the museum is to has been saved in terms of elec­ called environmental transport as­ include the Sellafield site, or if tricity exported to the Grid.• pects of the problem should be it is just a museum of industrial But, money alocated to the Doun­ emphasised in research. Other top­ disasters. reay PFR fuel cycle in 1984/85 was ics will include measurement stud­ £68.9 million. So Dounreay actually ies to improve the data base and wasted nearly £60 million of tax also model development and valida­ payers' money! tion studies. Unless these models are im­ IRadwaste proved, it will be impossible to TUC policy on radwaste is that it predict adequately the effect of should be stored above ground in any form of dump on the environ­ specially constructed repositories, ment. where it can be monitored and re-

SCRAM Journal April/May '86 5 IDounre

I CANCER I ROAD IMPROVEMENTS- The incidence of childhood leu­ covered another three cases of Caithness Chamber of Commerce is kaemia within 12.5km of Dounreay is leukaemia within 25km of the site. attempting to persuade the new ten times higher than expected A week later the UKAEA published Scottish Secretary that the A9 according to a report in the Feb­ a survey which revealed high levels trunk road in the county requires ruary 1 issue of the Lancet .f These of leukaemia deaths in Orkney and urgent improvements and would like figures were discovered during a Shetland in the 25 year period up him to drive along the road to see survey carried out by a team from to 1982. The way the press release for himself. the Scottish Health Service Common was worded caused a great deal of The Chamber stressed that it is Services Agency. controversy. The Orkney parish of particlarly important if EDRP is to The team discovered 5 cases of Orphir, in which there is a ten be sited at Dounreay that these leukaemia registered between 1979 fold excess of acute leukaemia, was improvements should be carried out. and 1984 in people living within described by Dounreay management as It seems EDRP is being used as 12. 5km of the site. The expected being "near Flotta• when it is just an excuse for getting essential figure, based on the all-Scotland as close to Kirkwall and Stromness; improvements done in many areas. rates, is 0.513. Four patients were and North Maven, a high incidence under 15 at registration. area on Shetland, was described as The findings are difficult to "near Sullom voe• when it is I FARMERS evaluate, but, "the facts that all actually over 6 miles away across The Caithness area National the reported cases within 25km the water. of Farmers executive have decided occurred within a 5-year period, 5 Both Flotta and sullom Voe are to retain their joint objection were in children under 15, and 5 oil terminals and the Dounreay lodged with their Orkney counter­ occurred within 12.5km of Dounreay, survey was obviously intended to parts despite a small majority may increase its potential impor­ implicate them. Fortunately people recorded in favour of the plant in tance", according to the report. are not so stupid and the trick a recent referendum held by the Penny Boyle of the Nuclear Re­ back-fired. Union. processing Concern Group, has dis- As the membership was evenly split on the issue - 174 for and 141 against - it was felt important I REPC:Rrm, s ME~Itl; to keep their objection to ensure they were represented at the in­ The Reporter for the EDRP inquiry start of the inquiry should have quiry. Bill Sinclair, the immediate held an unprecedented meeting with been delayed by at least a month past president, believed that the representatives of Orkney CADE and from the time that CADE receives National NFU would not support the UKAEA to discuss the release of the new information. But no, the Orkney NFU's objection by itself. documentation for the inquiry. The Reporter made it clear that he was The Union is to continue efforts two CADE ment>ers were flown down at not going to entertain the to try to resolve outstanding en­ the Scottish Office's expense possibility of a delay. At the end of the three hour vironmental concerns. meeting all the CADE requests were granted, but watered down. The UKAEA agreed to release summaries of the health & safety reports from 1975 to 1979 which would list all the radiological incidents but without the building numbers, in­ stead the function of each building Caithness District council has set said that the Reporter felt the would be described. the hire charge for Thurso Town council would have been "pushing A paper on the decammissioning Hall during the inquiry at £800 a it" to charge the full rate because of an earlier reprocessing plant on week. This covers the main hall and the Town Hall is not usually used the site was released despite the a number of smaller rooms. The to maximum extent: the main hall is fact that CADE had previously been figure does not represent the full only used once or twice a year. told that the only information amount normally charged. The initial booking is for 15 available was a four page article Chief Executive Alistair Beattie weeks! in the June 1979 issue of Atom. Health statistics from the Medical Research Council's survey I EUROPEAN VOTE of UKAEA workers will also be made The European Parliament motion entirely up to the British Govern­ available but it is not clear over calling for the closure of Sella­ ment • • • as far as I am concerned what time-scale the figures will field pending a safety inquiry we will continue unless the British refer. included an amendment tabled by government tells us not to". The final request proved to be Alex Falconer (Mid Scotland & Fife, Malcolm Bruce MP, the Liberal's more contentious than was expected: Lab) and Winnie EWing (Highlands & energy spokesperson, said in a CADE wanted details of all non­ Islands, SNP) which called for a commons energy debate that "it radioactive discharges from the halt to the Dounreay proposal. would be crass foolhardiness to go plant, but the UKAEA seemed un­ The EDRP plan is part of a Euro­ ahead with the reprocessing facil­ willing. The reporter finally in­ pean collaboration which includes ity at Dounreay when there are so structed their release. five member nations of the EEC; and many troubles at Sellafield". A victory for common sense? well as such is more likely to be affec­ perhaps, but when will the ted by EUropean criticism than objectors receive these documents? Sellafield. A Dounreay spokesperson INOOWAY With the inquiry about to start on said that the European decision April 7 an agreement to release would probably mean "the scaremon­ The Norwegian Environment Minister, vital information an March 6 after gers would have a field day on the Rakel surlein, visited Britain in nearly four months of asking leaves political front". March to discuss Dounreay and acid precious little time to incorporate Mr Blumfield, the Director of rain. She urged that all the poss­ the information in the objectors' Dounreay, dismissed the cancell­ ible effects of EDRP should be case. In view of this fact the ation call and said that "it is studied at the public inquiry. SCRAM Journal April/May '86 6 Dounreayl

I CHURCH I mviRONMEm' CCHU'rl'EE- The caithness Presbytery of the The Environment Committee Report The Reporter has ordered that a Church of Scotland has backed the includes rel~vant recommendations full set of all the documents EDRP proposals after a lively and for the EDRP proposal. If implemen­ lodged by the Applicants should be at times heated debate. The Pres­ ted they would mean a major rethink available for public inspection in bytery's support was qualified by for the applicants. Lerwick. This decision followed a the proviso that the safety stan­ The Committee makes an impor­ protest by the Shetland branch of dards should be of the highest tant recommendation on nuclear CADE. possible level. transport. Despite the very small The complete set of documents BNFL's •filthy record of care­ statistical risk of a plane acci­ are to.be on display in Kirkwall, lessness and lack of safety• was dent they felt that the consequen­ Thurso, Inverness, and Edinburgh. cited by the Rev Ian Stiven as a ces could be very serious and Documents will not, however, be reason for not supporting the ex­ therefore recommend that: "The car­ displayed in Wick. The Reporter pansion. He also disputed a part of riage by air of all except the very replied to Pete Riding of NROG: the report to the Special Committee lowest levels of radioactive mater­ •The arrangements for circulation on Dounreay that it was •sure that ials should be prohibited.• of productions is already more the technology exists for the safe extensive than for any previous storage of nuclear waste•. The Committee also has plumped inquiry in Scotland. I do not con­ The British Council of Churches for ALATA (AS LOW AS Technically sider it reasonable to require a is against any significant expan­ Achievable) for discharges and further set to be made available at sion of the nuclear industry and would like to see this principle Wick." reprocessing on safety and waste adopted at Sellafield. No specific The documents arrived at disposal grounds. mention is made of the Dounreay Kirkwall Public Library on February proposal and Sir Hugh Rossi, the 17, exactly one month late; and Committee Chair, expressed some then only because SCRAM contacted concern that he had not been infor­ the Reporter and told him that they med about the proposal on a visit were not available the previous to Dounreay in the course of the week. Mr Bell was "distinctly investigation. disappointed"

I soP Delegates at the Scottish Con­ aware of the need for jobs in the ference of the Social Democratic north, but we don't know the truth Party, held in Paisley in February, about so many questions on nuclear defeated a motion from the Young power as there is so much propa­ Social Democrats which called on a ganda". future Alliance government to set The pro-Dounreay stance of many up a royal Commission on the en­ SDP members is thought to worry vironmental consequences of nuclear some Liberal and SDP MP' s. It has power, and opposed any expansion been suggested that nuclear power pending the outcome of such an is the Alliance's main area of inquiry. disagreement, and some members calum MacKenzie, a technologist would prefer to stifle public de­ caithnes~Divisional Planning Com­ at Dounreay, spoke against the bate until the disagreements can be mittee unanimously passed a Plan­ motion and claimed that •the nu­ resolved. ning Application by Dounreay for clear industry has a role to play. However, public debate there has construction of a tidal barrier. It has to be safe and think it is been. The Scottish Liberals passed The UKAEA hope the barrier will safe". a motion at their Conference a­ reduce the intake of seaweed into Another speaker said, "I am well gainst the Dounreay expansion. the cooling water intake system by 80-90%. The problem was first discovered I LABOUR in 1974 when commissioning of PFR The Labour Party has also objected vote on the first day of conference was delayed for several weeks due to the EDRP plans. A masterly piece had already decided the issue. The to the sea water cooling system of political strategy effectively electricians and engineers were being blocked by hundreds of tonnes spiked the guns of the pro-nuclear furious, but the TGWU were let off of seaweed thought to have been lobby and paved the way for repre­ the hook and the anti-nuclear torn up during a storm at sea. sentation at the inquiry. policy remained intact. The pro-nuclear delegates at the Scottish conference were narrowly I REFERENDUM defeated on the first day so set I SNP Fearn, Seaboard, Tarbat and Nigg about intense backroom activity to The news of the leaks at Sellafield community Council has called on defeat the main Dounreay motion on •cuts the credibility of the nu­ Highland Regional council to organ­ the final day. The TGWU were forced clear industry to ribbons", accor­ ise a referendum in the Region to into a position of having to ab­ ding to Alex Salmond, the Scottish test public opinion to the EDRP stain because the motion included National Party vice chair. "In the proposals. The Coommity Council no specific recommendation on al­ light of what is happening in cum­ have already objected to the plans. ternative employment (and because bria no-one in their right mind can the 600 TGWU members at Dounreay now. believe a word of their prom­ had threatened to resign and join ises about Dounreay. IK>NEY the electrician's union) • The ab­ "Linked to the reports of high The Orkney and Shetland stention could have meant defeat cancer rates in caithness this must Councils have each set aside for the motion. totally undermine any public con­ £60,000 for representation at the The delegate moving the motion fidence in the UKAEA/BNFL assur­ inquiry. The money is coming from on Dounreay withdrew it at the last ances on the safety of their pro­ the Planning Departments. minute because he felt that the posed Dounreay plant.•

SCRAM Journal April/May '86 7 Dounreay- 30 Years Ago During 1953 secret negotiations led to the choice of Dounreay for the site of an experimental fast reactor. This choice was based on the low population density of the surrounding area. Steve Martin here describes how the choice was made.

In the summer of 1952 the cabinet approved in principle the construction of a fast breeder reactor, and that decision was an­ nounced in January 1953 by the then Minister of SUpply. An October 1953 me100randum by the Atomic Energy Division of the Ministry of supply sought to ex­ plain the project. The document admitted that "There is a re100te possibility of an explosion" and outlined the possible effects. Physical damage to property was expected to be restricted to the area within a one mile radius of the plant but radioactive con­ Dounreay in the early 60's tamination may spread in a narrow segment downwind. In "adverse con­ At a meeting of the Scottish he was worried that speculators ditions" this contamination may Planning Committee on October 16 to would start buying up property and require permanent evacuation of discuss the risks, the impact of land in the area. this narrow segment for some dis­ the development and its amenities, An explanation of Why there is tance from the site, and teuporary it was stressed that "If the reac­ so much institutional and trade evacuation over a greater distance tor was successful they would build union support for Dounreay now can for a few days until IOOnitoring and others in 100re conventional places be found in Sir David's letter: •1 decontamination were complete, and retain the Dounreay site for work very closely with the local In view of this risk it was experimental purposes.• labour exchange ••• and the Directors thought "undesirable" that the of Education, who can do so much in plant should be located within some EVACUATION encouraging the right type of miles of any town. Other criteria youngster to go into industry ••• • included a sea coast location to But the Scottish Home Depart­ 'ltle announcement of Dounreay enable effluent discharges, a foun­ ment was still anxious about the as the site was in March 1954. It dation of solid rock and the avail­ project, so their Mr Anderson wrote was hoped that knowledge gained ability of up to 12 million gallons to Mr France at the Ministry of from the experimental fast reactor of good quality fresh water a day. SUpply to request confirmation of would allow the construction of The site also required sufficient points which were discussed at the other breeder reactors "which are area to accommodate further experi­ meeting and which did not appear in just as safe" as the Harwell and mental reactors. the draft of the paper Which was to Windscale reactors. be put to Ministers. Could evacuation really take FUEL FOR WEAPONS? THREE SUITABLE SITES place anything up to 48 hours from The three most suitable sites the time of the release, and would 'lbere was a remote possiblity were identified: Llanbedr near Har­ even this leave a "considerable of an accident but it was unlikely lech on the west coast of Wales, margin for tolerance"? The reply that radioactivity would escape Little Ferry near Golspie in read •in the worst possible case it from the contaimnent sphere. If SUtherland, and Dounreay in Caith­ might be necessary to evacuate some such an escape did occur the "Atom­ ness. small number of people close to the ic Energy project would ensure that Boeh Llanbedr and Little Ferry factory at a somewhat shorter pe­ appropriate arrangements were made were dismissed on population riod of time. " to cover any resulting disturbance grounds. In 1965 the Trawsfyndd In an attempt to further allay and loss of livelihood." nuclear plant was built only 15 Mr Anderson •s fears of an accident The remoteness of Caithness miles from Llanbedr and Little Mr France concluded that "further was cited as the reason for the Ferry was declared a nature reserve research and development work on choice, this time publicly. However by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in the project has substantially re­ it went further:. "If the risk was 1971. duced, if not eliminated, the risk completely absent, or if the know­ Dounreay was selected as suit­ of an explosion". A remarkable ledge of the reactor was more ad­ able because the "dispersed rural technological achievement in just vanced, it would be cheaper and population is comparatively small one 100nth !. more convenient to locate the pro­ and most of the land is already Councillors and officials in ject in a less remote area.• Govermnent property". Although the caithness were not so worried. They This article is based only on Atomic Energy Division at Risley welcomed the project and according the documents released under the 30 preferred the Little Ferry site, to Sir David Robinson, the local year rule: others were closed for Dounreay was selected for •superior MP, "None of them are in the least 50 years. Reference to nuclear hazard to population considera­ concerned about the risks to the weapons was restricted to: "fuel tions.• It is doubtful Whether they civil population." used in the breeder could in an foresaw that the influx of workers Sir David wrote to the Scot­ emergency be removed and used for would increase the population tish Office and the Ministry of the manufacture of weaP9ns and it within 2 miles of the site from 150 supply to urge that an announcement might be necessary to do this."· • to 550. be made as soon as possible because

8 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 ties' confidence in their safety and security measures if they feel Secret Transport it too risky to allow the ships into port, does it? A number of issues will be examined at the forthcoming The safety studies have still Dounreay public inquiry but many of the more important not been made public although an ones will not. A significant issue which will not be updated assessment of the radio­ dealt with is the transport of plutonium. Pete Mutton logical consequences of a discharge of plutonium nitrate into the sea here examines the industry's reluctance to divulge infor­ has been released. Details relating mation on plutonium transports. to security isSues must r~in secret to ensure their effective­ ness. · That does not mean a veil of Little has emerged from the and thermal tests, although oppor­ secrecy should be used to withold Applicants (BNFL and UKAEA) about tunity is given for compliance to information about safety, but that plutonium dioxide transport. The be demonstrated by reference to is precisely what the nuclear in­ glossy 117 page Environmental Im­ previous testing, the use of no­ dustry is doing. pact Assessment makes no reference dels, a reasoned argument or a It is therefore not surprising to the environmental impact of a combination thereof. that the BNFL/UKAEA's Environmental spillage from one of the con­ The NII Safety Assessment re­ Impact Assessment says so little tainers, nor is there any reference vealed that in the mechanical test, about the transport of plutonium. to studies carried out to demon­ the radiation shielding of the The SUWlementary Informatioo sub­ strate the ability of the contai­ plutonium nitrate container was mitted with the planning applica­ ners to withstand aviation acci­ damaged; yet tlle subsequent thermal tion also said little but what was dents. SUch a dearth of information test was done on an undamaged one said was revealing. It stated: about such an integral part of the third-scale JOOdel. Calculations proposed developnent is quite dis­ were then made to deroonstrate that •considerable care has to be graceful, but is, regrettably, true the damaged container would have taken to ensure the physical to form for the nuclear industry survived the thermal test! ~es­ security of plutonium, par­ and follows the pattern displayed tions as to why a JOOdel was used ticularly when it is being when the transport of plutonium and for the experimental data and transported. In this respect, nitrate started between Dounreay calculations to be released for air transport offers many ad­ and Sellafield. independent scrutiny have not been vantages in providing the ne­ answered, again on security cessary security. • REPORTS CLASSIFIED grounds, although the information requested cannot have any security This raises a couple of inpor­ The shipments started in 1979 inplicatioos. tant points. Firstly, if air trans­ without public discussion and re­ Another exanple of the absur­ po'"t offers such advantages, why is quired no planning coosent. The dity of the Nil Report is two ref­ the plutonium currently produced at Government did, however. publish a erences to •refuge ports• for the Dounreay transported by sea? And safety assessment by the Nuclear ships. Requests for these ports to secondly, the statement is a clear Installations Inspectorate ( NII) be named finally resulted in the admission that the plutonium has which reviewed the studies carried Government announcing that •ports• military potential. Why else would out without actually revealing the was a typographical error and it be a security risk? detail of those studies. Requests should have read •points• 1 The same by the anti-nuclear movement for typographical error twice and no­ INQUIRY A FARCE these to be made public were met body noticed it before publicati6n! with a refusal; the reports were EXcuse me if I appear cynical, but The plan is, therefore, to fly classified. even if we accept it as true it the raw material of nuclear weapons This is clearly nonsense. In­ doesn't explain what hazards are across EUrope and, if Mrs 'lbatcher ternational Atonric Energy Agency felt to be so serious that no mat­ has her way, this diabolical trade (IAFA) Regulations require that ter what problems affect the ship, could soon be put into private containers be subjected to the it will not put into port. It hands for private profit. Does this cumulative effects of mechanical doesn't say much for the authori- worry you? It shO)Jld because it scares the shit out of me. Yet our deJOOCratically elected represen­ tatives, whether they be Highland Regional Councillors or the Secre­ tary of State for Scotland, con­ sider such matters to be of such little importance that they don't think it worthwhile to examine the implications at a public inquiry. It is disgraceful that our elected representatives take such a casual and irresponsible attitude towards such an inportant issue. It is therefore up to the anti-nuclear movement to keep the public in~ formed and whilst the farce of an inquiry goes on at Thurso it is up to us to emphasise that the real purpose of EDRP is to produce plu­ tonium for military use and that the safety of the public is seen by the nuclear industry and the Goverrunent to be secondary to that purpose. RecoVery fran the seabed of an enpty plutonium nitr:ate container: dur:ing tests. •

SCRAM Journal April/May '86 9 Dumping Worries The short list of four potential sites for the dumping of shallow land burial and to form a low level and short-lived intermediate level radioactive united front with groups in other waste was announced by Kenneth Baker, the Environment threatened areas. Secretary, on February 25. Jerry Fitch looks at the sites BROAD-BASED OPPOSITION and describes the local opposition which has grown up in Bedfordshire Against Nuclear the areas. Dumping (BAND) has never adopted a ------parochial stance. With the naming Almost two and a half years after Speculation is rife: which site of the other sites we have been Elstow in Bedfordshire was named as ( if any) is the best. John Baker able to make contact with other a possible site for low level nu­ (no relation), chairman of UK Nirex groups to offer them the benefit of clear waste, the Environment Secre­ (the state-owned conpany which was our experience, and to urge them tary added three others to the formed by the Government to manage not to pursue a divide-and-rule list. The new sites are South Kil­ Britain's nuclear waste, and which policy. It is a broad-based, na­ lingholme in Humberside, Bradwell grew out of the Nuclear Industry tional and united opposition to in Essex and Fulbeck in Lincoln­ Radioactive waste Executive) claims shallow land burial that must sure­ shire. Each site is in the constit­ that all the sites start as equals, ly win the day for ALL the sites. uency of a Conservative MP, and the and that "if a site rules itself In Bedfordshire we have done first three are on land already out during our investigations we. almost everything possible as a owned by the Central Electricity will say so•. People are seeking to pressure group. Locally we have had Generating Board~ the Fulbeck site identify the factors that would considerable success against NIREX, is a government-owned disused air­ make for a good or a bad site (de­ and other groups will certainly be field between Newark and Lincoln. pending where you stand). able to do likewise. Yet, in tack­ Given the rneaia's recent pre­ Elstow has been on the cards for ling the Government, we realise occupation with the nuclear indus- two and a half years so a lot of that our local c:anpaign can best be strengthened by becaning part of a wider opposition to dumping where­ soever it is proposed. This must surely be the way forward for all groups concerned with this issue. DIRECT ACTION CONSIDERED

The caJTpaign in South Killing­ holme began in September last year with a steering committee being set up after a public meeting attended by over 400 people. The first chair of the committee was a Labour coun­ cillor. A Tory councillor now holds the post which demonstrates the all party nature of the caJTpaign. Des­ pite local media support it was difficult to break through the natural apathy of the people, that is until the announcement: interest and opposition have now mushroomed. The caJTpaigns in Fulbeck and try it may appear politically ~ site-specific work must have al­ Bradwell are catching up on the prudent for the government to name ready been carried out, which may other two areas since the announce­ the other sites at the time it mean that the other sites appear ment. The initial feeling was that chose. But perhaps the decision was less favourable through default - "sweet talking will convince NIREX" taken precisely, because nuclear hard luck Bedfordshire! But, if but now the people are beginning to issues were so much in the head­ population density is a significant entertain the possibility of non­ lines, rather than proJTpt an even criterion, then hard luck Fulbeck violent direct action~ in Fulbeck stronger reaction by naming them at and Bradwell! Indeed the Elstow and there is a chance that tractors a time of nuclear calm? so many Bradwell MP's (Trevor Skeet and will block access to the site if environmental groups are busy tack­ John Wakeharn) have already been the Special Development Order goes ling Dounreay, Sellafield, Sizewell seen sparring with each other on through. Long petitions are being etc that it may be in the govern­ television over population densi­ collected in all the areas and pro­ ment's interest~ it may dissipate ties. test marches and rallies are being opposition energies still further. A coastal site may be high on planned. the list of priorities~ Kenneth MP '10 RESIGN? Baker stated that such a site would WIDER OONrEXT REALISED be sought for the disposal of nu­ One thing the Government may not clear submarine waste. That bodes A very encouraging sign is the have taken into consideration is badly for Killingholrne and Brad­ wtrJ people who have never been the vociferous opposition from its well! There seems no politically involved in campaigns before are own MP's, the chief resistance soft option. The variables are becoming politicised, as was seen coming from the Chief Whip, Sir endless and a strong case could be in the miners' strike. People who John Wakeharn, whose Colchester made as to the advantages and dis­ began with a fear of a threat to South and Maldon constituency in­ advantages of all four sites. their own COJlllllnity begin to see cludes Bradwell. Michael Brown MP Yet in the midst of such idle the wider cmtext: no dunping here for Brigg and Cleethorpes has pro­ and futile speculation one constant becomes no dUJTping anywhere, and mised to resign if the nuclear dUJTp has emerged: the resolve of local develops to no sellafield and no is sited in his constituency. people to oppose the method of nuclear power.

10 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 power planning is also to be impor­ ted: they don't have public in­ quiries. A Special Development or­ der will be put before Parliament in April to permit NIREX to carry out site explorations. Previous to this a public inquiry had been required before such investigations could proceed, such as at Mullwhar­ char in Galloway and the Cheviots in Northumberland. The present intention is to narrow the list down to one site over the next 18 months when there will be a public inquiry into that site. ']K) YEAR INQUIRY EXPECI'ED

What is not clear is whether the remit of the inquiry will be re­ stricted to site specific issues, as at the forthcoming Dounreay inquiry (and as what happened at Mullwharchar and the Cheviots), or whether dumping policy will be examined. It is thought that the The politicians have also learnt This is similar to the system inquiry could last about two years a lesson, and Parliament could be which exists in France. •Host com­ (Sizewell was expected to last only in for a few late night sessions in munities• for nuclear power plants 6 months, so this could go on for­ the near future. Michael Martin has receive cheaper electricity, im­ ever!) and then a decision will be threatened to send the name of any provements in local business and made. It is dificult to imagine constituency whose MP is in favour enployment opportunities and sub­ of dumping to NIREX, and he claims stantial contributions to local to have over 500 Parliamentary revenues through special taxes. QUestions ready to be tabled with Let's not pull punches: these the intention of slowing down the inducements must be recognised for work of the House. what they are. They are bribes, and they are the lowest tricks in the "FINANCIAL INDUCEMENTS" book. Yet, by offering such bribes, the NIREX tactics have again re­ The dirty tricks continue. John bounded upon them. TO offer bribes Baker has publicly offered •finan• must surely mean that NIREX recog­ cial inducements• to any community nises that people and the environ­ chosen as a dWIP site. He suggested ment will be at risk, and therefore that •rate abatements• could be will have to be conpensated. It introduced for people living within also demonstrates that NIREX must one kilometre of the dump, and that realise that there are absolutely rates income from the site could be NO advantages for any community retained by the local authority for which has to face a nuclear waste the direct benefit of the local dWIP in its midst. such bribes can COIIIILIDity. He also prposed that the only strengthen our resolve still that four or five years from now an nuclear industry should pay for further. inquiry report could possibly say improved local facilities. Another aspect of French nuclear no when they hope to begin con­ struction in 1990 to take the strain off the Drigg low level dump by 1993. FORCE '10 BE RECKONED WITH Bi11ingham BAND is an example to us all of how a group can take on NIREX and the Government and win. This time the Government will not give way on a local issue, but a national campaign is another mat­ ter. Billingham is still in there fighting: the Bedfordshire and Hum­ berside campaigns are in contact with each other and are working towards the same goal, and the groups in Fulbeck and Bradwell will soon join the wider movement. If we can all now link up and pull in support fran other, more established groups, then we shall have a national force to be reck­ oned with: a force that no govern­ ment will be able to ignore. • SCRAM Journal April/May '86 11 One Leak Too Many Among the many nuclear accidents over the last couple of secondly, although the gas­ months, the leak at Trawsfynydd was the closest to the coolant circuit is nominally leak­ proof, it is in fact so large and core of a reactor. Don Arnott here examines the inplica­ complex in structure that all these tions of this alarming incident which has been waved aside circuits leak small quantities of by the nuclear industry. carbon dioxide continuously. Conse­ .quently reserve supplies of carbon dioxide are always available to At 8 a.m. on February 21st a pres­ pressure is forced through the keep the pressure where it should sure release valve opened on top of reactor core in order to remove be. Whether the injection system one of the two heat exchangers heat. The hot gas then goes to the can cope with a circuit which is which generate steam at the No 1 heat exchangers where it generates losing almost a ton a minute and go reactor at Trawsfynydd power sta­ steam for the turbines. The cooled on doing so for fourteen minutes is tion. Thirteen tons of coolant gas is then recirculated to the Something I do not know; but I carbon dioxide were released to the reactor. assmne that it is possible. at:msphere in 14 minutes before the The reason why the gas is under But if it is possible, a new valve was manually closed. Small pressure is that this increases the factor may emerge. The gas lost quantities of neutron-induced ra­ efficiency of heat removal from the represented about 20l of the entire dioactivity - not fission products core. It follows that loss of cool­ coolant. Its sudden replacement by - escaped in the gas. ant, leading to depressurisation, stone-cold carbon dioxide may well Such are the bare outlines of an will cause core-temperatures to prove destabilising for the heat event instantly dismissed as a rise beyond what they should be. exchangers; and these, at Traws­ fleabite by the CEGB and subse­ This can lead to damage to the fynydd, are very touchy beasts. quently described as •a minor inci­ cladding, particularly in the case Previous history gives a pointer dent • by Mr Goodlad in the House of Magnox because of its relatively which should not be ignored. In the (Hansard, 27th February). low melting point; and damaged JUly 1980 accident to the same cladding can lead to fission pro­ reactor, when a lightning strike IDSS OF COOLAN!' ACCIDENI' duct release. In extreme circ~ cut off the electrical output to stances the reactor core would be a the grid, the reactor scramned Before examining the details any write-off; and in the event that faultlessly and it was the heat further we need to look at the radioactivity escaped the contain­ exchanger which# some hours later, fundamental science. For what hap­ ment there could be human and en­ proved unable to withstand the pened at Trawsfynydd was a Loss of vironmental injury. shock; pipes parted and water got coolant Accident, known to the various resources are on hand into the core. trade as a IDCA; and a IDCA is which greatly reduce any such poss­ usually regarded (probably even by ibilities. First, the Scram system. VALVE OPENED "lOO OOCI'l CEGB engineers in private) as one This operates, automatically and of the more alarming things that very swiftly, to shut down fission­ Another factor rust be borne in can go wrong. heat generation if anything ab­ mind. One of the least attractive Broadly, the assembly consists normal happens. A few parts per features of a reactor is that it is of two parts: the reactor and the million of water vapour in the gas, never possible to shut it down heat exchanger. The fuel in the depressurisation or above-normal entirely. This is because there are reactor consists of natural uranium temperature and other disturbances two sources of heat. The heat gene­ clad in an alloy called Magnox will cause a scram; one assumes rated by fission, which is most of which, if unruptured, also contains that this was the first indication it, is at once cut off by the the fission products generated bi' that anything was wrong at Traws­ scram. But the fuel rods continue the process. carbon dioxide under fynydd No 1. to generate heat by means of the radioactive decay of the fission products they contain. This is called decay-heat. Its quantity increases with the age of the fuel and thus with the build-up of fis­ sion products within it. But it can be as ruch as ten percent of the total heat produced. And there is no way of shutting it off since one cannot halt radioactive decay. In consequence, even when a reactor is shut down it must still be cooled. A single heat exchanger can cope easily - but if the other one is out of action there is no longer a safety margin. This is precisely the point at which the Trawsfynydd incident becanes worry­ inq because the pressure release valve failed wholly in an unusual way. This valve is programmed to open should the gas pressure rise too high and other valves are provided alongside should one fail. One thing that can go wrong is that a valve, once opened, fails to close (as happened at Three Mile Island). REACTOR BOILER But this valve did some­ thing appallingly different; it

12 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 opened at 30lb/square inch below the rated operating pressure - and, to put matters colloquially, once opened it was -going to POWER OFA stay open until it had got th~ pressure down to what it thought it should be. DISASTER WAJ:TING TO HAPPEN • And this is what it did for fourteen minutes until Trawsfynydd nuclear power station has just turned 21, one year older than its design ' an operator (not, it seems, wearing protective life of twenty years. It, along with five clothing) managed to shut other Magnox nuclear power stations (namely: it. Berkeley, Bradwell, Dungeness A, Hinkley A and This links at once to Sizewell A) owned by the CEGB, is a shining another factor. No 1 sta­ example of an agei·ng has-been technology of tion had been shut down the early 1960s, awaiting a catastrophe in­ for the statutory two-year the-making. NII inspection and had only been going for 48 Its ingenious and unique feature is that hours thereafter. it is the only one to have been built inland, Presumably these valves nestling in the heart of Cambrian mountains in had been inspected and the Snowdonia National Park. adjusted. On the face of On 21 February 1986, it came of age by it (nothing is certain promptly leaking 15 tonnes of reactor coolant yet) faulty inspection (a radioactive gas) into the cool pristine procedure cannot be ruled mountain air. Of course, contamination of the out. atmosphere was wholly insignificant. Such Another matter supports incidents can be expected to become routine this. The filter which from now on, as the creaking technology chugs should have retained the along till it finally pegs out by the end of radioactivity was clearly· the century. Unless, that is, it either defective. At the begin­ cracks up or blows out earlier. ning the only activation product which the CEGB Come and see the power of a disaster-in­ would admit had escaped to waiting in Nuclear Incident Year. An open day the atmosphere was has been arranged at the station on Manganese-56. This has a half-life of only 2.6 SUNDAY, JULY 20 (barring a calamity!) hours; so. they would have. had to move pretty smartly or, organised groups (children over 14 years), to detect it at all - may visit the station by appointment unless, initially, there {preferably when no nuclear accidents are was quite a lot of it. happening. Not to worry, though: if one should Since then Mr Robinson, occur, we won't bother telling you!). Write to under questioning by Dafydd Elis Thomas in the' The Station Manager House (Han~ard, 27 Feb.) Trawsfynydd Power Station has admitted to releases Trawsfynydd of Tritium, Sulphur-35 and Gwynedd Cobalt-60 - which are just or phone what one would expect. 076-687 331 for details, I have wondered before now whether these providing no questions are asked about past statutory outages might incidents, on which it is our policy not to not produce th~ir own crop give out any detailed information to the of malfunctions - rather public or publish any reports. Happily, such as a spanner might be left matters·are easily glossed over. in a car after servicing. It is therefore worth not­ CONTAMINATION EXPOSURE GENERAT..wG BOARD ing that routine visits by the NII to Magnox stations are quite frequent - 160 Afte1' CEGB adve1'tisement, Daily Post 21 Febr-uaroy 1986. - 200 a year (Hansard, 27 February). CEGB has loftily •not decided" in itself might be trivial, trig­ These are not the statutory whether the report will be pub­ gering others which are. not trivial outages nor are they responses to lished or not. They would be wise at all. specific incidents: and the nuirber to do so. If they do not one cas­ They might have in honesty ad­ is surpisingly large and variable ualty is certain and that is yet mitted that a LOCA is one of the over the years 1974-85. further erosion of the Industry's more worrying things that can go credibility. wrong. They might with justifica­ Another explanation might be For, as usual, they have con­ tion have said that it has long that we are dealing with ageing centrated on unrelated detail in been foreseen, that technology and equipment. If so a question-mark their publicity. They have said methodology were available to cope hangs over all the other Magnoxes. that the environmental release of and that, so far as could be known With the nuclear industry throwing radioactivity· was insignificant, at present, these had worked. almost a crisis a week it iS very which is probably true. And they nstead we had the predictable, difficult to. see how the under­ have concentrated on the gas re­ insulting, knee-jerk dismissal. staffed and underpaid NII will be lease and the closing of the valve. God help us all if Mr Goodlad is able to cope. But what matters in the industry is ever driven to admit that something At this stage we can only await what is known as the event-tree - is serious. We would be wise to further information. At present the the possibility of one event, which flee the country. 11 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 13 Sellafield Saga The recent media concern over Sellafield was heralded by a However BNPL had experienced story on the devastated population of the Ravenglass bird problems with Pond 5 because it was difficult to make concrete pure reserve. Jean Emery outlines the events of the past couple enough to withstand the stress and of rronths . radioactivity; tonnes of ilrpure concrete had been dumped by workers during construction (ooe worker Research by a:m: and Greenpeace dl.1rrp!d ll tonnes at £65 per tonne). shows that the black headed gull OORE also heard that the transfer colonies at the Eskrneals Reserve of operations from the old 830 (to the South of aavengl ass) and decanning plant to Pond 5 was like­ the Ravenglass reserve itself have ly to take seven years compared virtually disappeared. with one year as workers had orig­ Tony Warburton, a warden at the inally been told. reserve, claims that black headed The NII confirmed two weeks gulls landed for only one hour in later that Pond 5 was indeed leak­ April 1985 and then disappeared. ing and had been for 4 JOOnths: it Five other species of birds have must r~ve been leaking when Mrs also drastically declined in num­ Thatcher officially opened the POnd bers. In the case of the Eskmeals 5 and SIXEP buildings on Novent>er 1 Reserve the bird numbers have de­ 1985, and poured great praise on clined in line with the increase in questions in the House of Cor.mons. BNFL 's safety record. Windscale's sea discharges. The cost of the dumped material is estimated at £24,000. A week later CORE released evi­ srATEMENTS CONTRADICTED SINCE ROMAN TI MES dence which showed that Pond 5, the The next day Windscale's poten­ brand new spent fuel receipt, stor­ tially JOOSt serious emergency for Tony was told, by the National age and decanning facility, was 13 years occurred. CORE received a Envirorunental Research council leaking. Pond 5 is built on stilts (NERC) that the birds had failed to call at 12.30 that there has been to allow any radioactive leaks to an arrber alert in 8205 , the chem­ nest in 1985 due to the dry summer be contained in the basement where of 1984 killing off the birds' sea­ ical separation plant. An hour they can be pumped out, because later we were told all essential food . However, the birds have nes­ earlier buildings had leaked highly ted there since Ranan times and personnel had been evacuated off radioactive water into the surroun­ site; a plutonium nitrate mist has have survived different weather ding ground, leaving BNFL powerless conditions over those years. been released into the building. to prevent the spread of contamina­ BNFL claimed that nobody had been Equally i.nporta:nt is that black tion. headed gulls are not •sea-gulls•, contaminated, there had been no that is they do not live at sea but release to the atmosphere and there live all over the country. In fact "DAMP PATCHES" was nothing to worry about. two colonies of black headed gulls That evening construction wor­ inland in Cumbria, at Wastwate,r and BNFL issued a press release, to kers (from Pond 5) rang CORE and Eskdale, are thriving. Oyster cat­ say there were "damp patches" in said that When they had heard the cher chicks fran the reserves have the floor of Pond 5. They denied alarms they had gone to their ca­ genetic defects and geese raised there was any leak and said that bins to await further instructions, near Ravenglass have shown genetic spent fuel was being stored, in only to be told that they were to malformations, inpaired mental a­ flasks, in Pond 5. •get back on the job or else•. bility or were blind. HALF 'IDNNE DISCHARGED Then the accidents began. The first information came in a BNFL press release on January 27 which admitted that a •couple of kilo­ grammes of uranium nitrate• had been •accidentally• discharged into the Irish sea the previous Friday. BNFL stated that the uranium accum­ ulated in the sea tanks could have been returned to the processing plant but, after talks with the Department of the Environment, they decided to discharge it into the sea due to its low radioactivity content. The Nuclear Installation Inspec­ torate (Nil) demanded a report on the incident. LOcal people were suspicious; why had BNFL waited two days to issue a press release? BNFL said the press release was purely a courtesy and the public was in no danger. The following day BNFL admitted that it was actually 440 kilo­ grammes of uranium nitrate which were discharged and HP's asked 14 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 40 times the level notified to the Black camlittee. John Dunster, the head of Health Physics for Windscale at the time, nust have been notified about Jake­ rran's monitoring in 1955. Also he nust have been one of the pecple responsibl e for putting pressure on Jakeman to resign. As head of the NRPB in 1984 he must have known that Sir Douglas Black did not have the full figures. He has not an­ swered these allegations to many people's satisfaction. 'lllE DOUNREAY LINK

'.lhere were two other events of note during this period. The first was a leak of 250 gallons of •mildly• radioactive water from a magnox cooling pond. BNFL claimed that the leak was due to the cold weather: a hi-tech modern industry subject to frozen pipes, cane off it 1 corrosion of magnox fuel in storage ponds is offered by BNFL as The plutonium fuel element factory where the DOUnreay PFR fuel is made. a reasoo for reprocessing because severe contamination of the cooling water results. You can't have it The next rorni.ng BNFL admitted 71 examined, two showed results at both ~s BNFL: either i t was that 50 microcuries of plutonium the limits of detection• . mildly radioactive or it was se­ may have been released into the verely contaminated. building although other reports 'ttle other accident happened in indicated that some plutonium may BLACK MISLED the plant which fat:>ricates fuel for have leaked fran the building. At One aspect of the accident which the DoUnreay fast reactor. Pive men this time many of BNFL 's press is particularly worrying is that if were contaminated in the incident statements were contradictory. plutonium was released then sane of after a seal was punctured which it would be plutonium-241 because allowed radiation from mixed pluto­ PwroNIUM RELEASED the isotapes are inseparable in the nium-u.ranium oxide fuel to be re­ production process: PU-241 is a low leased into the working area. some A pump used for extracting plu­ energy beta endtter with a half Windscale w .rkers have said that tonium fran the prodlction line was life of 14.4 years, but it decays this is the JOOSt serious accident undergoing maintenance at the time to americium-241 which is an ex­ of the recent spate, and may ac­ and a valve in the punp failed tremely toxic alpha emitter with a coont for the lack of any more causing plutonium nitrate to be half life of 458 years. information at present. One thing spurted out into the building. Another question is, if a con­ is sure, this accident brings the EVen though they knew the punp was centrated stream of plutonium ni­ Windscale and DOUnreay plants clo­ faulty, it took BNFL two hours to trate was released under . J?ressure ser than the public hitherto re­ find the cause of the alert, and for 2 hours, how were only 50 mi­ alised and may have a bearing 'On they gave no explanation as to why crocuries released? BNFL claims the Dounreay inquiry. production was not stopped when that the building was •cleaned up• rraintenance was in progress. Con­ within 18 hoors and that reproces­ SAFETY AUDIT struction workers went on str1ke sing restarted the following day. because of coopany secrecy. CORE has learnt that all the radio­ 'ttle BSE's fifth cavalry has n<1N BNFL was eventually forced to active mist was vented to the at­ been sent in to the plant to dis­ admit that two men were cootamin­ rosphere to prevent a total plant cover the •truth• and to report ated in the accident, but said they closure, such as happened in 1973 back. 'ttle 15-strong team from' the were only slightly affected. 'l'hey Nil have the power to •require BNFL also confirmed that 50 microcuries to make improvements to any plant• of plutonium were released to the and can also order the soot-down atloospbere (BNFL discharged 160 if necessary. 'ttle investigation is times that amount in their 1984 expected to take 3 months, with a aerial discharges). They also ad­ further 3 months to write up the mitted that they knew the punp was report which will be published. faulty and were coosidering •modi• 'llle EUropean Parliament called fications• to another nine punps of for the closure of Windscale until the same design. They did not aay the results of the Environment if the pwrps would be replaced. Camri.ttee 's report had been pub­ 'ttle Health and Safety Executive lished. 'ttle motion received the (BSE) created eubarrassed for BNFL support of Ian Paisley and John by announcing that 15 men had been Hwne, perhaps the only issue on contaminated in the ~ccident and which they agree! that the ooopany had known this all What is certain is that, with the time; in fact one man had re­ aft er the blow-back accident during the Environment Comnrittee's critic­ ceived one year's dose. This em­ oxide reprocessing. isms of the plant, and the public barrassment was coopounded when a BNFL was accused of another oppositi on to reprocessing and letter from BNPL 's Chairman Con cover-up that same week when Derek waste dumping Windscale' s days are Allday was published in 'lhe Q.lar­ Jakeman, who worked at Windscale in nurrbered. dian the day the BSE made its an­ the 1950's, described hOW dischar­ nouncement: he wrote that •out of ges between 1952 and 1955 had been • SCRAM Journal April/May '86 15 Druridge Check--Up A key tool in the carrpaign against proposed nuclear p<::Mer stations is the Baseline Health survey. Here we look at two such surveys, one in Northumberland focussing on Druridge Bay by Bridget Gubbins, and the other in East Lothian centred on Torness.

A £600 environmental radiation operating in Finland. This is how meter has been presented by AUI*­ jobs would be safeguarded in the TASS (the technical and supervisory North East, not by going nuclear. • union) of NEI Parsons to the Dru­ ridge Bay Baseline Study Group. BEAL'l'B SURVEY Terry Rodgers, Secretary of the union explained why, when they have Dr Rosenary LUnt>, co-ordinator been involved in turbines for nuc­ of the group; explained why the lear stations, they should support instrument is needed: •'Itle radia­ this project. tion meter is to enable us to meas­ "We support the extension of ure existing levels of background Blyth coal fired power station, radiation that we are daily ~ which will provide work for the to now. 'Itlis is mainly natural mining industry, as well as the background. we will also be check­ local service and manufacturing ing health statistics, particularly industries. leukaemia and cbild\ood cancers. local radio interview, and a reply •There will be no work for Par­ •These figures will be our Base­ interview ~ the CEGB two weeks sons with the proposed nuclear line. If over the years no signif­ later. power programne of PWR's. Arnold icant changes in these levels oc­ All local libraries in Northwn­ weinstock, Managing Director of cur, the check will have proved its berland, North Tyneside and New­ GEX:, has a close personal relation­ usefulness. However if these rates castle are circulating leaflets ship with Lord Marshall of the increase, we would have a powerful inviting the public to follow the cros. Weinstock is far more influ­ basis for demanding appropriate lead of t.heir MP's and have read­ ential than the NEI management . action. • ings taken in their gardens, for a "We support coal fired develop­ As part of the group's publicity £2.00 fee. ment, particularly Combined Heat launch, five North East MP's have and Power:. 'Itlis coopany stands a had radiation readings taken in better chance of getting such con­ their gardens for a donation of tracts as these, as it has built £2.00. Study group mentJers visited the CEX>B 's IOOSt efficient coal their banes on Saturday 15th Feb­ The East Lothian survey is diff­ fired turbine generators at Drax ruary and saturday 22nd February. erent in one i.Jtp>rtant respect; it and other places. It has also built LOcal papers loved it, and it made is being financed ~ East Lothian CHP equi~nent very successfully seve.ral froot pages as well as a District Council at a cost of £4,000 a year. Historically, the canpaign against TOrness and the continuing pressure being exerted by local gcoups in the Lothians and BOrders have influenced the Coun­ cil's action. Like Druridge, the East Lothian scheme started out as a study of background radiation levels. The pr-oject began 3 years ago and in­ volves sanpling of sea water, sand, seaweed and soil. The mooitoring is being carried out for the council by Dr Wheaton 's Edinburgh Radiatdon COnsultants. Dr Wheaton carried out a survey in Wigtownshire last year. East Lothian District Council's Envirorunental Health Officer, Jilmly oalglish, told S<:WIM that the second part of the survey - a study of cancer statistics in the area - is primarily a matter for the Health Board wbO are co-operating fully. AS well as support fran the local MP, John Hane Robert.son, camunity councils and other Coun­ cils tbe scheme has received sup­ port fran a surprising source; the South of Scotland Electricity Board issued a press release which sta.ted TeSting for radiatim at tbe hclale of wansbeck MP Jack 'l1lclllpeon are (fraa left to right): that they •will naturally be happy or Nigel Comor (group IIIIIIICerb Bridget Qlbbina (aupaign press officer); John Urqubart to provide (the survey) with what (statistician); llr Roeeary LUIItl (group coordinator) 1 Jack 'lbalpeon MP: Jolvl Ricbardaon assistance we can•. The Council (group llll!llberb three ~ old o.i.en '1b:ilpJan and six~ old Joey Comor. l'tloto: interpcets this as support. • Margaret Eagle of ~o.

16 SCRAM Journal April,/May "86 Renewable Energy Bill .....'' 0- .I,.. The public~s awareness of energy issues has begun to ' I \ permeate the inner reaches of our political system and the renewables~ time may be about to arrive. This is how oavid Ross sees the three-party supported renewable energy Bill.

A Bill providing for the develop­ which ETSU, the Energy Technology ment of "clean renewable alter­ SUpport unit based at Harwell and native sources of energy" has for maintained by the United Kingdom the first time been published as a Atomic Energy Authority reports to House of COilliOOns document and has AOORD, the Advisory council on received a First Reading. It spells Research and Development, which is out the case for some of the composed mainly of representatives world's newest technologies in the of the existing energy suppliers. stilted, legalistic language of an It reiterates the arguments that older age:

"And whereas nations other Renewable Energy Sources than the United Kingdom are already making gainful appli­ (Promotion) cation of British research and technological developments in the field of inquiry into renewable sources to add to their total energy supply; and A whereas the potential benefits have ever been scorned in such to the national economy is­ BILL formal language: suing from the successful de­ To establish an independent commission velopnent of renewable sources responsible directly to Parliament for "And whereas previous efforts are enormous in terms of job the research, development and demon­ to further progress in the creation and training needed stration of clean renewable alternative research and development of to provide adequately for such sources of energy. renewables haabeen deprived new enployment. • • Be it of inpetus and starved of therefore enacted ••• " Ordered to be brought in by incentive by the attitudes of Mr. Frank Cook, Mr. Don Dixon, parties with interests vested '!he Bill was moved under the Ten Mr. A/ex &die, Mr. Miclult!l Foot, in already established and Minute Rule by Frank cook, Labour Mr. Jack Dormant/, Mr. Peter Hardy, more traditional fuel sources. Mr. Ernie Ross, Dr. David Clark, MP for Stockton North with three­ Dr. Mic/ult!l Clark, Mr. Tony Speller, • party support. TWo Liberals (James Mr. James Wal/ace and Mr. Paddy Ashdown Wallace and Paddy AShdown) , two '!he Bill is due for a second Labour Front Bench speakers (Alex Reading on March 21 and no-one Eadie, Energy and Dr David Clark, expects it to proceed very far Ordered, by The House of Commons, Environment) as well as Michael to be Printed, 25 February 1986 along the Parliamentary road at the Foot are among the signatories present time. Its significance is promoting it, along with two that it is a marker, a Parliament­ TOries, or Michael Clark and Mr ary document in a form that has LONDON TOny Speller. PriDtecl and published by been accepted by the Clerks as Her ~y'a StatioDely OlJice suitable for a Bill and eventually '!he Bill seeks an independent PriDtecl ili EliPuul at St Stephen's Commission responsible directly to Parlialileatar)' Press for an Act. It may go down at the Parliament for the renewables, in­ SOp net second Reading but there is no stead of the present arrangement in [Bill93] (309361) 49/3 longer any risk that the issue may go by default. With an election approaching, and with indications that the have been part of the environ­ Government is uneasy at being seen mentalist argument for the past 20 as bleakly hostile to alternative or so years. energy, the Bill may well be seen It refers to the finite nature, in the future as an inportant land­ "with a point of exhaustion in mark. '!here are uneasy small move­ time,• of fossil fuels and hydro­ ments discernible on the Government carbons, and urges that they should side which indicate an awareness of be used as feed stock rather than public feeling· on this issue. for combustion. some of the environmentalists It complains of "the blight are convinced that, just as the known as 'acid rain'" something public has shifted its attitude to which is sometimes missing from health foods, so there is an aware­ Labour Party documents. It refers ness about energy that is not yet to worries over nuclear energy and mirrored in politics or the media. nuclear waste and contrasts these Parliament, which had a full day with the potential benefits, par­ devoted to alternative energy in a ticularly for the 'Ihird World, of debate last October 25, may have the renewables. drifted almost by accident into a It denounces "vested interests" leading role on the renewables. but it is doubtful whether they •

SCRAM Journal April/May ~86 17 it is also a living community. Electricity for the site housing AT Centre comes from water turbines and from a mmber of wind turbines. Staff The Centre for Alternative Technology in mid-Wales is the housing is fitted with solar water s~o~ window for renewable energy systems. OVer 50,000 heating with woodstove back-up, and V1s1tors every year came to see "alternative technology" a nuut>er of novel solar designs are in action. BUt it costs a lot to run the Centre, so Tim incorporated into the buildings round the site. For those who live Brown here is appealing for donations to keep the show on on site, it can be a little bit the road. like living in a zoo, but the mes­ sage to visitors is clear - these How does your vision of a future and interprets envirorane.ntal is­ technologies do work. community look? well-insulated sues, and in its practical demon­ houses? Solar, wind, water power? stration of working alternative DIY PLANS organic growing? collective organi­ technology. It is many things to sation, co-operative working? over many people. It is often less clear what the last ten years, the Centre for OVer 50,000 visitors a year come visitors should do about their own Alternative ~logy has grad­ to look round. SOme are cannitted energy problems. Not everyone can ually grown into a sort of eco­ to •AT•, others are sinply tourists fit a 2

Within that ethos there are extremes, and the centre demon­ strates them. A do-it-yourself Cre­ tan windmill made out of wood, sailcloth and old car parts ( 200 watts) stands alongside a canputer­ controlled lSkW machine costing about £20,000. Are they both al­ ternative? "Appropriate• is pro­ bably a better word. A do-it­ yourself solar heating systeni made from central heating radiators, and costing just a few pounds stands next to the latest hi-tech evac­ uated tube collectors - super­ efficient and rather expensive. It is a mistake to see the Quarry as a single view of Utopia. Rather it displays a whole range of ideas - some are technological, others po­ litical or social - which could lead to &·better future. The diversity of information is 18 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 reflected in the response of visi­ made up. For the first time it is tors. Some feel that the anti­ launching a national appeal to nuclear (and by implication anti­ support its work - over £20,000 a government) stance of the interpre­ year is needed to keep the show on tation material is biased: it is. the road. The financial situation others, especially peace and energy is serious and the Centre is a~ activists, feel that the message pealing to all its supporters to isn't hard-hitting enough. It is a dig into their pockets and donate a difficult compromise to achieve. few pounds. What is certain is that the Quarry If you would like more information about remains a focus for information the work of the Centre, or if you can about renewable energy. The afford a donation, please write to: courses, the bookshop and mail­ centre for Alternative Technology order service, the specialist elec­ Machynlleth Powys tronics workshop, are all useful SY20 9AZ resources to those with an interest enclosing a sae. The centre runs courses on in renewables. all aspects of AT, has a comprehensive mail There's a slight problem. Much order booklist (40p + sae) and has a sup­ port organisation - the Quarry Association of the Centre's work in spreading of its income through visitors' -which produces a newsletter. Membership information about renewables costs admissions, t-rading, and running is E.5 a year. money, and although it raises much courses, there is a deficit to be • IISola Appropriate Technologyl

A Department of Energy report into A controversial plan by the Czecho­ being the only waste product. The active solar heating has concluded slovak and Hungarian governments to Japanese have just dismantl~ a that "in national terms, the econ­ dam the Danube near Austria looks 4.5MW demonstration fuel cell which omic potential is now seen to be likely to go ahead, despite the has been running sucessfully for less than that of many other forms opposition from Hungarian environ­ the last two years. Previously the of renewable energy." mentalists. only sucessful cells have been The report states that solar Until recently the Hungarians small 12.5 KW affairs for the Amer­ heating is technically capable of contribution to the scheme seemed ican space programme which requires ~upplying 45mtce (million tonnes in doubt, as the Government thought compact pollution-free sources of coal equivalent) a year or 15% of it too expensive. The Czechs have power. our total energy demand, but that already embarked on their side of But the fuel cell programme has high installation costs would re­ the project. But the Austrian gov­ not been without setbacks; a pilot duce the likely contribution to ernment have stepped in with a £350 plant in Manhattan, New York, did less than lmtce; and even this million loan, two thirds of which not manage to produce any electric­ would require a greater install­ will be repayable in electricity ity because the City Fire Depart­ ation rate than has been achieved produced by the power station at ment would not give the plants' in recent years. Nagymoros. operators, Consolidated Edison & The report pointed out that its A year ago the Austrians dropped United Technologies, permission to conclusions do not "preclude the a similar scheme at Hainburg be­ start generating until they had continuation of commercially useful cause of public opposition. The carried out an exhaustive series of business in the manufacture and Austrian firm of Donan Kraftwerk, safety tests. By the time the installation" of solar systems. who had the contract for the Hain­ checks had been finished and the Foll~Ning the recent demise of burg scheme, have signed a contract plant was ready to run, the stacks wave power research the reports' with the Hungarian government to of cells were obsolete and had references to "other forms of rene­ build the new dam. exceeded their shelf life. wable energy " seem particularly Opposition to the scheme has The problems associated with inept. prompted the largest independent fuel cells are the high tempera­ BSSE March '86 demonstrations in Hungary since the tures they need to operate at (200° abortive revolution in 1956. The Cl and their high cost which is protesters believe that it will mainly taken up by development ICOAL cause the waters of the Danube to costs. It is envisaged that the stagnate, polluting drinking water. heat problem will disappear by 1- $25m progranme sponsored by the It will also have serious effects using them in CHP schemes. Their us Electrical POWer Research In­ in the water table which will fall small size makes them ideal sources stitute could improve coal-fired by betwen 1. 5 and 6 metres. This of both heat and power for build­ power station efficiency by as much will drastically cut back the pro­ ings such as small factories. as 6%. The two main areas of re­ ductivity of much forest and arable Unfortunately the centralised search are the development of ad­ land. nature of Britain's Grid and the vanced boilers and turbines. New scientist 13.2.86 Electricity Boards· commitment to Mitsubishi will be working with nuclear power mean that it is un­ Combustion Engineering and sulzer likely that fuel cells will be to develop a high efficiency boiler developed in this country. This designed to burn pulverised coal. 1Fuel Cell time their small size works against The steam turbine and pressure An American/Japanese consortium them. By the standards of conven- valve research will be carried out hopes to be generating pollution­ tional power stations the fuel by 'Ioshiba and GE(US) and is ex­ free electricity at only two to cell's output is miniscule. pected to result in annual fuel three times the cost of convention­ savings for a 700MW station of al power by the turn of the decade New Scientist 27.2.86 about £3.4m. usin~ a "Fuel Cell". Electrical Review 7 .2.86 Another aspect of the work is The Fuel Cell is an idea which the comparison and evaluation of has existed since 1839. It combines different types of coal and differ­ Hydrogen and Oxygen chemically in ent steel alloys. the presence of a catalyst to give Electrical Review, 7.3.86 heat and electricity, with water SCRAM Journal April/May '86 19 I AT News Energy Homes

Following the abolition of the An exhibition of more than 50 low­ MEASURES THAT COULD U INCLUDED Metropolitan councils on April energy homes will form the largest IN A LOW ENERGY HOUSE ___"!1 FOols Day, a £3,250,000 refuse single event of Energy Efficiency Small- 0< -....­ derived fuel plant in Doncaster Year. '!he event is being staged by btinds on north Side will bave to cease generation. The Milton Keynes Development Corpor­ ~-to plant makes fuel pellets from re­ ation at the Energy Park which was .... --admit low winter ... cycled waste, which are sold to opened by Peter Walker last year. --but local companies. The exhibition will run from August 18 to Septen'ber 14 and will feature housing systems from Den­ wark, SWeden, Germany and Finland as well as Britain. A feature of all the homes is an annual energy cost of 30% less than houses con­ forming to current Building Regul­ ations. BSEE, March '86

I Draught· Htgheffieeency pn>ofV>g sell it to the private sector. botler glazed-.:• tl>roughout SOmm floot 50mm cavity wall As Councillor Ken Willers, Mlttulation cast---­ inautabon chairman of SYcc's Environment com­ m slab mittee points out: "The plant is now able to achieve consistently high production levels. What is obvious is that the Government, 1R&D while professing support for re­ Lord Ezra, the former Coal Board Doncaster Metropolitan Borough cycling and even appointing a so­ chair, has questioned the level of Council have refused to take over called Minister for Waste, has the Government's energy research the plant from South Yorkshire contemptuously turned its back on and developnent and has called for County Council on its demise, so materials recovery.• an annual review of the programme. the plant will have to be "moth­ Lord Stoddart of SWindon has balled" until a subsidiary body can warmer March 1986 also accused the Government and the electricity supply industry of trying to persuade the public that ICHP without nuclear power we will be Distillers expect savings of accumulator and turbine exhaust gas back in the stone age. He said that £500,000 to £550,000 a year from a ducting. Distillers hope to install withdrawing support from the wave £2.3 million Combined Heat and further CHP schemes, but are •un• power programme was "skullduggery• Power plant installed in their willing to disclose their nature and insisted that the Government Glasgow animal feeds recovery due to the takeover bid situation.• was still not doing enough for the plant. Excess electricity is being Because of the plants· novelty, renewables. sold to the SSEB. 25% of the installation costs will Electrical Review 14.2.86 Roger Forrester, Distilers' pro­ be paid for by a governmental "de­ ject manager, told SCRAM that they monstration" grant. The plant will are "fairly happy" with the new be operating close to the minimum scheme, although its' installation 4,658 hours a year needed to gain was quite complicated as it coin­ this grant, which is supplemented cided with that of a new feeds by a further 22% grant as the plant recovery unit. The scheme consists is in a special development zone. of a 6.2 MW gas t~rbine, a 7.2 MW The Government's beneficence will generator and a gas compressor, as save· Distillers close to a million well as a waste-heat boiler, steam pounds. A team of scientists from Univers­ ity College Cardiff plan to drive a solar powered car from Athens to Madrid this summer. The •sunrider• which weighs a mere 200lbs is powered by 260 solar cells glued all over its body, with auxiliary storage batteries as back-up. The planned trip will start on Midsummer's Day and is the toughest test yet for this form of alterna­ tive energy. A previous test in­ volved driving a solar power car across Australia, where constant sun and a flat route aided the ride considerably. The team of mechanical engineers from UCC aims to "prove that alter­ native energy can produce useful power and to demonstrate the tech­ nology behind it.• Scotsman 24.3.86 20 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 i Insulation Appropriate Technology•

The Department of the Environment from ACE to transfer the scheme to will mean more cold homes. It will have found a novel way of getting the Department of Energy after last mean more fuel wasted. It could more for their Monergy by slashing year's 15% cut to £28 million, the reduce jobs further in the insula­ 20% of the budget for the Homes Department of the Environment went tion industry. It could increase Insulation Scheme. This could mean ahead and removed another £4.5 the dangers of hypothermia.• that 60,000 eligible households million this year. The budget cur­ A recent DoEn evaluation of will be unable to claim the grant rently stands at £23.5 million, Energy efficiency in low income over the next financial year, ac­ including a £2.5 million reserve, households estimated that an aver­ cording to the Association for the which councils can only claim when age saving of 5% was made after Conservation of Energy (ACE). their allocation has run out. ACE insulation projects. Savings of 2% Despite protests from several director Andrew Warren has said: were estimated for those having dozen TOry MP's and representations •unless reversed, this decision loft insulation alone. I Tidal A plan to bUild a £440 million The report was partly funded by CEGB's cheapest coal fired station, barrage across the Mersey looks set Tarmach, who hope to be building Drax. As much as £1 million worth to go ahead after 5 years con­ the barrage. As we go to press it of electricity per week would be sideration. Sluices in the mile is unsure whether a conpany set up sold direct to the national grid. wide dam would be opened as the to carry out a second £500,000 It is claimed that the scheme tide rises, then closed to force feasibility study has been formed would create 5000 jobs for five or the trapped water through gene­ in time for the MCC •s demise on six years, as well as prcviding the rators as the tide ebbs. April 1. private backers with virtually 100% '!he scheme has received support Depending on the nwrtler of tur­ profits after the barrage has paid in a report cOlllllissioned by the bines and sluices and also the for itself in the first 25 years. Merseyside County Council, after positioning of the barrage, the If the Mersey barrage goes ahead it new construction methods represent­ generating costs per kWh could be will create a ccnducive political ing a 40% saving of capital costs as low as 2. 71p. This is only climate for a sireilar Severn bar­ were proposed. slightly more expensive than the rage. IGeothermal A successful pilot project into ------·ADVERTISEI'-1ENT ______geothermal energy will be wound up in September because of a lack of government funds. The project is producing 5MW of electricity at the Rosemanoes quar­ ry near Penryn in Cornwall. Cold MATT-BLACK ENAMEL water is poured into a 2800m bore­ hole and hot water is got out at 70 FINISH. -- 4.0KW to 90 degrees centigrade. Ultimate­ MULTI-FUEL STOVE ly a 5000 metre borehole would produce water at 180 degrees, which CAN BE FITTED WITH is ideal for large scale production BOILER FOR of electricity. Because the Government has not DOMESTIC HOT WATER been forthcoming about continuing BURNS ALL FUELS funding after the current grant runs out in September, the team of INCLUDING HOUSE­ 60 scientists is considering taking HOLD COAL, HAS its expertise elsewhere. It is reported that the Americans are SHAKER. GRATE OP­ particularly interested as the heat ERATED WITH STOVE is produced by radiation and not CLOSED TOP OR REAR by volcanic activity. The Americans are not the FLUG OUTLET. only peopl~ interested in this project. The EEC are particularly impressed by the district heating aspect of the scheme and have planned to grant the project £1.5 million. Unfortunately thiS grant is dependent on the British govern­ SQUIRREL STOVE 1410 ment granting a further £2 .• 5 mil­ lion. PRICES. INCLUDING VAT: STOVE £240. BOILER MODEL £304. Mr Tony Batchelor, who is direc­ STOVE WITH LONG LEGS ILLUSTRATED £15.00 EXTRA. tor of the project, has complained £60.00 PER INSTALLED KILOWATT! that it has to compete with nuclear power in terms of cost. Whereas the FOREST FIRE cost of geothermal projects in­ 50 ST MARYS ST. EDINBURGH. 031-556-9812. cludes research and development, THE BEST OF SAFE AND RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY the cost of nuclear power does not. Guardian 10.2.86

SCRAM Journal April/May '86 21 IRev·

Clouds of Deceit: The Deadly Legacy Her book is yet one more illus­ of Britain's Bomb Tests by Joan tration of the fact that the other Smith (Faber and Faber, £8.95) name for secrecy is criminal irre­ sponsibility. I have no space for What the bloody hell is going on? examples; I can only say that even case-hardened anti-Bomb campaigners Thus - no doubt in code - a message are going to be sickened page by from the acting Australian Prime page - and sometimes paragraph by Minister, Sir Arthur Fadden to the paragraph - by the data she gives British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony (such as an irradiated aircraftman Eden on 19th June 1956. The occa­ being refused a body scan at Bar­ sion: a 98-kiloton British nuclear well because the result might be explosion on the Monte Bello Is­ used against the government.) lands, 50 miles off the west coast But one detail I must give be­ of Australia. Things had gone cause of its critical importance to wrong. "The cloud," exploded Fad­ our campaign for survival. It re­ den, "is drifting over the fers to the two TOtem tests of mainland." 1953. It had became clear that Joan Smith chooses Fadden's Britain did not have the capacity language as a first chapter heading to produce military-grade plutonium in this excellent book. I choose it in the time and quantity demanded beause I'm certain that anybody who by the Defence Ministry. The first sees it is going to read what fol­ of these tests was designed to see lows. how well we could get along with From 1952-58 Britain carried out impure plutonium (i.e. containing 21 nuclear and thermonuclear explo­ PU-240) instead. It ~ wonderfully sions, the latter on south Pacific successful, the explosive force islands. Of the 12 explosions car­ being twice what was predicted. How ried out either at Monte Bello or splendid to know that we were able at two sites on the Australian to use civil reactor plutonium for mainland five were as large as the bombs before even the first of them 1945 Japanese explosions, three of was built! Lots of us have always them very much larger. known this deep down - but it is After two decades of secrecy and useful to be able to put a date to lies the apppalling story finally it. surfaced in last year's Royal Com­ Joan Smith has written exactly Whatever other books you cannot mission. Beset, like the rest of that book; it is only 175 pages, afford, get this one; if not, get us, with Dounreay, Sellafield, nuc­ conscientiously and beautifully it into your library. And having lear waste and so on, I' have real­ written. Her credentials are excel­ read it, ponder the question: What ised that my only hope of coming to lent, for she has long been con­ the bloody hell else is going on? grips with the matter would be if cerned with the plight of the vic­ somebody wrote a short summary. tims. Don Arnott

Can Coal Be Saved? by Colin Robert­ electricity generation. Thatcher is likely to treat it son and Eileen Marshall, (Hobart This really is the "economics of seriously. The idea that a country Paper 105, £2.50, 6lpp) the madhouse•. It would be laugh­ can achieve its social and pol­ able if it wasn't for the fact that itical objectives by selling off This book is an attenpt by two its energy resources to the highest right-wing economists to persuade bidder is a joke. us that Coal should not be pri­ Imports of coal from countries vatised in the same way as British with huge reserves of opencast Gas. Instead the Government should coal, or cheap labour which is kept aim for a type of privatisation passive by repressive regimes, called "liberalisation•. would make our deep mines uncom­ In other words, coal inports petitive. They can't be opened should be freed from restrictions again once they have been shut. and private investment attracted to There would be a rush to open up new and existing mines in a variety more opencast mines in areas like of ways. some mines would be sold South Wales, and with the present outright, others would be run as Government local authorities would joint ventures with the NCB, others be powerless to stop them. would be bought by management or In short this plan would be a turned into workers' co-operatives. disaster for the environment, the In this way conpetition would be miners and the country. What we introduced into the British coal­ need is more democratic control of field. our energy resources, not a plan to Existing deep mines would also flog them off to the multinationals have to compete with privatised and various home grown money grab­ opencast mines. some unsaleable bers. pits might need to be kept open for Anyone with an interest in coal social reasons. These could be had better take the bit betweeen privatised by asking private man­ their teeth and .read this book, so agement to tender for subsidies. that they are prepared to stand up Groups of pits and associated power against a new wave of privatisation stations could also be sold off to WHAT AM I 51t'. ONE SL..lGitflY in the energy industries. the highest bidder, as a way of introducing private capital into SO,LED COAL INDUSTRY ..• Pete Roche 22 SCRAM Journal April/May '86 iewsl Sink the Rainbow! by John Dyson were that it had been infiltrated (Gollancz, £8.95, l92pp) by Soviet or communist spies, or was financed by British Petroleum When the news broke that someone to stir up trouble for the French had blown up the Rainbow Warrior, nuclear electricity generating pro­ the obvious solution -that the gramme. Now, as the French found it French government had done it - easy to place a mole in a Green­ seemed to be too simple. It had to peace office with a disguise so be a more Machiavellian plot, car­ thin that she would hold forth on ried out by ex-Algerian colons the need for the French bomb, you settled in New Caledonia or (sug­ would think that they could have gested by French newspapers) by verified or disproved these theo­ British intelligence to cast dis­ ries. However they were not inter­ credit on France. ested in the fact that Greenpeace However the likeliest solution is what it seems - a group of non­ was in fact true and the French aligned activists supported by do­ saboteurs had left a trail like a nations from concerned citizens. motorway. They had exploited the Greenpeace was a nuisance whose 417 openness of Greenpeace; and also ton ship could have transported the political innocence of New protesting Tahitians in outrigger Zealand, not taking into account canoes to occupy Mururoa atoll that such yokels would remember while the tests were going on which what foreign strangers did and would receive international pub­ said. They may have been as indif­ licity. ferent to this as to the fate of So the motive was a nebulous the dozen or so people on board the "reason of state". This was ac­ ship. Certainly it was more by good ceptable to the other French poli­ luck than planning that only one tical parties who patriotically did person was killed. There were two not make electoral capital out of minutes between explosions, and the the cock-up. The tax-financed mili­ first, in the engine room, let in tary structure versus the stren­

Nuclear Politics by TOny Hall, quiry which prevented the NI! safe­ operating record of British nuclear Penguin, 1986, 187pp., £2.95 ty report from being completed in power stations. On matters of time for the inquiry, nor does he technical detail, the statement on Nuclear Politics is the third over­ pay much attention to the poor p. 68 "that plutonium could only be view of nuclear development in used in fast reactors• is now Britain to have appeared in the seen to be false. course of a year. Published by The book, by simply recounting Penguin, this book will probably the history of decisions, rein­ reach the largest audience of the forces the focus on reactor design three: its relative merits are as the only choice facing us:- the therefore important. Like the overview is less wide than either other two books by Valentine and by the more selective, technically Patterson (see page 23 of each of detailed approach taken by Valen­ SCRAM Journal nos. 51 & 52), tine or Patterson's concern with Nuclear Politics describes the in­ plutonium recycling and fast reac­ itiation of the military and then tors. Paying more attention to the the civil nuclear programmes during influence of institutions outside the 1940's and 1950's. It then Government, Tony Hall provides evi­ documents the various twists and dence of an early recognition by turns in the choice of reactor the coal industry of the threat types up to the present. The wider which nuclear power posed to it. issues of the nuclear programme are Although the civil liberties im­ summarised in chapters 8 & 9, form­ plications of a "plutonium economy" ing asides which are taken from the are given reasonable coverage, the perspective of examining the con­ recent deterioration in civil li­ text within which opposition to berties and the possible link be­ nuclear power has grown up. tween this and the Government's The overall tone of the book is determination to enforce a stronger non-partisan, and fairly sober, nuclear industry are not examined. contrasting with the verve of Pat­ Although the overlap between all terson's account. At a number of three books is considerable, Tony points Hall is not as critical as Hall has written the best introduc­ he might have been, for example tion; Valentine has examined as­ accepting the Black Report on pects of the same material in more Leukaemias around Sellafield with­ detail, and Patterson has extended out acknowledging the criticisms of his account to emphasise plutonium this report. He does not mention fuel cycles. the change in the PWR design six months prior to the Sizewell In- Ian Leveson SCRAM Journal April/May '86 23 •Listings

~ JOURNAL NEW GROUP CONFERENCES Green Teacher is aimed at teachers, Ayrshire Radiation Monitoring Group Saturday, April 12 parents and education advisors; it (ARM) was set up in December as an The End of the Nuclear Road : Buil­ will be produced twice a term be­ umbrella group of anti-nuclear and ding the Alternative Path . ginning this autumn . It will: environmental groups . in or9er to Organised by SERA and NATTA . relate the green debate to ideas commission independent monitoring Debate on the Labour Party's motion of environmental education; of radiation levels on the Ayshire on nuclear power , and the need for act as a network for teachers coast. ARM needs volunteers to help the Trade Union and Labour Movement and curriculum developers; with fundraising in different parts to produce alternative energy stra­ provide regular surv~ys on re­ of Ayshire. tegies. sources in the f~eld; ~ontact : Dr Norman Clark (0292 Place: Red Rose Labour Club, 129 provide a digest of environmen­ 263534) or Margaret Crankshaw (0292 Seven Sisters Rd, London N7 tal events elsewhere; 316008) . Time: 10.30 am- 5.30 pm provide materials for use in the Cost : £2 on door, £1 SERA or NATTA classroom. members or unv:aged . The project needs money, , subscrip­ Programrre from: SER~, 1 Poland St, tions, advertisers and contribu­ PUBLIC MEE:I'ING London Wl. tions. Contact: Damian Randle, Centre for Friday May ,9 April 24-25 Alternative Technology, Llwyng'... ern Trident and the Nuclear State Radioactive waste ~~nagement - UK Quarry, Machynlleth, PO'HJ'S (065~ Speakers: Duncan · Campbell and Policy Exar.11ned 2400). others. Speakers will deal with techn1cal, Place: Queen's Hall, south Clerk legislauv.-~. environmental and pub- St, Edinburgh 1lC relations 1ssues, covering cur­ Tlme: 7.30 rent government pol1cy for storage, contact: Graha1n Spinardi, 031 229 reprocessing and disposal. EMPIDYMENT AGENCY 9038 Place: Royal Lancaster Hotel, L&.­ caster TP.r:ace, London ';.'2. Electronics for Peace Wlll launch a Cost: £260 plus vnt. radical new job5 agency at the All Contact: Fiona Spindlove 01-236 Elec~ronics ~eek Exh~b1t1on at 4080. Olympia from April 29 to May 30. CONFERENCE Tte aim is to pluce prospective Weekend May 10-11 employees ·,.ith selected client com­ Make the Links, Break the Chain pa;'lies. The companies must: Top1cs include the Coal t•llning have no military .._.ork; Industry; the Economics of Energy; want to reduce the1r m1l1tary the Politics of Nuclear Power. ...,.ark; forr.at will be speakers and work­ won't put pressure on employees shops . to do milltary work. Place: Durham University Maths Interested? Dept , Stockton Rd. Contact : Tony ~·li lson, TO'..msen<' Cost: FREE House, Green Lane, Marshfield, Contact: Pat (0385 40361) or Andrew Chippenham, Wilts (0225 891710). (0385 782639)

SUBSCRIBE PAY OUR Little Black Rabbit heard an inter­ esting story from a friendly mole ~NOW~ ~WAGES!~ in Somerset concerning the ser1es of accidents at the Hinkley P01nt nuke. SUBSCRIPTION FORM WAGES STAND!f'.C ORDER FORl-1 After the first acc1dent Green­ peace asked John Large, their con­ Annual subscription rates Name .. sultant engineer, to investigate. Address . Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal r.P for Ordinary ...... c7 the area was also concerned so John Concessionary ...... £.4. Tel and Paddy arranged a visit to the Supporting ...... £10 site to find out from the horse's Institutional ...... £.12 To The Manager : mouth . Overseas ...... £9 . . . . . Bank After a tour of the plant the Household ...... £30 Address . two investigators questioned staff in the station manager's office. Life sub ...... £50 During the course of the discus­ sions John opened the door of a YES !/We wish to subscribe Please pay on . .. (1st payment) cupbOard and found an embarrassed the sum of . . . from my account man sitting there with headphones Name . number . . . . to the Royal Bank on and a tape recorder: the ent1re Address. of Scotland, 142 Princes Street, discussion was be1ng taped. Edinburgh (83-51-00) for the Tel credit of SCRAM Number 2 account 258597 and make similar payments Return to: SCRAM, 11 Forth St, monthly/yearly until cancelled. Edinburgh EHl 3LE. 031 557 4283 Signed . . . . Date . ..

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