No.89 June/July 1992 £1 .50 ...... •·•·• .... ·.··. ··><·: '· anti-nuclear demonstration but an SCRAM's .. S~fe Etif!rgy jQLi~nalls COMMENT impromptu pop concert/' Greenpeace produced bf.:.monthly for the Brltl~h Anti-nuclear and Safe Energ)' had been granted a music licence for movements by .· the . ;.ScoUish s the 'mother of parliaments', the the day to allow U2 to play. BNFL's Cam!)aign to Resist the ,\tornic world's oldest democracy, turn real concern was that once the rock Menace. Views express~d in articles fans knew the full horror of THoRP' s appearing in .this )ournal .. ·are not I ing into the newest dictatorship? necessarily. those of SCRAM; A country where local authority office environmental and health implications bearers are disbarred from holding they would add their voice to the office in political parties, thus being growing protest scram, skram, v. ···· to shut-down a nuclear denied their democratic rights. A If the company are really concerned reactor in an emergency. country where under the constraints ...... ·. about" safety, public order and public of the new local authority finance legislation, Scottish authorities will health," they should cancel THORP. be unable to take part in a public CONTRIB!)ilONS Reprocessing is without purpose; it we welcome contributions of inquiry over the digging of a hole for increases the volume of radioactive articles, news, letters, graphl~s and nuclear waste at Sellafield. waste for final disposal by 160 times photographs; which should .bl,. sent and lays the foundations for the to SCRAM at the address below. There is a good chance that that plutonium economy. It must, as it LETTERS inquiry will establish generic already has been in the USA and many SCRAM·reser'tf~• ttie•• rlght.·to~dit approval for the deep dump design; other countries, be stopped. lett~rs to fit the.vailable••·•~•.AII approval which will then be exported letters for. publication sho!Jid •!3e submitted by the news deadline North, leaving a Scottish inquiry to EARTH SUMMIT below. argue about the colour of the outbuildings. A country in which the VEN the longest journey starts COPY DEADLINES movements of nuclear materials are with a single step. However, The Copy Deadline for feature with the future of the planet at articles for the next issue kept secret from the very people who E (AugustjSeptember '92) is 21 July. would be expected to pick up the stake, it is alarming that the 150 (Feature articles· a.re approximately pieces in the event of an accident. world leaders who gathered in Rio 900 words per page.) News copy for the Earth Summit have taken us should normally be submitted within Now the Courts, those defenders of such a short a distance along the a week of the features deadline. freedom and liberty, have been used road to sustainable development. ADVERTISING to stifle protest over the opening of the Advertising rates are shown on Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant - George Bush was the hate figure in Rio page 26. Inserts can be mailed out Sellafield 2. A plant which will - and rightly so! with the journal -details on request. increase Sellafield' s radioactive The Earth Summit demanded BACK ISSUES discharges to land and sea by 1000% Back coplu of the journ~l are statesmanship from the leader of the and 800% respectively, escalating available for .most issues. Copies from most powerful nation; instead it got the previous year cost £1.20 (Inc. p&p) environmental and health damage. 'the campaign to re-elect the or £6 for the set of six. Issues more than "We won't allow Sellafield to become President'. As one US a year old are 75p (inc. p&p). a danger to the public," screamed the environmentalist explained, the SUBSCRIPTIONS massive ads taken out in Britain's trouble with Bush is that he's a Marxist For details of subscription rates see national newspapers. Yet they were - his philosophy is "stuff posterity - the form on the back page. not taken out by opponents of the what's it ever done for us?" (Groucho FOR .THE BLIND plant, but by its operators, British Marx] The. text of Safe Energy is. now Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). available on disk for people who are His argument in Rio about protecting registered blind. This service .Is Having previously agreed to a US jobs is the self-centred view of a available at a charge of £3 above the appropriate subscription rate ~ this demonstration against their new Texan oil millionaire - a move away covers the cost of the disks and plant, BNFL took fright when the from fossil fuels will offer new job administration. Further information event threatened to draw over 10,000 opportunities, and much more. -available on request. people to the site. They only agreed Rather than hoping that the 1,000 PRODUCTION originally to the demo on "the basis scientists of the Intergovernmental Editors: that a few hundred would attend." Mike Townsley Panel on Climate Change are wrong, Graham Stein A High Court judge, Mr Justice May, urgent action must be taken now to granted injunctions against reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Front Cover Illustration: Davld Shaw. Greenpeace, Cumbrians Against a precautionary principle is the only Radioactive Environment (CORE) sane approach. and the Irish 'super group' U2, Energy efficiency and renewable banning them from setting foot on any energy systems are a clean and viable Published by SCRAM, 11 Forth of BNFL' s 3,225 acres, which contains alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LE. the 646-acre reprocessing plant, on the power. They are also appropriate to weekend of June 20. 1t 031-§57' 4283/4 both North and South, offering the Fax i031-557 4284 (no junk taxes) "This is not a free speech issue, it is a chance for convergent paths to public safety issue," claimed BNFL: sustainable development and the ISSN 0140 7340 Bi-monttlly. "What was planned was not an saving of this Earth.
2 Safe Energy 89 SAFE ENERGY CONTENTS FEATURES I
8 THORP: the krypton factor With the start-up of the UiORP reprocessing plant, the release of radioactive krypton gas into the atmosphere will increase by a factor of ten. As Pete Roche of Greenpeace explains, these emissions and their unpredictable conse quences could be avoided using existing technology.
1 O UK radhealth proposals criticised Proposals from the Health and Safety Commission to implement a European Community Directive on public information for radiation emergencies have come in for widespread criticism. Fred Barker, a freelance writer and consultant on nuclear issues, reports on the controversy.
12 The wind in Wales Proponents of wind power in Wales are striving to overcome opposition from a variety of unlikely bedfellows. Robert Minhinnick of Friends of the Earth Cymru describes the current state of play.
Storing up trouble 14 Scottish Nuclear are planning to build a dry-store at the Torness power station for spent fuel rather than send it to Sellafield for reprocessing. Mike Townsley details their proposals and expresses concern that this temporary store may become a final resting place.
Greening our buildings 16 Britain lags far behind its European neighbours in the field of energy-efficient buildings. With reference to his recent Energy efficiency and renewables: recent experiences on mainland europe, David Olivier presents some relevant facts and figures.
Rtissing roulette 18 The supply side of the nuclear industry involves its own share of hazards. Tim Archer looks at the environmental effects, and the risks faced by workers in uranium mines.
20 When is a dose not a dose? When it comes from a previously contaminated environment, says the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Friends of the Earth's radiation campaigner, Dr Patrick Green, describes the wrangling over the latest international recommendations on safe radiation levels.
June/July '92 3 Nirex's deep trouble also involve some 200 lorries travelling to • Meanwhile, in a letter to Friends of the site daily during construction. Ancient the Earth (FoE) Nirex said they now loaning and standing stones would be de plan to perforate the nuclear waste con T'S the beginning of the end for stroyed to make way for access roads. An tainers due to be placed in their reposi I Nirex's plan for a deep dump at Sel appeal against the Planning Board's deci tory. lafield. The company have announced sion will be lodged and is likely to result in According to FoE, Nirex have ad that they no longer intend to file for a public inquiry. mitted that this change is the result of planning permission this year, instead Since the planning inquiry into the research which highlighted the danger they don't expect to lodge a planning Sellafield deep dump is expected to last posed by gas generation within the steel application before August 1993. a year, this means that no 'solution • to containers. A 150mm hole in the 500 In letters to local authorities, Nirex's the problem of nuclear waste will be litre containers would vent the gas, thus Managing Director, Michael Folger, available for the Government's 1994 preventing pressure building up and says that a review of geological studies nuclear review. Without a 'solution' to causing the containers to explode, claim carried out so far confirms that Sella the waste problem it is difficult to see Nirex. field potentially offers a safe site for the how the Government could justify lift Previously Nirex has argued that the repository. This is despite revelations ing its moratorium on building new nu waste containers should remain water earlier this year, made in their own two clear power stations. tight for several hundred years to allow volume analysis of '"The Geology arad Government policy dictates deep dis relatively short lived and highly soluble Hydrogeology of Sellafield" that water posal as early as possible, but accord radionuclides to decay before ground flow rates and the potential for upward ing to Nirex: .. Safety of disposal is the water entered the containers when they migration are far in excess of that de over-riding priority, not the 1994 re eventually corrode. Even if vents as manded by the original site selection view. It is important to go to a planning small as lmm are made in the con criteria (Safe Energy 88). inquiry with a well-founded safety case tainers, according to earlier statements Folger continues, .. However, from for the repository, not something made by Nirex scientists, "significant the information currently available, driven by the timetable." Folger adds: radionuclide concentrations.. will es knowledge of the hydrogeology is not .. We've never said we are convinced cape. sufficiently firm to allow a decision on that this is the right site... Given that recent Nirex research (see a repository planning application." Cumbria County CoWtCil, who are also not above) has shown that groundwater The extra time is required to conduct convinced it's the right site, have welcomed movement in the Sellafield area is faster further analysis on the data they already the announcement. They are pressing for a than predicted and, contrary to the site have, and to drill further exploratory planning inquicy commission which allows selection specification, are towards the public debate over Government policy. bores, explain Nirex. immediate surface, the repository must Their call is fuelled by a report they By Autumn of 1993, they expect to fall back on physical and chemical con have completed 11 boreholes, including commissioned from the consultancy En vironmental Resources Ltd*, which shows tainment. "This latest plan to deliber 2 in the Lake District National Park. there is no need for early deep disposal. ately breach the drums suggests that Planning permission for the National The report says "The capacity of the Drigg Nirex can also not rely on physical con Park bores has already been refused by disposal site for Low Level Waste, and the tainment." the Lake District Special Planning stores planned for Intermediate Level Harry Hudson of Nirex has rejected Board... Delays in obtaining borehole Waste at Sellafield demonstrate a poten FoE's claims as "a scare story of an all too planning permission, including 2 key tial capacity to take the waste until 2055, familiar kind." He claims, "Nirex has for the planned date for closure of the reposi boreholes in the Lake District National many years planned for vents in the waste tory. The option is therefore available to Park, are now becoming a significant containers." The vents would be carefully obstacle," say Nirex. The 2 boreholes delay the construction of the repository for further geological research at Sella designed to ..allow fluids to pass and so would involve the erection of two 150ft field, or even re-examination of the geo help prevent deformation of the con high floodlit drilling rigs operating for logy at other potential sites." tainers by inside or outside pressures, 30 months on Bleng Fell and Whin It also rejects the belief that the current while retaining particulate matter." 0 Garth. BNFL, acting on behalf ofNirex, design would allow retrievability: "beyond would then carry out tests lasting 4 the 50-year operational life of the reposi * Waste Arising, Packaging and Trans· years, but want the site to remain avail tory, colTOSion of waste containers would port Safety. Environmental Resources able for up to 50 years. The plan will mean retrievability was no longer safe... Ltd, Aprill992.
by May the company said only 2 or 3 tivity associated with Sellafield dis Sellafield triffids pieces were being found each day, and charges. There has been no incident or most were not contaminated. Most of plant malfunction that would account for YSTERY surrounds the appear the seaweed is being found near the these findings." Mance of radioactive seaweed - or plant's discharge pipe, and while Analysis of the weed by the Ministry of Hydroids - on the beaches at Sellafield, radioactive levels on some pieces is sig Agriculture Fisheries and Food and HM but not to worry, British Nuclear Fuels nificant, others show contamination le Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) indi (BNFL) says it is perfectly safe, even if vels of only l.SmSv, say BNFL. cates that the contamination happened they don't know where it has come "Hydroids are unusual and we don't within the last 12 months. HMIP said: from. know how this developed," added the "It's safe to go on the beach, it's safe to BNFL said they found 65 fragments of company: "We don't know if they have go in the sea. You'd have to press the grass-like material at the tide-line over a any connection with Sellafield at all re seaweed or whatever it is against your 2 mile stretch of beach during routine ally. All we do know is that some of the skin for 33 hours non-stop before you monitoring in March and April. However, hydroids are contaminated with radioac- came anywhere near a danger level... 0
Safe Energy 89 USA have just one reactor each still even less, from 2c to 6c/kWh saved, the Nuclear squeeze under construction, while Canada has report says. just two. Any effort to revive the industry's UCLEAR power is being squeezed In the Third World, there are only fortunes on the back of fears about N out of the global energy market 18,394MW of nuclear plants in oper global warming are doomed to failure, place according to a new report• pro ation; 6% of the world total. Many are says the report: ~There has been little duced jointly by the Worldwatch In seriously over budget, behind schedule, response so far . . . as most govern stitute, Greenpeace and WISE. or plagued by technical problems. As a ments with new climate policies are The .. World Nuclear Industry Status consequence there have only been a focusing instead on energy efficiency Report: 1992" shows that by the year handful of Third World orders in the and renewable energy sources.·· The 2000 the industry will be in terminal past decade. groups calculate that current nuclear decline. The 49 nuclear power stations In Eastern Europe, the industry is far capacity would have to be doubled at under construction worldwide at the be ing no better. As some ~300,000 people a cost of more than a trillion dollars to ginning of 1992 will only bring nuclear undergo treatment for radiation-related offset even 5% of current global carb capacity to 360,000MW, less than one illnesses that stem from Chernobyl and on emissions; a goal they called ~in tenth of the forecast made by the Inter other mishaps," argues the report: ~ ... conceivable given the current state of national Atomic Energy Agency political changes have unleashed a tor public opinion and economics.·· (lAEA) during the 1974 oil crisis. rent of public criticism, which in East Reports of the industry's demise are Between 1991 and 1992, total in ern Europe has focused on the fact that greatly exaggerated according to the US stalled nuclear generating capacity de their nuclear plants do not meet western Council for Energy Awareness (USCEA) clined for the first time since the safety standards." Plant shut-downs and the European Nuclear Society (ENS). industry began in the 1950s. At the end have proceeded rapidly as declining The two pro-nuclear bodies have de of January this year there were 421 nu economic conditions lower worker nounced the figures used in the report clear plants in operation, 10 fewer than moral, ~jeopardise the supply of criti claiming the number of units being built the peak in January 1989. cal spare parts, and reduce electricity around the world is 76, and not 49. They ~While nuclear proponents frequently supply." also think. "It is ironic that the Worldwatch refer to the expansionist plans of France Institute, which claims to care about the In addition to these factors, nuclear and Japan," observes the report, ~these global environment, should be going out of costs have risen to the point where it is two countries are minor exceptions to the its way to discourage the growth of the one no longer competitive with other new global trend, and even their nuclear pro large, proven, and reliable source of elec power sources. New nuclear plants in grammes are in jeopardy due to public tricity that doesn't produce greenhouse the USA, for example, produ~d-elec opposition in Japan and the poor fmancial gases - nuclear power." 0 health of the State utility in France." tricity at a cost of over 12c/kWh, while Construction has stopped completely natural gas plants come in at 6c/kWh • "The World Nuclear Industry Status in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Swit and wind and geothermal cost 6c to Report: 1992", by Greenpeace, Wise zerland, and Germany. Britain and the 8cfkWh. Efficiency improvements cost Paris & the Worldwatch Institute.
US Energy Bill Hunterston fire s public opinion was snubbed at U the end of May when Congress, ORKERS using a plasma torch like the Senate before them, passed a Waccidentally set fire to temporary rubber seals around the floor of the press Bill which establishes "one-step" reac ure vessel at Hunterston B, on 22 June. tor licensing and deprives individual At the time of the accident the plant was States of the right to veto a nuclear shut down for several weeks for routine waste dump within their boundaries. maintenance. Scottish Nuclear (SN), the Recent opinion polls showed that four plants operator, dismissed the accident as out of five Americans oppose both de resulting from .. an operational anomaly," velopments. Congress, however, voted saying it posed no radiological risk. 381 to 37 in favour of the Bush Admin .. There was no danger to the reactor core at any time." istration· s National Energy Strategy However, the eighteen men trapped by which contains about 100 proposals you think the American people the blaze hit out at the company's com (SCRAM 82). deserve a hearing on that. .. Obviously placency. One of them told the Daily Rec The most fiercely contested of the not: the clause was retained by a vote ord newspaper: ~The fire should not have two proposals was "one-step" reactor of 254 to 160. happened, but it showed how inadequate licensing. This will overturn a 1990 US The second proposal was aimed at procedures are. Appeal Court decision requiring a hear the State of Nevada where Bush wants .. It took a full half hour to clear the ing after a reactor is built but before it starts to build a high-level nuclear waste reactor. Access and escape hatches are so up if"significantnew material" becomes avail dump, but the State Government small that only one person at a time can squeeze through them." able. The case against retaining the proposal keeps throwing up legislative ob SN said the fire is being investigated by was highlighted by Californian Congressman stacles to prevent the Yucca Mountain the plant management and experts from George Miller, who pointed to an site from opening. The Government the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, ad example in his State where a reactor will now be able to ride roughshod ding: "If the men have fears we will listen. vessel was installed backwards: .. Don't over the Nevadans· fears. 0 But sometimes people exaggerate. •• 0
June/July '92 Dounreay dumbfounded reay "there was still cause for concern,.. adding: "No specific local factor has AEA to go private? been identified which can provide an WICE as many children born in the explanation for the increased incidence EA Technology should be privatised Dounreay area, between 1969 and of leukaemia ... A after the Government's 1994 review T of the nuclear industry, if a way can be 1988, had leukaemia than would be ex The Government have now accepted found to hive off the companies £3 to £4 pected according to national statistics. the advice of the Committee on Medical billion liabilities for disposing of nuclear Those who moved to the area show an Aspects of Radiation in the Environ waste and cleaning up sites, according to even greater excess, according to a ment (COMARE), and ordered two a Monopolies and Mergers Commission Scottish Health Service report. new investigations. (MMC) investigation*. After examining the records of 4,144 The first, A Scottish Case Control Although much of the liability has been children born in the area, and those of a Study, will involve interviews with incurred through work undertaken for the further 1,641 children who attended parents of children registered with public sector, generally prior to 1986-and these organisations have agreed in prin local schools over the same 20 year cancer in the period 1991-1995 and ciple to cover the costs - "the fact that most period, the study team found 5 cancer with parents of healthy children of the liabilities are associated with AEA 's registrations in the birth group, which chosen as controls for comparison. It sites limits AEA 's freedom of action to would have been on a par with overall aims to discover whether childhood develop such sites in the most commer national statistics. However, all 5 were cancer could be the result of exposure cially effective way," observe the MMC. leukaemia cases, more than double that of the child or parent to ionising radi The Authority told the Commission that which would be expected. ation, certain chemicals or infections they believed their Decommissioning & The incoming group registered 3 in the child's early life. Radioactive Waste Management Operations cancers, again allleukaemias. No cases The second concerns childhood programme should be fenced off and not allowed to distort its commercial position. were found in children who were born cancer near nuclear installations in While the MMC considered the option of in the area but later moved away, when Scotland; all cases in the period 1975- the Authority remaining in its present state, a total of 4.2 would be average. 1990 are being reviewed by a team of it concluded: "We see little prospect of the In the report, published in May's pathologists. AEA meeting its ambitious financial objec British Medical Journal, the baffled Roger James, Dounreay's site man tives of funding the cost of its restructuring team said: "The most remarkable fea ager, welcomed the new studies and and making a return to the Exchequer while tures remain the concentration in a promised to support the initiative, but its business expansion is constrained. relatively short period of time and the said: "This latest study weakens the Generally impressed with the results of common diagnosis of leukaemia with claim that is often made by anti-nu the company's restructuring programme, begun in 1990, the Commission was a complete absence of all other types clear campaigners that there is a link highly critical of its financial weaknesses of childhood cancer." between working at Dounreay and and said it must cut jobs. Commenting on the continuing mys Childhood luekaemia." He acknow Last year the AEA lost £40 million. 0 tery of the leukaemia excesses around ledge that there is still cause for con the Dounreay plant, Scottish Health cern, but sought solace in the fact that * "UKAEA: a report on the services pro Minister, Lord Fraser admitted that no non-leukaemia cancers had been vided by the company", Monopolies and after 2 very detailed studies at Doun- found in the area. 0 Mergers Commission; HMSO, May 1992.
(HEU) fuel elements for research re first in line for receipt of the HEU. Proliferation problems actors, could be carried out by Doun Petten had applied to the USA for a new reay or by CERCA in France, no batch of fuel, but the application was OUNREAY has denied allegation agreement has yet been reached. Once challenged by the influential US press Ds that they are undermining an refabricated the fuel is destined for ure group the Nuclear Control Institute, American programme to stem the four European reactors which pre who believe there is no bar to Petten world-wide flow of weapons-grade viously received their fuel from the using LEU. Faced with a public hear uranium-235. USA: two in France (HFR in Grenoble ing, delays and a possible cancellation, AEA Technology, the plant's oper and Orphee in Paris), one in Belgium it now appears that the THTR fuel offers ators, have entered into a contract with (BR2, near Antwerp) and one in the a way round Petten being forced to ac the German company NUKEM, for the Netherlands (HFR Petten, north of cept LEU by the USA. recovery and storage of uranium from Amsterdam). Dounreay have denied that any of the 362,000 unused fuel elements. The ele The THTR fuel was originally sup four European reactors could use LEU: ments come from the ill-fated prototype plied to Germany by the USA who are "If the customer had wanted LEU we high temperature gas cooled reactor at now concerned about the quantities of could have supplied it... There is no Hann, known as the THTR-300, which weapons-grade uranium in circulation question, say Dounreay, of undermin was closed down in 1988. worldwide, and the proliferation risk it ing US attempts to control the move They are described by Dounreay as represents. To address this problem the ment of U-235. They are simply being no bigger than billiard balls. The US Department of Energy established fulfilling an order from Nukem to strip company has already begun the process the Reduced Enrichment Research and the unused fuel, argue the company. of burning off the elements• graphite Test Programme, designed to al1ow re The unused fuel was flown into coating in order to recover some 348kg search reactors to switch to low Dounreay via Wick airport and it is ofU-235. enriched uranium fuel (LEU), which is likely that either the recovered U-235 or The refabrication work, turning the not weapons-grade. fresh fuel elements will be returned to U-235 into highly-enriched uranium The Petten reactor is believed to be Germany the same way. 0
Safe Energy 89 .... V•&era Rou&e lhroucla llle ,_ CanU Plutonium piles ~ V•&era Rou&e ltOUIII Caoe llora ~ lu&era loule ltOUIII Caoe or Goool Hope LUTONIUM stockpiles pose a P.. major political and security problem worldwide," according to the deputy di rector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), William Dricks. Dricks warned delegates attending a recent meeting of the Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum that .. there is an urgent need to review again our policies re garding plutonium and its use." As a result of "nuclear fuel reprocessing, and potentially as a result of nuclear wea ~ pons dismantling, in the foreseeable fu period of 1978-1984." Unfortunately, Perhaps the greatest fear is the ma- ture the supply of plutonium will far he says, it "did not lead to a consensus ritime disaster. A report produced by exceed the industrial capacity to absorb among the participating member ECO Engineering Inc, of Annapolis in plutonium into peaceful commercial states." Perhaps "the time has come to the US, shows that the flasks being used nuclear industrial activities... revisit this concept," suggests Dricks. would be incapable of withstanding a The uncertainty surrounding the future He concluded, "The IAEA is ready realistic shipboard accident. ECO note size and shape of nuclear power makes it to: offer an international forum for the that the flasks are certified to standards "impemtive that decisions be taken now exchange of information on this import established by the IAEA. The IAEA regardingplutoniumstoragethatrneetsrig ant subject; and participate in organis insists that the flasks must be able to orous safety and security requirements. .. ing the international disposition of withstand an 8000C ftre for 30 minutes; In 1990, the delegates heard, less than plutonium at the request of Member however if anything in excess of this oc 30% of fissile plutonium isolated by re States- including Member States wish curs - the average temperature and dura processing was incorporated into reactor ing to place their plutonium under •in• tion of seaboard fire are 1,000"C and 24 fuel. Dricks said: "It is expected that this ternational supervision •." hours - then up to 15 times the radioac imbalance ... will during the period 1990- It is worth noting that the venue tivity of Chemobyl could be released. 2000, result in the stockpiling of 110 tons Dricks chose to unburden himself of Such a prospect is causing considerable of fissile plutonium." The dismantling of these fears was in Japan, where the alarm along the potential routes. nuclear weapons will yield another 110 powerful Ministry International Trade The ECO report notes that although tons from the US and 100 tons from the and Industry (Mm) is deeply com the IAEA standard requires that a cask former USSR. In addition the two states mitted to the plutonium economy. survive immersion to a depth of 200m, will produce about SOO tons of highly 15% to 90% of the ship·s route will be enriched uranium each. Controversy over water with a depth in excess of this. While plutonium from power reac Japan is currently at the centre of a Following the publication of the ECO tors tends to be impure - containing a world wide controversy_ over shipments report, US Congressman Neil Aber significant amount of non-fissile iso of plutonium from both France and the crombie of Hawaii proposed that topes - and not ideal for weapons fabri UK. They plan to transport the first batch, measures be adopted to bar such ship cation, Dricks comments "it can around 1 ton of plutonium - enough for ments from US waters and ports until nevertheless be used for this purpose. about 120 bombs - from Cherbourg the US Nuclear Regulatory Com Accordingly it will have to be stored sometime later this year. It witl be carried mission certified that the casks were under conditions of strict security and by the re-flagged Pacific Crane - for tested to withstand a maximum credible safeguards accountability." merly British registered and Pacific Nu accident. Such a measure has a prece While using mixed oxide fuels clearTransportLtdowned -purpose built dent in the Murkowski Amendment (MOX) - a combination of plutonium nuclear ship. It will be accompanied by a which put a stop to Japan •s earlier plans and uranium oxides - in civil reactors is specially built 6,500 ton escort vessel, the to fly the plutonium. a popular notion for ridding the world Shikishima, which is armed with 2 pairs Japan wants the plutonium for the of excess plutonium, the high cost of of 35mm cannon, two 20rnm machine operation of its prototype Fast Breeder this fuel, about 13 times that of using guns and carries 2 unarmed helicopters. Reactor Monju, which is due to go criti fresh uranium, is a major drawback. The trip will be non-stop, say the cal next March. It is the Government's .. There is no doubt that the process of Japanese; it will also pass through some ambition, in the absence of any in finding ways to deal with the growing of the roughest seas in the world. digenous fuel sources, to use breeder stockpile of plutonium and to achieve The transports pose three specific reactors to become energy self-suffi safe and secure use in power generation dangers: the risk of a straightforward cient. However, in a remarkable state will be a long one ... major break maritime disaster; the possibility of ment the head of the Power Reactor &. throughs are not expected before the attack by terrorists or unscrupulous Nuclear Fuel Development Corp told first decade of the next century. We governments; that the amassing of the Foreign Correspondents Club of must accordingly face up to the ques plutonium in Japan sends the wrong Japan, at the end of April, that ..there is tion of the long-term plutonium stor message to its neighbours in a politi no urgent need to further breed, or in age," opines Dricks. cally unstable region - North Korea crease, the volume of plutonium,.. he It just so happens that the IAEA con has already warned the world that it even suggested that the country "should ducted "an intensive International Plu has produced plutonium for ·ex shift the direction of its technology from tonium Storage (IPS) study during the perimental use •. •fast breeders• to •fast reactors·... 0
JunejJu/y '92 British Nuclear Fuels are planning to increase their emissions of radioactive krypton-85 gas, by a factor of ten. This will result from operating the new THORP reprocessing facility at Sellafield without any specialised filtering equipment. PETE ROCHE of Greenpeace highlights the risks that BNFL are prepared to run on our behalf. THORP: the krypton factor
RmSH Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) BNFL say they have "actively reviewed discharges will add 15% to the global have submitted their applications Kr-85 removal technologies since the inventory of Kr-85 each yearf'l. B to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of late 1970s". They have looked at the Pollution (HMIP) for authorisation to suitability of several technologies Because Kr-85 is chemically unreactive, discharge liquid and gaseous radioactive mainly by monitoring developments it does not enter food chains. Therefore, wastes from Sellafield, to allow them to elsewhere in the world. By 1982, BNFL the main exposure pathway is external bring on stream the new Thermal Oxide say, it became clear that none of the irradiation from Kr-85 in the Reprocessing Plant (THORP)tl>. For one available processes were "likely to atmosphere. The NRPB estimate that 2 eamcular radioactive gas, I
8 Safe Energy 89 weather electrical field, which probably Christopher Harding, Chairman of BNFL, 1,000%, highlights the risks and dangers controls the water vapour content of the said in February 1992 nthat the absence of associated with the planned opening of atmosphere very sensitively. This could a krypton removal facility is not a case of THoRP. Despite the recommendations of lead to a reduction in precipitation and financial stringency: it has been the Windscale Inquiry, BNFL are not even an increase in the total water vapour in demonstrated that no process could, as planning to apply an end-of-pipeline the atmosphere. Aside from the possible yet, be justified either on grounds of cost control method to this isotope, which problems caused by reduced rainfall, effectiveness in terms of collective dose could cause serious damage to our since water vapour is a greenhouse gas, sa~ or of a reduction in individual climate . Even if they were forced to an increase in the levels of water vapour dose."(5) He argues that there are problems incorporate krypton removal technology, in the atmosphere could add to the associated with krypton removal and it would merely transfer the environ problem of global warming. There storage, but he does not say that these mental burden from one receiving could also be a global increase in the problems are not insurmountable, nor environment to another. Given that even frequency and/ or intensity of lightning, does he claim that the technology for BNFL now admit that "reprocessing is storms, and possibly also forest fires.~ krypton removal does not exist. not necessary"(13>, the obvious solution is not to open THORP. 0 Researchers for BNFL at Liverpool In December 1991 James Coote of the University investigated the Health and Safety Division at THoRP References: environmental effects of I
June/July '92 9 What have the Scottish Office, Welsh Office, Association of County Councils and National Steering Committee of Nuclear Free Local Authorities got in common? As FRED BARKER reports, they are all critical of key aspects of the Health and Safety Commission's proposals for implementing EC Directive 89/618 EURATOM, dealing with public information about radiation emergencies. UK radhealth proposals criticised
NLESS the European Com Intervention plans in the UK include intention of the use of the phrase "are mission can be made to act, those for accidents at nuclear power to be understood as covering" is to U an EC Directive with a poten stations, nuclear weapon bases and ensure that releases likely to give rise tially significant impact on the pub plants, nuclear powered submarine to doses in excess of the dose limits are lic's understanding of radiation risks, facilities; for the transport of military not viewed as insignificant by any EC and on preparedness for radiation and civilian nuclear materials; and a states. In other words, the dose limits emergencies, will be watered down in National Response Plan for Overseas are not intended to be used as defining translation to British law. Nuclear Accidents. In the light of this, limits, but as indicating situations that the European Commission's intention must be included. Directive 89/618 EURATOM (Safe is that the entire UK population Energy 86) requires the Government to should be provided with basic The HSE disagrees. It argues that the ensure that people likely to be affected advance information. It advises that dose limits should be used as in a radiation emergency are given more detailed information should be definitional limits, in order to give advance information about health made available around fixed sites, and "precision to what are otherwise two risks and emergency responses, and along transport corridors wherever extremely vague phrases in a that when a radiation emergency possible. definition which is central to the actually occurs, people affected must application of the Directive". be told without delay about the In contrast, the HSC proposals are emergency and what they should do. likely to confine the provision of Regardless of this disagreement, there advance information to small areas is undoubtedly a strong case for The Directive was issued on 27 around licensed nuclear sites, and so arguing that the current legal dose November 1989, with a two year period have understandably attracted limits are out of date. The prindpal forpassingnationallawsand disbibuting widespread criticism. In addition to dose limit in the IRR-a radiation dose advance information. In Britain, the task the NSC and some of the local to the whole body of 5 millisieverts of formulating and implementing authority associations, this appears to (mSv) per year - derives from a regulations was given to the Health and include the Scottish Office, which is mistaken interpretation of the 1977 Safety Co~on (HSC). The HSC did reported to have criticised the recommendations of the International manage-by the skin of its teeth-to issue "restrictive view" of the proposals, Commission on Radiological aconsultativedocument by the deadline*, and Scottish Nuclear's Chief Medical Protection (ICRP), in which the but this attracted criticism from a wide Officer, who considers that advance recommended limit was actually variety of soun:es, largely because of the information should be distributed 1mSv per year. highly restrictive view taken of the nationally. Directive's requirements. In 1987, the National Radiological Out of date Protection Board (NRPB) issued At the end of April, the Health and interim guidance recom- mending Safety Executive (HSE) issued a It should be noted that the HSE arrives that a limit of O.SmSv per·year whole summary of the 64 written comments at its position through two body dose for the public should be on the consultative document, along contentious steps: firstly, by defining used with regard to discharges from with proposals for some limited a "radiation emergency" as an single sites. In 1990, this guidance changes to the draft regulations. As occurrence where members of the was endorsed by the Hinkley Point explained below, these proposals fall public are likely to be exposed to Public Inquiry Inspector, who far short of meeting the main concerns radiation in excess of the public dose described the 5mSv limit as out of of critics, particularly those of the limits in the 1985 Ionising Radiation date even by reference to the 1977 Nuclear Free Local Authorities Regulations (IRR); and secondly, in ICRP recommendations. And in National Steering Committee (NSC). proposing that the radiation December 1991, the NRPB proposed emergency must be "reasonably a maximum value of constraint on Advance information foreseeable". whole body dose from a single source of 0.3mSv per year, and that The most contentious issue is The Directive itself defines a radiation any exposure from a single source identifying which people are likely to emergency as any situation that gives greater than this value is likely to be be affected in a radiation emergency, rise to a "significant release of intolerable. and therefore who should receive the radioactive material" or to "abnormal advance information. The pragmatic levels of radioactivity which are likely The proposed use of the 5mSv dose view taken in the Directive is that any to be detrimental to public health". It limit as a defining limit is seen to be population group for which Member then states that these terms " ... are to even more inappropriate when one States have drawn up an intervention be understood as covering situations recalls that countermeasures could in plan for dealing with such an likely to result in members of the principle be introduced in emergency emergency should be provided with public being exposed to doses in situations to avert lower doses. Thus advance information. excess of the dose limits". The the lower Emergency Reference Level
10 Safe Energy 89 whole body dose for sheltering is since the decision must be seen to be information supplied by the UK 3mSv, and that suggested for food free of vested interest. Government - does not consider it restrictions is lmSv. "opportune to start infringement The HSC' s proposals for proceedings at this time", but that Although the Welsh Office is amongst implementing regulations would also it will monitor the situation. those who have expressed concern enable the Secretary of State for about the use of out of date dose limits, Defence to decide that the provision of The current position is that the the HSE has brushed aside comments, advance information for certain cases HSE' s slightly amended proposals arguing that its hands are tied until the is "against the interests of national will probably be put to the HSC for Basic Standards Directive, which security". Critics argue that this is approval in June. After this, the specifies dose limits, is amended. This, completely unacceptable as advance proposals will be formally however, is just not true, as Directive information about the potential health submitted to the European 89/618 allows member states to effects of radiation emergencies from Commission, which has three provide information additional to that military sources could not seriously be months to express a view. If the required by the Directive. said to jeopardise national security. Commission is of the opinion that the proposals do not fulfil the 'Reasonable foreseeability' Critics also point out that the proposal requirements of the Directive, and could be unlawful, because discretion the HSC does not agree to the The second limiting criterion should not be reserved to a Secretary of necessary amendment.s, it is open proposed by the HSC - that the Statewhether to implement the Directive to the Commission to initiate legal radiation emergency must be or not In response the HSE asserts that proceedings against the UK "reasonably foreseeable" - does not the EURATOM Treaty is "only Government. appear in the Directive. Instead, the concerned with the peaceful tises of Directive submerges the vexed issue nuclear materials and thus any Directive Given the nature of the HSE's of the likelihood of accidents in the made under the Treaty is not applicable response to its critics, it seems question of whether relevant plans to military activities." According to the certain that the NSC, and a number have been drawn up. This is how it HSE, by considering military activities at of the local authority associations, should be because all accidents lie on all, they are going beyond the strict will make further detailed a spectrum of probabilities, so the requirements of the Directive! representations to the European official distinction between Commission. Other organisations Nreasonably foreseeable" and This argument does not impress the are urged to follow suit. 0 "incredible" accidents is essentially critics, largely because the HSE arbitrary. appears to be wrong about the scope • Health and Safety Commission of the EURATOM Treaty, which is (1991), Proposals for the Public Infor Furthermore, emergency planning applicable to military activities. mation for Radiation Emergencies increasingly includes steps to prepare Regulations 199-, Consultative Docu for accidents of greater severity than The EC must act ment37. the worst considered "reasonably Acknowledgement: foreseeable" by the industry. Indeed, As reported in Safe Energy 86, the NSC The author has worked closely with for nuclear power station emergency submitted a complaint to Carlo Ripa de Jamie Woolley, Legal Adviser to the planning, the Nuclear Installations Meana, the EC Commissioner for the NSC, in developing the arguments out Inspectorate issued guidance in 1990 Environment, Nuclear Safety and Ovil lined in this article. to ensure that outline planning was Protection, calling on the EC to ensure undertaken for such accidents. full UK compliance with the Directive. • Further infonnation from the Nu clear Policy and Infonnatlon Unit, According to the HSE, transport N is The response explains that the Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA, undoubtedly the most difficult and Commission - on the basis of Tel. 061 234 3379. contentious issue in the whole regulations." Having reluctantly acknowledged that the Directive applies to transport, the HSE then argues that the onus should be on the transport operator to answer the question: "is a radiation emergency reasonably foreseeable from this transport operation?" Only if the answer is yes, will the HSE determine an area within which prior information should be distributed.
This line of reasoning is subject to the criticisms of the HSE' s definition of a ! radiation emergency, and to the use of & the notion of "'reasonable foresee- ~ ability". In addition, the proposal that i the operator should determine ·· whether a transport operation should I be subject to public information f requirements is clearly unsatisfactory, The Mark 1 AGR flask
JunefJulyW 11 Some of the UK's prime sites for development of wind power are to be found in Wales. However, as ROBERT MINHINNICK of Friends of the Earth Cymru explains, progress is slow and uncertain, and several councillors and environmentalists have been 'tilting at windmills'. The wind in Wales
N the first day of June, a east Dyfed and the Glamorgan and proposals than anywhere else in Britain, group of borough coun Gwent valleys. including two that would see over one O cillors from Rhondda, Mid hundred turbines being erected along a Glamorgan, had an interesting day Meanwhile, at the June public inquiry seven mile ridge, near Llandinam. Here, out. They were taken by coach to the into the proposed enormous oil and gas one councillor claimed that wind-parks wind-park at Delabole in Cornwall terminal at Point of Ayr, Owyd, FoE could have a greater impact on the area to hear for themselves the noise Cymru are the only organisation giving than the Industrial Revolution. (There made by the development, and to evidence in opposition, based on are those who would argue that that is judge whether the 100 foot high principles of energy efficiency and a revolution Montgomery has yet to tur'bines constitute an alien intrusion conservation. Bodies such as the RSPB experience.) into the landscape. have accepted the sweeteners offered by the developers relating to future Regarding that seven mile 'ribbon Delabole is the first commercial protection for shoreland habitats. The development' of turbines, capable of wind-farm in the UK (Safe Energy 87). Government's own environmental supplying 31MW, even FoE Cymru It became operational last December and watchdog, the Countryside Council for sympathises with the argument that produces enough electricity to supply Wales (CCW), due to publish its own these proposals may have come too 3,000 homes for one year. energy policy very shortly, has not soon in the short history of commercial thought fit to attend the inquiry. Welsh wind-power. It is the type of The councillors must to decide whether thing that can terminally scare off local a small development of eleven turbines, Add to this two other issues: the authorities and send the congenitally identical to those at Delabole, for a argument over the use of the conservative Welsh environment mountainside in the Rhondda should sulphur-rich fuel orimulsion at movement into apoplexy. go ahead. The scheme has already been Pembroke and Ince B (Chester) power rejected once, and the proposers, stations and the saga of the clapped-out National Park Renewable Energy Systems Ltd, have jalopy of Trawsfynydd' s Magnox bowed to pressure and suggested the reactor, for which we are still awaiting Ironically, a recent proposal to site a resiting of the park in a less prominent the inevitable, but long-time-coming small wind-farm at Angle, in the position. coup-de-grace. All in all, it is easy to see Pembrokeshire National Park, has led why wind development is seen as vital to the FoE Cymru policy of opposing Trips by Welsh councillors to Delabole by Welsh environmentalists. such developments in designated areas are likely to increase in popularity, as on principle, being criticised from Wales becomes one of the centres for the Scare tactics another side. development of wind energy in the UK. At the time of writing, there are seven Or should we say, by certain Citing such arguments as "a precedent Welsh wind parks, totalling 208 environmentalists. Despite the for development", FoE Cymru was turbines, with planning permission. A momentous decision to go ahead with quick to oppose the scheme. The further five proposals are imminent, the Mynydd y Cemaes development organisation was keen - and because of accounting for another 108 turbines, (Safe Energy 85) of 22 turbines on a the at times acrimonious wind-park whilst two proposals (including the ridge three miles outside the debate in Wales, perhaps too keen - to Rhondda) with 31 turbines, are being Snowdonia National Park - a decision prove it was not in favour of resubmitted. greeted enthusiastically by FoE - the development at any price. landscape conservationists who Silver lining dominate. the CCW and other It turned out that the location at Angle well-established countryside bodies, was a deserted and derelict airfield, that For environmentalists like Friends of have been successful in using scare has been viewed as an eyesore for the Earth (FoE) Cymru, the burgeoning tactics about the 'intrusive' nature of several years. Local press published the pressure for wind development in wind-parks. views of people that the wind-park Wales is a silver lining to an ominously would be far more "aesthetically black cloud that currently hangs over These arguments, linked to prejudices pleasing" than the existing blot on the energy issues. engendered by the alarming landscape. Those who had opposed the ignorance of some local councillors, scheme were accused of seeking to turn Dyfed tempests appear to have have clouded the issue in Wales. For Wales into a rural museum, of interest permanently put out of action one of the instance, the original decision to turn only to tourists (20% of the country turbines at the government's down the small Rhondda comprises National Parks). experimental wind-park at Cannarthen development was influenced by the Bay. Opencast coalmining is due to views of the local MP, Allan Rogers, However, industrial South Wales, increase by 50% in South Wales alone who reportedly said wind turbines with its precipitous valley sides, high "in the next few years", taking annual have no place in a cleaned-up wind speeds and general lack of production up to 3 million tonnes. Coal post-industrial valleys community. designated areas such as SSSis (the privatisation, linked to the lack of a coal industry saw to that) is now ceiling on opencast production, Meanwhile in rural Montgomery, there increasingly viewed as a coming area suggests a coming free-for-all in Owyd, is a greater concentration of wind-park for wind development.
12 Safe Energy 89 Wind proposals for the valleys are even The 24 turbines will supply enough Wales: the Promise and the Perils", more pertinent when it is remembered electricity to meet 25% of the island's sponsored by the NFU. that it is in this area that British Coal is domestic needs. Once again, seeking most vigorously to increase its considering the proximity on Anglesey As Bill Thomas, Compensation Advisor opencast coal production. This is of the reactor at Wylfa, the location is to the NFU, put it-"in providing access especially true of the Heads of the symbolic of the struggle in Wales to the wind that flows over his land, the Valleys between Glynneath and between the old polluting energies of farmer provides the fundamental factor Blaenavon, opencast mined since 1948, the past, and the new adaptable in the production of saleable power ... and undergoing programmes (however technology. The special potential contained in the inadequate) of "restoration" work. wind that flows over the land is as much Perhaps the greatest chance of rapid an indivisible part of land as are Thus there is at present a fascinating development in Wales lies with the minerals or any other physical feature parallel development in this part of farming industry. Already farmers in needing specialist application in order Wales between what has been described Ceredigion (the large, rural district to develop." as "the ugly child of war-time around Aberystwyth) have proved emergency and post-war austerity'' and themselves enthusiastic about the This type of pronouncement might at new sources of benign energy - the proposals in this area. (Ceredigion is first not draw much support from Welsh tradition of "real jobs for real helping lead the way at present in environmentalists or Georgists. The men" versus small, community-based, acceptances of suitable schemes.) philosophies behind modem farming clean technology projects. How the have rarely elicited much struggle goes will say much about the Upland Wales, where the greatest encouragement from these sources. valleys as a place to live in the next few harvest of wind is to be found, is now, However, it gives an excellent insight decades. in general terms, a massively into the ways that the farming community will treat the issue of wind Already a proposal by Perma Energy development, and frankly, it illustrates for 20 turbines generating 9MW in the clearly the conditions within which borough of Taff Ely has been granted. Welsh wind development must exist. Another valley station, this time in Ogwr, on land owned by the Duchy of Anti-nuclear Lancaster, is receiving the support of the local council. Estate surveyor a It is therefore appropriate that we Harold Parsons has described the case remember that the major percentage project as "the most environmentally for shareholding of the commercial wind friendly development the Duchy has wind farm at Delabole is held by the ever engaged in". ~nergy landowners, the Edwards family, and m that this has only been achieved after So important is the role that local wales years of hard work. The capital cost of councillors have in nurturing the new the project has been £3.5 million, which / Welsh wind industry, that the planning ______, is expected to be paid back in 5 years. committee members of Rhondda, Taff ,- - Ely and Ogwr, together with -- -- However, it would be nonsensical for approximately fifteen other boroughs in the farming community to suggest that Wales - all areas identified as being this development was originally simply likely to interest developers- have been· a financial consideration. circulated with free copies of the J::oE Cymru publication "A Case for Wind As Martin Edwards himself described Energy", which illustrates the energy at the Aberystwyth Conference, one of context for wind power. overgrazed, often acidified area that has the reasons for setting up the wind farm lost many of the small farms of the past. was that the proposal in 1980 for a Unintrusive With a general ratio of four sheep to nuclear power station in Cornwall every Welsh man, woman and child, concentrated wonderfully the minds of The document is also an attempt to any encouragement to diversify into local people on the consequences of "head off" the argument that wind different agricultural practices is energy generation. Thus it is now parks are "intrusive" by plainly welcome. Edwards' boast that the Delabole illustrating the intrusions that acid turbines annually replace 12,000 tonnes The problem, however, is that the Welsh pollution, nuclear waste and other of C~ and'120 tonnes of 502 and NO•. threats already create in Wales. upland farmer, because of the inhospitable nature of the terrain, has It is hoped that the Rhondda councillors Prepared as a response to the few real options, apart from the are impressed with what they discover proliferating arguments of Wales's desultory bed-and-breakfast trade of a in north Cornwall, and that the fears "landscape guardians", and out of a few short months per year. Powys and superstitions implicit in their frustration caused by the CCW's refusal County Council recognised this in rejection of the original wind park for to give more than lip service to backing the 100-plus turbines for the the mountainside above their valley are renewable projects, it seeks to place seven mile ridge near Llandinam. It laid to rest. Who knows? Rhondda, once Wales firmly at the centre of a world in described the development area as the world's most famous coalmining which acidification and global warming merely "low-grade sheep-walk". area, might one day receive delegations are already damaging the environment. from elsewhere in the UK, come to see Opening up the sheep pastures to wind its wind farms. Unlikely? I'm not However, it must be agreed that wind farms is one of the very few areas of holding my breath. 0 proposals for the valleys remain small diversification a Welsh farmer can and erratic. There is nothing yet to embrace. In April this year, • "A case for wind energy in Wales"; compare with the major scheme by Aberystwyth was the location for the Friends of the Earth Cymru, 3 James Sheet, EcoGen for Rhyd-y-Groes on Anglesey. major conference, "Wind Farming in Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan CF36 3BG; t:S.
JunejJuly '92 13 Scottish Nuclear have applied for permission to build a temporary ground-level dry store for spent fuel at Tomess. However, as MIKE TOWNSLEY reports, Nirex's failure to find a suitable site for a long-term repository could mean that the Tomess store will be less temporary than planned. Storing up trouble
OMPROMISE is the name of the always been done that way." Well, not "The proposed dry fuel store is simple, nuclear waste disposal game. any more. "There is growing evidence both in concept and operation. It is C Nuclear waste, or its radioactive of a case for storage and direct disposal essentially a building housing a number content, cannot be destroyed - only in safety terms and cost terms," Hann of vaults in which spent fuel can be nature with the assistance of time, a very told The Independent's Tom Wilkie in stored and cooled by the natural long time, can deal with the nuclear late 1990, in one of the most celebrated circulation of air," say SN. It will be legacy being left by the operation of gaffs of this nuclear newcomer. built in a number of phases to ensure nuclear power stations. that sufficient capacity would be The new store would also provide "a available to .store fuel as it is taken from Scottish Nuclear (SN) have taken the strategic option to reprocessing and the cooling ponds; the final phase of first tentative steps towards the permit continued operation of Tomess construction would need to be environmentalists' preferred option for in the event of reprocessing facilities at completed by the year 2020. dealing with nuclear waste (Safe Energy Sellafield not being available." 84). They have lodged an application After a few months in the cooling with the Secretary of State for Scotland Modular store ponds, the spent fuel would be placed for planning permission to build a in an A2 AGR transport flask, but rather temporary on-site above-ground SN's chosen design is GEC Alsthom's than be taken to Sellafield it would be nuclear waste dry store at their Tomess Modular Vault Dry Store (MVDS). put on a flat-bed truck and driven AGR station. If they are successful at Alsthom's Group Engineer, Chris within the station boundaries to the Tomess, the company plan another dry Carter, comments: "Over the past store. Some shipments to Sellafield store at Hunterston. decade there have been significan.t would be necessary for routine fuel changes in spent fuel management performance monitoring, as long as the Such a move inevitably raises difficult policies around the world as a result of reactors continue to operate. questions. Is the design acceptable? changing environmental, financial and Will the local community accept such a technical considerations ... Within this In the dry store reception area the spent proposal? Once permission is granted changing world, there has emerged a fuel assemblies or elements would be for a temporary store will it become clear need for interim storage of spent placed in steel tubes tOm long with an permanent? fuel prior to either direct disposal or outside diameter of 0.273m. The design reprocessing." The MVDS provides "all is such that it would allow the tubes to The current practice of sending spent the required features for the interim be replaced at any time during the life fuel to Sellafield for "early" storage option" he concludes. of the store. reprocessing "commits SN to a course which limits future commercial, Dating back some 20 years the MVDS Radiation technical and strategic options" argue development began at the Wylfa Magnox the company in their Environmental station in North Wales, where a dry During this loading stage SN calculate Statement• for a dry store. It also storage facility has been constructed in 3 that "effluent and direct radiation accounts for about one-third of SN's parts: storage for 249 tonnes of magnox would lead to radiation doses to operating costs, a fact that was fuel followed by further capacity for 350 members of the public which are at immediately apparent to their Chair, tonnes in 1978 and in 1980. After this, most 0.5% of the Government James Hann, when he took over the Alsthom turned its attention to the US, recommended restriction of 5001JSV per company after Government's abortive where spent fuel is not reprocessed. They year. Ambient radiation levels at the site attempts at nuclear privatisation. Hann gained their first US contract in August boundary adjacent to the dry fuel store comments that: "I've had the interesting 1989 for a MVDS at Fort St. Vrain in are estimated to increase by about 1% experience of asking some people why Colorado, now completed, which forms over natural background." things are being done, and people have the basis of the SN store. said that they don't know why - it's A high-purity inert gas - Argon - at a Before deciding upon the MVDS a slightly above atmospheric pressure number of alternatives were considered within the tubes will prevent the fuel by SN. They included the construction of assemblies from deteriorating. an off-site scheme and wet facilities which would keep the fuel underwater for a A system has been designed to allow period of about 100 years. They were continuous monitoring of the Argon "rejected for a combination of economic, and the condition of the fuel assemblies. practical and environmental reasons. The method of loading the assemblies Construction of a store remote from the will also provide the opportunity to check site was rejected on the grounds that it their condition as they are received, or to could have increased the volume of traffic remove them for periodic inspection. outwith the station, in addition to the costs associated with developing a Each vault will contain 180 steel tubes, greenfield site. Wet stores were rejected with each of these containing 8 fuel because they would be more expensive elements. A fuel element contains SN's timetable for a Torness dry store over the 100 years storage period." 43.2kg of uranium, and the store will
14 Safe Energy 89 have a capacity to hold about 1,200 tonnes of uranium.
"A particular feature of the proposed design" boasts SN, "is that the cooling of the storage tubes, and hence the irradiated fuel within them, would occur by natural circulation of air." Each steel tube will be coated with aluminium and silicon resin which, say SN, will prevent corrosion by the slightly damp sea air.
High efficiency particulate activity filters "would reduce greatly the discharges of any solid particulate radioactive material coming from the stores active ventilation system." Yet 4 Cool air enters here SN argue that the filters would not become contaminated "because the fuel Fort St.Vraln Modular Vault Dry Store is kept separate from the active ventilation system." store will be built, has not yet come out questions about whether the dry cask in open opposition to the plan. storage will be temporary or will end In accordance with the As Low As However, he is demanding a full up being permanent." Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) investigation and public inquiry: "It principle, SN claim any accidental would be outrageous if any decision He said the likelihood that the plant release of radioactivity would be less were taken without the fullest public would become permanent "is so great" than "10% of that accepted as safe for understanding and debate.'' His views given the history of the DOE's modem nuclear power stations." are shared by Scottish Office Minister, (Department of Energy's) waste Lord James Douglas Hamilton who said programme "that it is appropriate to Decommissioning at the end of the 100 "a public inquiry may indeed be the require legislative authorization if the year maximum storage time, envisaged best way of establishing" the safety of project must go forward immediately.'' by SN, should not present any the SN proposal. problems. They believe that no part of Neither. the State Public Utilities the dry store would be more radioactive Home Robertson is also worried that the Commission (PUC), which will make than that which is presently classified development may not be temporary: the final decision on planning as low-level waste. "Such waste could "This is something that could leave us permission, nor NSP "can control the be transported to a repository such as ... with a nuclear waste store on the timing or direction of the federal siting Drigg in Cumbria." surface of Tomess forever." effort ... Once the casks are in place, the path of least resistance is to leave them The cleaning of the storage tubes at the SN are keen to point out that: "THE indefinitely." end of the store life may produce small PROPOSED DRY FUEL STORE IS FOR quantities of intermediate-level waste THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF Klien rejects safety concerns expressed which "would be dispatched to an SPENT FUEL. IT IS NOT AND WILL by opponents of the scheme but accepts appropriate repository, such as that NOT BE PROPOSED AS A arguments that a combination of currently being considered by UK Nirex PERMANENT REPOSITORY FOR conservation, energy efficiency and Ltd." SPENT FUEL." (Their emphasis) alternative power sources could replace all or part of Prairie Island's 1,060MW Local response However, the question must be asked, output. He suggests shutting down one what if Nirex and the Government fail in of the 2 reactors in order to" stretch out" Plans for the MVDS have met with a their quest to establish a deep dump for the available fuel storage space. mixed local response. John Russell, chair the UK's low and intermediate level of 'Nuclear Free' Lothian Region nuclear waste? Will some other 'solution' His conclusions have been seized upon by emergency planning sub-committee, be found? Or, will the temporary store the Minnesota Department of Public welcomes the move saying: "It is highly become a permanent mausoleum. Service (DPS) which is engaged in an encouraging news. If SN decides to store ongoing battle with both the PUC and the waste on-site it will be the best possible Just such a question is now being asked DOE. The DPS believes that building outcome for our campaign - short of in the US, where a Minnesota enough storage to handle all of the stations' decommissioning." Struan Stevenson, administrative law judge (ALJ) has spent fuel sends the wrong message to the former Conservative prospective recommended against granting DOE, which is supposed to take possession parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh Northern States' Power Co (NSP) of the fuel by 1998 under a DOE utility South, wrote in The Scotsman that "The planning permission for an contract. DPS is also worried that the political implications of storing spent fuel, above-ground dry cask facility to store establishment of the store could put NSP in containing plutonium, above ground at spent fuel assemblies from its two the position of being forced by the DOE to Tomess for up to a century are awesome. Prairie Island PWRs. take spent fuel from other stations. They have recommended that only 14 casks be "Environmentalists who believe this to "If we knew that the dry cask storage approved, allowing enough storage to meet be a safer option than routine would be temporary, then it is a the stations' needs until 2000. transportation by rail to Sellafield in reasonably safe and cost-effective way ultra-safe 100 tonne flasks, need their to deal with the storage problem, and Oearly on-site above ground dry storage heads examined!" would be eligible to receive a Certificate does not solve the nuclear waste riddle, of Need," said ALJ Allan Klien in his yet something must be done with existing The East Lothian Labour MP, John Home April 10 decision. "Unfortunately, the nuclear waste. The bottom line is, Robertson, in whose constituency the past delays in federal siting efforts raise its production must stop. 0
June/July '92 15 A recent report(l> describes moves by our continental neighbours towards more energy-efficient buildings, and greater use of renewable energy. Here, DAVID OLIVIER. reviews some of the far-reaching projects undertaken on mainland Europe. Greening our buildings
K energy-efficiency lags far Still, in the view of many experienced non-energy-efficient. In Germany, by behind other European Swiss architects, it is easy to improve contrast, the obstacle is that building U countries (SCRAM 80). Normal construction to this point, and the regulations are a federal responsibility. Swiss building practice, ~articularly, is economic value is proven. Experience in States that wish to go further may only much better than the UK s (see Table 1). the Netherlands is similar, except that undertake voluntary programmes. In terms of energy efficiency, ordinary the highest levels of energy efficiency Swiss buildings match the low-energy have been demonstrated in the public 'Zero energy' buildings buildings constructed in the UK in the and social housing sectors, not in last 10 to 15 years. private owner-occupied housing. Sixteen ultra-energy-efficient terraced houses were built on a site in Since the 1970s, most Swiss buildings The extra cost of such measures, if Darmstadt, Germany in 1991. They are have a significant thickness of insulation: widely-applied, would almost certainly expected to use one tenth of the total usually 150-200mm mineral fibre or be less than 3% of construction costs. This energy of an average existing dwelling; expanded polystyrene in the roof, and is undetectable in the normal scatter of 75 times less energy for space heating. 80-1 OOmm in the walls (external building costs. Indeed, as the energy Over the worst day of a normal winter, insulation or cavity fill). savings alone pay for this premium, the a 180m2 house should use 600 watts of cost of the environmental benefits is low-temperature heat for space heating. In Switzerland, Germany and the negative. Netherlands, thousands of dwellings The Institute Wohnen und Umwelt and small commercial buildings New building regulations (Housing and Environment, IWU), successfully incorporate: which designed it, terms it the Passive Because Switzerland has a devolved House Project. Rather than rely on 1. Three to four times more insulation system of government, its building elaborate mechanical services, or active than required by the 1990 UK building regulations have been a matter for solar heating equipment, little more is regulations; cantons or cityI town councils. However, involved than lavish application of 2. A higher standard of some districts were widely felt to be simple technology, especially thermal draughtproofing; and lagging behind. Consequently, in a 1990 insulation. The external walls are built 3. Windows which are virtually referendum, people voted to give the of calcium silicate blocks (a material draughtproof when closed, with the federal government the constitutional which takes less energy to manufacture energy performance of triple or power to set minimum energy efficiency than fired clay blocks/bricks, and quadruple glazing. standards for new buildings. If voters marginally less than concrete). From the choose, local government still has the footings to the eaves, they are Even in Switzerland, masonry walls right to require higher insulation levels. externally-insulated with 350mm of with 125-175mm insulation, glued-on mineral fibre, followed by corresponding to 'low-energy' in the Switzerland seems to have made more render. The U-value is 0.11W jm2K (the Table, are better than normal. In a progress than the Netherlands, which rate of heat loss is 20 times better than small new house, this gives annual still has 700 local building the walls of old UK houses, whose heating costs of about £40. regulations(!), some of them U-value is about 2.1W jm2K).
Table 1. Relative Energy Consumption for Space Heating, Different The windows have krypton-filled triple 1 Energy Efficiency Standards.C .2) glazing, with two selective coatings. A special insulating moulding covers the wooden frame, and the edge of the Energy Annual Space Heat NOTES: glazing, further reducing heat losses. Efficiency Consumption Per The overall U-value is O.SW /m2K, with Standard Unit Floor Are' 1 Figures are calculated for central England, a solar transmittance of 50%. On a and could differ in their home climates. GJ/m 2 south-facing wall, such a combination 2 For a 90m semi-detached house maintained just gives a positive heat balance in UK 1990 Building Regulations 0.41 at an internal temperature of :ZOOC, with typical internal heat gains. Darmstadt in January, when the mean Netherlands 0.32 3 Sweden's 1980 regulations were the world's outside temperature is 0°C. first energy-efficient building code; they are Germany 0.31 therefore included for comparison. The timber roof is built, not from solid 4 Relevant projects include several thousand rafters but, from Swedish deep mineral Switzerland 0.21 dwellings in Schiedam, elsewhere in the fibre-filled I-beams. With 400mm Netherlands and in Switzerland. Sweden SBN-80(3) 0.16 insulation between the beams, the 5 Relevant projects include the programmes of U-value is about 0.09 WjmlK. Dutch low-energyC4> 0.08 Hessen and Schleswig-Holstein states, Germany. To make the houses draught-free, the SwisS/German low-energyCS> 0.10 6 Relevant projects include Coppenbrugge, Darmstadt, Heidenheim, Sindelfingen and roof vapour barrier was tightly-sealed German/Swiss 'zero-energy•C6> 0.02 Wadenswil. at the seams, as in Scandinavia, and sealed to the plaster on the walls. When tested under a pressure difference of 50
16 Safe Energy 89 pascals (Pa), the first four houses gave and low-risk. They could be applied The flats were given new heating systems, respective air leakage rates of 0.4, 0.3, now, if we wish to reduce fossil fuel but this is not unusual after35 years. They 0.3 and 0.2 air changes per hour (ac/h). consumption and C~ emissions. were all fitted with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery. Gas This is even better than the performance Glazing which has a lower thermal consumption was reduced to the target of new Swedish houses, which by law transmittance than 95% of UK walls has value of 14GJ per year. However, the high must have less than 3acfh. The UK is been available since the mid-1980s from electricity consumption of the ventilation still in the dark ages: UK dwellings a Swiss firm, Geilinger AG, which have systems is of concern. Although often have an air leakage of over 10ac/h an overall U-value of about mechanical ventilation gives a better at 50 Pa; 4ac/h seems to be the lowest 0.75W fm'ZJ<, excluding edge and frame internal climate than natural ventilation, ever measured. losses. A prime application of such extra natural gas has to be burned to windows is office buildings. g~nerate this electricity. Until The German houses use a Danish better-engineered systems, which do mechanical ventilation system, with Ventilation systems in office buildings exist, are put on the market, the net heat recovery. However, to lower the tend to use large amounts of electricity. primary energy saving is very small. electricity consumption, IWU required However, the Swiss have shown that if the fans, motors and general design to this glazing ~ystem is combined with a It was emphasised to the author that be greatly modified. type of ventilation developed in none of Schiedam's projects are classed Scandinavia (displacement ventilation), as experimental. They all have to fit into Incoming air is supplied via a series of the total energy consumption, including the council's normal operations, and earth-buried tubes. Given the almost the fuel needed to generate the must be viable without subsidy. If such constant temperature of the deep earth, air electricity, is far less than when measures are now commercially-viable enters the heat exchanger at 5"C and enters occupants have to open windows in in Schiedam, however, one wonders the living spaces at 16-1'R:, even on the winter for fresh air. why they do not yet exist in the UK, coldest days. This eliminates the risk of the even as prototypes. heat exchanger freezing, and reduces Basically, by spending money on a demand for low- temperature heat. superior glazing system, heating and air Conclusions conditioning in new offices become Comfort superfluous. A small ventilation system In the German parliament, there is can supply all the necessary space virtually an all-party consensus that the Indeed, as long as the ventilation conditioning. Some old office buildings industrial countries.. of Europe must cut system uses electricity efficiently, one have been renovated with the same their C02 emissions by about 85% over can have generous supplies of fresh air glazing, and improved wall insulation, the next 50 years. If strong action was in winter for a low energy cost. Such a leading to 85% reductions in oil also taken to improve energy efficiency system uses about 10% as much consumption for space heating. in developing countries, this could low-temperature heat as the same level reduce the cumulative extent of of ventilation provided by opening So far, the use of such glazing is warming from 4 or 5°C, if present trends windows, and is more comfortable. apparently confined to countries with an continue unabated, to 1 °C. outstanding record on energy-efficient There are some rather simple solar buildings. Switzerland itself has the most To reduce the environmental impact of collectors on the south walls, with projects, but it has also been applied in the building sector in this way, and 'transparent insulation' (a promising, but the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia reduce the threat of serious climate 'over-hyped' material). Their output is and North America. change, it is necessary for all countries mainly used to heat the tap water. to take similar steps to reduce c~ Existing buildings production. Unfortunately, while these Rather than give each house an three continental countries are making individual boiler, it proved cheaper in The council in Schiedam, in the serious moves in this direction, there is capital and running cost to build a Netherlands has 'superinsulated' a distinct inaction in many countries. district heating system. There are heat large estate of 448 four-storey flats, mains through and between the houses, dating from 1956. The work was done When the need for action is recognised, and one heat meter per house. at the same time as basic renovation and we shall have to admit that the skill upgrading of the dwellings, which was shown in the design of some of these The electrical appliances are the most needed anyway. building projects is one borne of years energy-efficient on the German market. of experience. They are just a further The houses have gas, not electric, The largest single improvement was extension of ordinary building practice, cooking, in order to reduce the level of external insulation. Each block of flats designed with great care and based on c~ emissions. was given an external skin of 150mm the last 15-20 years experience of what expanded polystyrene, followed by works best. 0 Until very recently, Germany was in a mesh and render. The flat roof was building boom, and contractors were not given additional insulation of 70mm •oavid Olivier, B.Sc., M.Inst.E., is inclined to undertake unusual work. polyurethane foam. The floor between Principal of Energy Advisory Associates, Partly as a result of this, the extra cost of the ground level and the basement was Hereford. He has travelled abroad to building these dwellings was 15% also insulated with 100mm expanded review building practice in other regions; (excluding land and external works). polystyrene. for example, Scandinavia and North However, if the technology was very America. widely-applied, the premium might fall All the existing windows were replaced to5%. by double-glazed wooden windows, "Energy efficiency and renewables: with argon fillings and with one recent experience on mainland europe." Over the next few years, further results selective coating. Another aspect of the Energy Advisory Associates, 8 Meadow from monitoring this project will work was glazing-over the existing Drive, Credenhill, Hereford, HR4 7EF. become available. However, it should balconies, thus bringing them inside the Tel. (0432) 760787. £75 incl. UK be emphasised that it was limited to 'thermal envelope', which is much more postage/surface mail. (5CJI discount for techniques which are practical, robust, appropriate in a cool, cloudy climate. pre-paid orders).
June/July '92 17 The hazards of the nuclear industry are not confined to power stations, missile targets and dumping sites. TIM ARCHER reports on the health record of the uranium mining industry in Namibia and Australia. ROssing roulette
NE of the many topics by mining companies, but none so became a trial ground for RTZ' s cost hardly dealt with at enthusiastically and paternalistically cutting rehabilitation techniques. O UNCED (United Nations as by Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ). One After arming UK & US nuclear Conference on Environment and illustration of the inherent racism and weapons and causing massive Development) is whether mining double standards of RTZ' s approach is environmental damage, the Rum can be made sustainable. Mine the stark contrast between their Jungle mine was finally' rehabilitated' watch, a global organisation of 90 reaction to the theft of uranium oxide at a cost of A$30 million to the non governmental organisation (yellowcake) from their two mines Australian taxpayer when CRA and and communities concerned about Mary Kathleen in Australia and RTZ refused to contribute(?). Both are the impact of mining on the envi Rossing in Namibia. In 1980 after theft still serious sources of pollution. ronment and indigenous peoples, of 6 drums of yellowcake, presumably succeeded in getting mining in by white workers from Mary Past Exposure was published after cluded in early drafts of UNEP Kathleen, RTZ' s in-house magazine Rossing cut production and dumped UK's submissions to Agenda 21<1>. 'Spectrum' stated that "if taken by an 30% of its workforce. Its timely employee, it is no different in principle publication was no doubt prompted According to Roger Moody, author of from someone taking home office by strong suspicions that some of the The Gtdliver File, a new book on stationery for his personal use"<5>. Last 800 retrenched Rossing workers "mines, people and land"(2>, the year after 3 drums of yellowcake went worked in the most hazardous parts of concept of "sustainable mining" is a missing from Rossing several the mine, when health, safety and chimera. It is as impossible to rebuild employees were detained and environmental conditions were worse eo-evolved ecosystems, as it is to tortured by police with the apparent than now. The authors acknowledge invite back the spirits of ancestors complicity of the company<4l. that the mine has improved, but argue driven from burial grounds and that the damage of past exposure indigenous people's sacred places, The company has been challenged persists despite attempts to reduce the once the mining companies have over their moral obligations to the problem. finally shed themselves of residual people whose lands they exploit, by a responsibility for environmental highly articulate group of Health risks rehabilitation. "State of the art tailings shareholders banding together as containment systems run foul of PARTiZANS (People Against From company documents, the human error (as in the Key Lake dam Rio-Tinto Zinc ANd its Subsidiaries). authors piece together a picture of in Canada) or Mother Earth (as in the Two recent Partizans' reports in dusty radioactive working conditions habitual releases of contaminated association with other groups are in the early 1980s, of lax water from the Ranger mine into the Pltmderl.3> (with CAFCA - Campaign environmental and health Kakadu National Park in Australia's Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa) monitoring, misleading public Northern Territory)"(2). and Past Exposure<4> (with the relations, based on incorrect estimates Namibia Support Committee). of lifetime health risks, and While this has been recognised by continuous racism in employment Minewatch some of its "Northern" Plunder practice. groups blame poor mine management (in the "South") upon antiquated Over 50% of Plunder is concerned In the Final Product Area, where systems and lack of capital. However, with CRA (Conzinc Rio Tinto of mostly black workers are in direct and the technologies, finance and markets Australia), which occupied 30% of continuous contact with uranium for mining production come largely RTZ's first unofficial biography<6>. dust, and "some workers have been from the "North", where campaigns This increase in attention partly transferred to prevent unacceptable demanding stringent health and reflects the interests of those who yearly radiation doses"<8>, the lifetime safety protection are pricing northern created the two biographies and risk of fatal cancer is estimated to be mines out of the market. draws attention to CRA' s between 1 in 9 and 1 in 25. pre-eminence as the world's second Polluter pays most diversified mining company Because there is no effective way of (after RTZ). Neither company shall measuring the alpha or beta radiation In his introduction, Moody argues collapse once the uranium market inhaled or swallowed by workers, that the "Polluter pays" principle be dries up. Pltmder documents the fate internal contamination is supposed to applied globally and retrospectively, of two RTZ uranium mines in be regulated under International and in future "the primary role in Australia. From 1953-63 Mary Commission on Radiological deciding where, what, and how, to Kathleen supplied the UK Atomic Protection (ICRP) 'Derived Air mine, must lie with those on whose Energy Authority (UKAEA - ex Concentration' limits. The limit for land the minerals are to be found". BAEA). It was reopened for five years insoluble natural uranium in air (dust from 1977 to fulfil contracts before the particles) set by the ICRP in 1977 is This point has been furiously resisted Ranger mine started production, and 0.0255 milligrams per cubic metre.
18 Safe Energy 89 However, RTZ are not using the departing workers are merely uranium mines with no contribution ICRP limits. Instead the Rossing "requested to notify the Chief Medical to the cost of rehabilitation, it is industrial hygiene standard allows Officer of any subsequent changes in understandable that SWAPO who concentration of 0.15 milligrammes health". opposed the operation of Rossing, nearly 6 times the ICRP limit. It is have been unable to close the mine also worth noting that the ICRP's This is all the more odious when we now that they form the Namibian risk estimates have been shown to be learn that the same officer is failing to Government; they need RTZ' s over 6 times too high by the US measure all internal contamination as expertise and funds to rehabilitate the National Academy of Sciences required by ICRP for an estimation of mine site and compensate for future (SCRAM 75). "The Rossing standard Whole Body Doses (recommended by medical claims. There is no precedent for airborne uranium in dust is their own Chief Environmentalist in of a Third World government taking around 36 times too high,"' according 1982). Individual exposure records are over management responsibility of a to Past Exposure, adding: "In 1982, crucial for adequate health uranium mine, especially one with measured levels of airborne uranium monitoring. In particular, economic, technological and frequently exceeded the inadequate extrapolation from Working Levels contractual dependency so carefully Rossing standard, even reaching 88 (i.e. environmental not body built in as at Rossingl2>. times the limit implied by the measurements) ignores insoluble National Academy of Sciences." uranium dust lodged in the lungs of Incensed by claims made by the the Final Product Area workers<9>. Chair of RTZ at the May 9th AGM While RTZ do not dispute claims that that "there are no problems at the levels have exceeded the safety IAEA investigation mine", the Mineworkers Union of standards they argue that "no Namibia has written to RTZ employee is exposed to such Against this background the demanding an independent conditions without the proper International Atomic Energy. Agency investigation in which scientists of respiratory protection." Yet the (IAEA) has accepted a Namibian their choice are given the company's chief medical officer, Jamie Government invitation to inspect opportunity to appraise all relevant Pretorius, says maintenance workers health, safety and environmental data. and welders find respirators a conditions at the mine<10>. Since this nuisance and" tend not to wear them." never happened when critical damage This is not innovative, since in 1987 RTZ to the environment and unacceptable negotiated an agreement with the The National Union of Namibian exposure to health hazards may have United Steel Workers of America, under Workers has demanded that Rossing occurred, it is imperative that all which the union selects nine Health and pay for future treatment required as a primary company documents, not just Safety Inspectors and Environmental result of exposure. Now, after 15-20 those seen by the Namibia Support Monitors at the Rio Algom mine in years of mining_ silicosis, uranium Committee, are made available to the Canada. These appointees have full poisoning and radiation induced IAEA. However, an IAEA ac;cess to company data, and are also cancer cases are likely to rise. It is not investigation is unlikely to denounce paid by the company<•>. 0 surprising that the RTZ claim a clean RTZ's 'state of the art' operation, and health and safety record (though Past will reveal only part of the story. References: E:rposttre reveals some suppressed (1) "Agenda 21 'Building Blocks': Pre accident statistics), and that In view of RTZ's history of abandoning liminary submission from UK NGO's for the 3rd Preparatory Committee of UNCED." Koy Thompson, UNEP-UK 5/8/91. (2) "The Gulliver File" by Roger Moody. Minewatch 1992. (3) "Plunder'' by Roger Moody. Parti zan!lf'CAFCA, 1991. (4) "Past Exposure: revealing the health and environmental risks of ROs sing Uranium" by Greg Dropkin & David Clark. Namibia Support Com mittee/Partizans 1992. (5) "Spectrum", RTZ September1980. (6) "Rivers of Blood" by Richard West, Earth Island 1972. (7) "Rum through Jungle", Chain Re action, FoE Australia Ocf/Nov '84. (8) "Rossing Radiation Report", RTZ (1982). (9) "Rossing Radiation", New Scientist Letters 23/5fJ2. (10) "UN Team to inspect uranium Rosslng Mine, Namibia mine", New Scientist 18/4/92.
JunejJu/y '92 19 There is confusion over radiation dose limits between the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Radiological Protection Board and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), reports Dr PATRICK GREEN, Friends of the Earth's radiation campaigner. MAFF is suggesting the inadequate ICRP public dose limit does not apply to public exposures which arise from environmental contamination from past radioactive discharges. When is a dose not a dose? N December last year the National widely criticised when it was enacted in nature of its 0.3mSv public dose target Radiological Protection Board the 1985 Ionising Radiation Regulations (Safe Energy 87). Instead, the NRPB's I (NRPB) invited comments on its (which became law on the 1st January letter presents this as a more restrictive initial response to the new 1986) because it was not based upon the maximum than the ICRP limit. It recommendations of the International then current ICRP advice. argued; "Our emphasis, however, is on Commission on Radiological a maximum dose for members of the Protection (ICRP). Since then the The year before the Regulations became public of 0.3mSv per year from a single NRPB has written to a number of local law the ICRP had stated that its source". The purpose of this target is to authorities and individual members "principal" public dose limit was lmSv "focus attention on the need to reduce of the public arguing that its new in a year. The ICRP also argued that it radiation doses to as low as public dose target will focus attention was "permissible" to use a higher practicable". on the need to reduce radiation doses. "subsidiary" limit of SmSv in a year, However, the NRPB advice, which "for some years" provided that the This may be how the NRPB hopes its will not be legally binding, is already average dose over a lifetime did not 0.3mSv will be received. However, this being ignored by the Ministry of "exceed the principal limit of lmSv in a desire is unlikely to be realised as it Agriculture, Fisheries and Food year". already seems that UK regulatory (MAFF). authorities have decided to ignore the Consequently, the lmSv limit should NRPB advice. UK public dose limit have been included in the Ionising Radiation Regulations. It wasn't, MAFF ignore NRPB advice Regular readers of Safe Energy will because the Ionising Radiation remember that the ICRP has Regulations were formulated to comply In April, the Ministry of Agriculture, acknowledged that radiation is 4-5 with the 1980 EURATOM Directive. Fisheries and Food (MAFF) press times more hazardous than it This Directive was based upon the released its latest report on public previously believed. However, it has ICRP's 1977 recommendations. exposure around UK nuclear not recommended a proportional installations. (This report was actually reduction in its dose limits for radiation The ICRP's 1985 statement had aimed about public exposure during 1990.) workers or members of the public (See to clarify these earlier recommendations Safe Energy 76, 80, 83, 84 & 87). Instead, as they had argued that a public dose MAFFs press release boldly claimed: it reduced its worker dose limit by just limit of SmSv should be applied, "A MAFF report published today over a factor of two, from 50 provided that over a lifetime a member shows radiation levels resulting from milli-sieverts (mSv) to an average of of the public did not receive more than liquid discharges from nuclear 20mSv per year and in doing so lmSv per year on average. installations continue to be within provided the dirtiest end of the nuclear internationally recommended limits, set industry with the flexibility it needed. In view of its present arguments, it is for the protection of human health". Its public dose limit was not reduced at worth noting that the NRPB considered all and remains at lmSv per year. that the ICRP's 1985 advice was All MAFF's estimates of public unnecessarily complicated. It argued exposures were compared with the So far, the NRPB has refused to that "difficulties could arise in "principal international dose limit for comment on the inadequacies of the demonstrating compliance" with a limit the public of lmSv per year, ICRP' s dose limits. Instead it has argued that was averaged over a lifetime. It recommended by the International that dose limits are a matter for the therefore recommended that "the Committee for Radiological European Community and that simplest way to ensure compliance" Protection". No mention was made in the Member States cannot have limits with the ICRP 1985 recommendation press release, or in the full report, of either which are more or less restrictive than was to apply a "single annual limit" of the NRPB 1987 O.SmSv target or the more the EC limit (Safe Energy 87). lmSv. recent 0.3mSv target. Oearly implying that MAFF considers these to be The letter that the NRPB sent out in Status of NRPB target irrelevant as they are not legally binding. response to the correspondence it received from members of the public This advice was accepted by the MAFF went on to explain that its results and local authorities did not address the Government and since then the lmSv were actually being compared with the failure of the Board to comment on the has been the principal public limit used ICRP 1977 recommendations which inadequacy of the ICRP's dose limits. by the regulators in the UK even though formed the basis of "Current UK Instead, the NRPB attempted to argue the legal limit is actually 5mSv. practice relevant to the general public". that the ICRP's lmSv limit actually Consequently, and despite the A statement which does tend to represents a five fold reduction in the comments of the NRPB, the ICRP' s contradict the NRPB's claim that the UK' s legal dose limit for members of the lmSv does not represent a reduction in new ICRP recommendations will result public. While technically correct, this the public dose limit that is actually in a reduction of the dose limit used for argument is misleading. applied in the UK. members of the public in the UK.
The legal public dose limit in the UK is The NRPB letter also failed to address Nevertheless, MAFF also stated that the SmSv per year. However, this limit was public criticism of the unenforceable ICRP's new recommendations "have
20 Safe Energy 89 not yet been adopted by the UI<; Government, but are being considered, with advice from the NRPB".
The most worrying aspect of the MM¥sreportwuim~mmt~t MAFF whm the new ICRP recommendations are adopted it will mean ~t public radiation exposures should not be compared with the lmSv limit if the calculated doses, particularly those due to Sellafield discharges, include a significant dose contribution from put discharges which has resulted in exceeding the dose limit would cease to If this interpretation is correct it would contamination of the environment. be an offence for which BNFL could be mean that the NRPB target only applied prosecuted. Instead it would become a to the proportion of a persons dose ~t This claim wu justified by reference to level at which some kind of action wu due to current discharges. In the the new ICRP practice of might be contemplated. example quoted above, only 0.03mSv of recommending a separate system of the O.llmSv is due to current protection for "practices", ie activities What MAFF did not mention is that discharges. which increase the overall exposure of intervention, such as advising the population, and "interventions", ie people not to eat fish, would be These arguments clearly demonstrate activities which reduce existing subject to a cost-benefit a.nalysis. If just how morally bankrupt the ICRP's radiation exposures which might at some stage in the future doses system of radiological protection hu otherwise occur, such as radon around Sellafield did rise above the become. It is supposed to be concerned mitigation meuures. Under this new lmSv limit (which is unlikely and with the protection of human health system dose limits do not apply to probably why the limit was and not about letting the nuclear interventions. retained), then this would not lead industry off the hook over its legacy of to prosecution of BNFL. Instead the radioactive contamination. MAFF calculations regulators could decide that the financial cost to the Irish Sea fishing The basis of radiation dose limits is ~t For instance, MAFF argued that industry outweighed the benefits they are supposed to represent consumers in the local fishing gained by cutting down peoples exposures above which the risk is community near Sellafield received a exposure. This would mean that intolerable. Until1990, the ICRP refused dose of 0.16 mSv during 1990. MAFF nothing would be done to reduce the to accept that radiation is more also calculated the dose using the new exposures, even though the risk dangerous than it previous claimed. ICRP system (which assumes amongst would be clearly intolerable. When it finally conceded this point it other things that the dose per unit responded by issuing new intake of plutonium and americium is A bankrupt system recommendations which oversee a significantly less than previously massive moving of the goal posts. assumed). This came to O.llmSv. MAFF The question of what to do with argued that this "dose should not pre-existing environmental contamina Not only are the ICRP's and MAFF's strictly be compared directly with the tion is something that the NRPB is still arguments completely unacceptable; dose limit for a practice of 1mSv per considering. When it published its 1987 they also defy logic. As far u the human year, because a significant contribution advice, recommmding ~t members of body is concerned a dose of radiation is is due to the effecm of radioactivity the public should receive no more than a dose of radiation. If the NRPB already in the mvironment, which can 0.5mSv from a single source in a year, considers ~t a dose of more than 0.3 only be subject to intervention". it also stated ~t the overriding limit mSv is not tolerable, it should make no was still 1mSv. This meant ~t people difference whether this dose is due to This argument, however, is only one could receive up to 0.5mSv from contamination caused by old interpretation of the new ICRP system. pre-existing environmental contam discharges, a dose arising from current Nevertheless, it does clearly ination. discharges or a mixture of the two. demonstrate where MAFF's sympathies lie and if adopted would absolve the It seems that its new 0.3mSv target is Using its influence nuclear industry of any responsibility intended to be applied in a similar for the contamination it had caused. manner. The NRPB's public The NRPB is unwilling or unable to consultation document states that this challenge the ICRP.It appears to accept However, MAFF did acknowledge ~t target "applies to the dose from a ~t environmental contamination does they are considering whether "it would single source". This is ambiguous. A not count. However, it is telling the be appropriate to compare the single source could mean all exposure public that it was trying to use its combined effecm of current and put routes from Sellafield. This could "influence to try to ensure that discharges calculated using ICRP-60 include exposures from existing European legislation complies with dose coefficients with a level of lmSv in environmental contamination. good radiological protection a year. If this level is exceeded thm However, the following NRPB objectives". The ICRP's new intervention might also need to be statements suggests this is not the recommendations can hardly be considered". case: "Where there are multiple considered to represent good sources and pre-existing levels of radiological protection practice. In other words, MAFF is arguing ~t radionuclides in the environment, radiation exposure caused by past these must be taken into account in If you wrote to the NRPB and have discharges cannot be controlled at settling an authorisation for discharge received a reply write back and tell source. These exposures can only be from each source". No guidance was them that their inaction and their controlled by intervmtion and not by given on just how this should be taken condoning of the ICRP' s absurd plan is applying dose limits. Consequently, into account. not acceptable. 0
JunejJu/y '92 21 measures to reduce C02 emissions. bio-diversity and forests - was com One small step? Prior to the Summit, the intransigence pletely successful. The climate change of the USA (which produces 25% of treaty was signed by more than 150 coun ll.LED as nothing less than "our last world C02 emissions) brought George tries, but the price of receiving Bush's Bchance to save the world" by its sec Bush to the fore. Less than a month before monicker was the removal of both ti retary-general Maurice Strong, the Earth the conference, he was still threatening to metables and targets for cuts in pollution. Summit in Rio has been and gone. stay away. Only with a watering down of Proposals for the conservation of ani Whether this landmark conference, a treaty on climate change, removing C02 mal and plant species (being depleted at which attracted nearly 150 world leaders, reduction commitments - brokered by the the rate of lOO to 300 per day) were also was the first step or the missed oppor UK Government- did Bush agree to grace supported by over 150 countries, but the tunity to save the planet, will only become the occasion with his presence. bio-diversity treaty was not signed by the clear in time, writes Graham Stein. In a bizarre turnaround it was EC Envi USA which wishes to preserve its drug Enough good emerged from Rio to ronment Commissioner Ripa di Meana companies' right to make money out of offer genuine hope, enough bad to justify who decided to stay away. His plans for nature through bio-technology patents. despair. the EC to take a leading role had been The treaty on forests proved unaccept The road to Rio began with Our Com undermined by the weakening of the cli able to many countrie&tn the South, who mon Future, published in 1987 by the mate change treaty, and as he put it saw it as a threat to their development, and United Nations (UN) World Commission "everything has been fixed in advance". it had to be dropped completely to be on Environment and Development chaired When the delegates from 180 countries hurriedly replaced with a non-binding by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem arrived for their 12 days in Rio, accompa statement of principles on forest conser Brundtland. The 'Brundtland Report' ar nied by a 9,000 strong press corps, there vation. The Earth Charter, with simple gued for sustainable development in both was still some manoeuvring to be done precepts on the economic and environ rich and poor countries. In December '89 the before the final wording of agreements mental behaviour of peoples and nations, UN General Assembly voted to hold a con would be decided and signatures ap fell by the wayside. ference on environment and development pended. The Earth Summit did not live up to the based on the work of the Commission. expectations of its organisers. The vital Concern about global warming and commitment of new money from the possible climatic changes had led in No North was not forthcoming. The $2.5 bil vember '88 to the establishment of the lion pledged (the largest contribution Intergovernmental Panel on Climate from Japan) did not come close to the $70 Change (IPCC) by the World Meteoro billion the UN said was needed. And, logical Organisation and the UN Environ much to the South's disappointment, such ment Programme. The findings of three money as is available will continue to be IPCC working groups, involving over channelled through the World Bank's 1,000 scientists from around the world, Global Environmental Facility. were published in June and July '90. The risks of global warming and rising sea What next? levels, confirmed by these IPCC re But if the historic conference, which ports, moved the whole issue of climate placed 103 world leaders round a 77 metre change up the international agenda. diameter table on the final Saturday, is a first step, what happens next? Green aid The treaties on climate change and bio The Earth Summit (UN Conference on diversity will have secretariats to organise Environment and Development) was periodic reviews. In addition, a new UN preceded by over two years of preparatory body, the Sustainable Development Com work and meetings by politicians and mission, has been established to monitor Non-Governmental Organisations. The countries' records on environmental pro key issues to emerge were: population tection, and apply "peer group pressure" growth; climate change; pollution and Surprisingly, overpopulation which on dawdlers. It must be hoped that this waste management; protection of forests; was expected to be a crucial area for dis toothless watchdog does have a bark and conservation of plant and animal cussion was not up for debate; the whole that's worse than its bite. species. Underlying all these issues was matter had been quietly dropped from pro There have been several calls for a fol the question of 'green aid', the level of ceedings. This, despite the fact that the low-up conference: John Major has sug support the developed countries, the conference was taking place in a country gested 'Rio 2' be held in the UK next year; North, would be prepared to give to the where half the population is under nine Bush has challenged other industrialised South to fund environmentally sustain years of age, and in a world where countries to. organise a conference to pro able development. 260,000 children are born every day. duce concrete plans to curb pollution; However, differences were not always Bush was undoubtedly the least popular German Chancellor Helmut Kohl wants simply along North/South lines. The large person in town. His approach, of putting to host a conference on climate change; industrialising countries of Brazil, India, the US economy before saving the planet, Brian Mulroney, the Canadian premier, a China and Pakistan were reluctant to ac and absurd comments like "the day of the meeting in '95 to propose a binding Earth cept stringent agreements on the environ opencheck-bookareover"- as if they had Charter; and French President Francois ment, and the oil producing countries of ever existed - and his description of the Mitterrand proposed another 'rendez the Middle East, Venezuela and the USA conference as a circus, were not well re vous' in three to five years' time. jointly opposed agreements to ameliorate ceived. Rio was so all-embracing - as it had global warming. Agenda 21, which ran to 800 pages, a to be - that it will take time to assess It was on climate change, and carbon non-binding yardstick for government what progress has been made. It is clear, dioxide (C~) emissions in particular, that measures on all aspects of the environ however, that much more remains to be the European Community (EC) Environ ment for the next century, was sufficiently done. The two treaties which were ment Commissioner Carlo Ripa di Meana vague to meet with approval from the signed are too weak, the monies sought to take a lead in the North, with countries of both North and South. None pledged to.o little, the bridge between plans for a carbon/energy tax and other of the three treaties - on climate change, North and South to.o narrow. 0
Safe Energy 89 costs to consumers; and a renewables levy Scottish renewables order 10-20MW rising to lOOMW by 2000 - is less encouraging. It compares with similar to England and Wales. the cumulative Order for the first 2 The SO document cites two objectives mONS for establishing a Scot years in England and Wales of about of the NFFO in the rest of Britain (which tish Renewables Order (SRO), depends on coal for 1S" of its electricity): O 600MW and a 2000 target of at least to .. increase the amount of non-fossil promised by Scottish Office (SO) Min l,OOOMW. Despite the vast Scottish re generating capacity"; and '"to improve the ister Allan Stewart in January, have newables resource, the document diversity of generating sources available" been set out in a consultation document* claims the lOOMW target .. would en -hence the •Fossil Fuel Levy•. published in May. sure that Scotland made an appropriate About SO" of electricity in Scotland The SO initially opposed calls for a and equitable contribution towards the comes from nuclear power with another scheme to match the English and [UK] target". 10" from hydro. The main objective in Welsh renewables order, but in May More positively. it recognises the boost Scotland must therefore be. using the 1991 the Scottish Secretary Ian Lang which an SROcould make to ..developing a so·s reasoning. diversification. Thus any Scottish levy should. as in England and announced a deal for existing inde viable industry which might be lady to take full advantage of rising demand for renew Wales. fall on the major generating source pendent renewables generators - in this case nuclear power. 0 (SCRAM 83). Eventually, acceptance able generation as it develops in this country and abroad." Offering the possibility of of the need to include new renewables ..Sc::otdsh business opportunities and em * •outline proposals for a Scottish was announced to the Commons En ployment in the n:newables sector. across Renewables Obligation"; Energy Divi ergy Committee on 29January. manufacture. installation and servicing". sion, Scottish Office Industry Depart The consultation document is a wel Three funding options are proposed: ment, May 1992. (Copies from Lynne come development. However, the sug absorption of costs by ScottishPower and Rodgers on 031-244 4335; submission gested size of the Order - an initial Scottish Hydro-Electric; pass-through of deadline 10 July.)
peak demand is minuscule. said FoE•s UK renewables Mike Harper. and has no effect on energy Wonderlamp? policy. IGOROUS interest in ..the Poten Michael Flood. author of Energy With HE .. 14-year wonderlamp", laun V tial for Renewable Energy in the out End, gave a rapid survey of the large T ched in a blaze of publicity as rep UK" was shown by lSO people crowd total resource of renewables. We should resenting .. an entirely new generation of ing into the London seminar organised pursue the multiple benefits of total sys lighting technology" by Intersource tems. he argued. like biogas from abattoir by the Climate Action Network (CAN Technologies of California. may not be waste. or building tidal power into estua quite as revolutionary as they would UK) at the end of May, writes Mta rial crossings. He also proposed a sur have us believe. In fact. it uses the same Wallis. charge of 10" on all fossil fuel power principle as induction lamps already A new econometric energy-futures stations. pending closer examination of sold by Philips (who are examining study was unveiled by Stewart Boyle, their environmental disadvantages. their patents for possible infringements) of Greenpeace International, showing The British Wind Energy Association •s and Matsushita. that fossil fuels can be phased out in the past chairman. Andrew Garrad. suggested The so-called ·E-Lamp•. due to appear next century, quickly enough to limit a higher surcharge of 1.S-3p/kWhas .. rea on the market next year. is said to have a global greenhouse impacts, even with sonable". Though 1lp/kWh is the current useful life of 20.000 hours. by which time NFFO price for wind power. this is forced its light output will fall by 30". An aver continuing growth in population and by the impossibly short cut-off date of age tungsten filament has a 1.000-hour GDP. 1998; the latest systems could reach 3.5 - life. In addition. a 25-Watt E-lamp pro Among the renewables, it puts em 4p/kWh. given a 7" interest rate and 20- duces a similar light output to a 100-Watt phasis on biofuels (to overcome inter year payback. Because of the Govem conventional bulb. mittency) and adopts hydrogen as a ment•s lack of interest. there is only one The main difference between Inter motor fuel. Technology is not a con UK producer of wind turbines. and 70" source's product and the other induction straint; nor is cost, because of high sav of the initial NFFO wind projects will buy lamps appears to be its lower price. and its ings through lower energy use. Such a Danish. domestic target market: whereas the scenario could be achieved in a number Justin Ford-Robertson of Aberdeen Philips QL induction lamp costs .£300- University gave an interesting and upbeat plus including a special fitting. theE-lamp of ways - taxes/credits, targets, fair presentation on biofuels. which could should be priced at under £12 and contains prices, etc - creating a •tevel playing economically meet 2.5" of the UK •s total all its circuitry in the base of the bulb. field• rather than naively relying on energy needs by the year 2000 (and 10" which fits into a standard socket. This puts market forces, said Boyle. in the EC). he said. it in direct competition with the compact The whole technology bias in cur Several concerns were raised over the fluorescent lamps (CFI.s) which have rent thinking was attacked by CPRE•s future of the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation been on the market since 1980: these con Ben Plowden. The bias towards re :can the new Minister. Tim Eggar. be sume a similar amount of power. but have newables avoids tackling the real persuaded to give it early consider a shorter lifespan of around 8.000 hours. problem: energy overuse and wastage. ation? The 10-20MW Obligation pro at a similar unit cost. posed for Scotland is pathetically small. Under the least-cost planning policy He sees great risks in the current There needs to be a thermal or CHP (SCRAM 14). utilities in the United States .. spurt for renewables", arguing that element in the future NFFO, and also have actively encouraged the use of CFI.s rushed decisions could undermine an easier. cheap planning process to to replace the wasteful tungsten bulbs. and public support and help government allow small individual renewable pro one has provided financial backing to ln to dodge the real issues. jects. However. it seems that no-one tersource. In the UK. however. CFI.s have That renewables are just a PR exercise has yet worked out a practical propo suffered from a singular lack of market for the government is a popular belief. sal for which the renewable energy ing. It will be interesting to observe the Their contribution to the S0-60GW UK community can lobby. 0 relative fate of the E-lamp. 0
JunejJuly '92 ro-ro ferry terminal," was recommended. As well as the Wyre Estuary, detailed Barrage studies The report pointed out that the scheme studies have been made of the River .. could reduce UK carbon dioxide Loughor near Llanelli and the River HE results of a Department of emissions by up to 136,000 tonnes per Conwy, Gwynedd. TEnergy (DoEn) eo-sponsored year". A fourth preliminary study is to be study into the proposed 64MW Wyre The study concluded that the Wyre undertaken, at the River Duddon near Barrage in Lancashire have been re Estuary is well-suited for a tidal scheme, Askam, Furness, it was announced shortly leased. and subject to results of further studies, a before the General Election. Two-thirds The preliminary feasibility study, barrage is unlikely to have serious adverse of the expected £155,000 costs have been headed by Trafalgar House Technology effects on present developments or cur allocated by the DoEn. Ltd, put the cost of the barrage at £90 rent users. Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd and million and estimated the scheme would Lancashire County Council, in association Balfour Beatty Projects & Engineering provide 131 GWh/y of electricity at with Norweb, Lancashire County Enter Ltd proposed the work, which is also sup 6.5p/kWh (based on an 8% discount rate). prises Ltd and the National Rivers Authority, ported by Norweb, Shawater Ltd and sev Inclusion of a road crossing was also con proposed the study, and two-thirds of the eral local Councils. sidered, which would add £7 million to £200,000 costs came from the DoEn. The DoEn 1987 UK study estimated a the cost, but the report concluded that a Since 1979, the Government has spent generation capac:ity of over 100MW and an separate road bridge would provide better £14.1 million (1992 prices) on tidal energy output of about 180GWh/y for the Duddon. net present value - a short-term saving. research and feasibility studies. This included The year long investigation, to be Consideration was given to the environ a theoretical study of over lOO estuaries in the undertaken by McAipine and Balfour mental impact of the barrage, but further UK, published in 1987, which concluded that Beatty, will look at possible locations, "more detailed work,forexampletodarify the the potential from small barrages is about 2% engineering and design figures, economic impact on the water table ... [and] the Pandoro of electricity consumption. feasibility and environmental effects. A
Dam argument
N the long-running controversy over I the Gabcikovo/Nagymaros Danube hydro-electric scheme, Hungary has carried out its threat to revoke the 1977 treaty with Czecho-Slovakia which had authorised the joint project (Safe En ergy 88). What effect the Hungarian action will have is not clear - even to the Hungarians - and the political uncertainty in Czecho Slovakia adds further confusion. Two days after the revocation was announced, on 25 May, the Hungarian Minister with protests with the Austrian government over responsibility for the dam, Ferenc Madl, funding of the Slovak scheme. The Slovaks, was still speaking of the possibility of who reportedly first approached the mainly Waste not further talks. The Slovaks are determined state-<:ontrolled Austrian banks for finance to complete their part of the hydro project, but were turned down, have struck a $345 WO plans for Waste-fuelled power and their Premier Jan Carnogursky de million credit deal with a private firm An Tstations have collapsed, according to clared the Hungarian move as "legally drosch International Consulting of Vienna. a survey conducted by industry magazine invalid ... However, he later wrote to Madl The Austrian government has unofficially Inside Energy, and several more are in saying that further talks would be "useful advised banks not to provide funding to severe danger of falling by the wayside. and necessary". Androsch for the scheme. Of the ten proposals included in the 1991 The Hungarians, who pulled out of their Given the political turmoil in the Czech Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) a part of the scheme 2 112 years ago because and Slovak republics future funding must 4.1MW scheme planned for St Leonards, of environmental concerns, have filed be in doubt. 0 East Sussex has been abandoned due to difficulty in obtaining planning permission; anolherscheme destined for Derby has been 25% of their 1985levels. dropped because its proposers, Derbyshire UN renewables Such an energy future would be char County Council, say it could not compete acterised by diversity of energy sources on cost terms with landfill sites as a method ENEWABLE energy could account and suppliers, and by concomitant sta of disposing of municipal waste. Both Rfor more than 60% of the world's bilisation of l.ong-term world energy schemes were judged to be viable by the electricity needs by the middle of next prices, because of fewer rapid price Office of Electricity Regulation when they century, concludes a report produced by fluctuations and supply disruptions. were included in the NFFO. the United Nations for the Earth Summit. Intermittent renewables could provide up Ofthe remaining eight schemes, four have The report - Renewable Energy to 35% of electricity in most areas by 2050 yet to secure a supply of municipal waste as Sources for Fuels and Electricity - ar without using new storage technologies, ar fuel, and seven are still without planning gues that this could be achieved compe gues the report, but conventional supply permission. National Power's 44MW pro titively. at prices lower than in mixes must be adjusted to accommodate ject at Northfleet, Kent, and Yorkshire Re conventional energy price forecasts, them. Government policies must also newable Energy's 21MW scheme in Leeds using technology already available on change, if this future is to be achieved: have neither planning permission nor a fuel the market or undergoing advanced en subsidies that artificially reduce the costs of source. According to Inside Energy, all of gineering tests. It allows for an eight conventional fuels, by ignoring the full cost the projects look dubious: .. Until a project fold growth in the global economy and of energy, including environmental im has got waste and planning permission, it's estimates that C02 levels could be cut by pacts, must be removed. 0 just pie in the sky." 0
Safe Energy 89 SWEB, which was an investor in Bri Energy Group MS-3), are to receive a UK wind developments tain's fust commercial wind farm at De £7 million ·demonstration grant· which labole, Cornwall (Safe Energy 81), was allocated by the now defunct De new wind company for wind farm explained this further involvement on a partment of Energy (Safe Energy 88). development in the UK, Wind Re A belief that .. there will be future NFFOs". sources Ltd, has been established by • Of the 38 new wind farms accepted two Regional Electricity Companies • PowerGen have pulled out of their under the 1991 NFFO, 14 now have (RECs) in England and Wales, together planned wind farm in Capel Cynon, planning permission, Mike Anderson of with an existing wind developer, Re Dyfed, which failed to be included in Renewable Energy Systems told a Brit newable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) a the 1991 renewables order of the Non ish Wind Energy Association (BWEA) member of the McAlpine Group. Fossil Fuel Obligation. PowerGen in conference in Nottingham. These 14 South Western Electricity (SWEB) herited the scheme from the CEGB who wind farms represent almost half the and Manweb each have a 45% stake in had earmarked the site as one of their wind capacity under the 1991 obliga the new company whose fli'St project two original Government backed wind tion, and include what will be Europe's will be the 6MW wind farm at Carland farm projects in 1986. The site is now largest wind farm, Ecogen•s 103 tur Cross, Cornwall, for which RES al the subject of a planning application bine, 31MW project at Llandian near ready have planning permission. from Wind Power Systems who plan a Rhyddhywel, Powys. Ecogen, the Finance for Carland Cross will be 35 turbine 17.5MW wind farm. country ·s most prolific wind developers provided by Westpac Banking Corpor The second CEGB site at Cold North in the 1991 NFFO, now have the go ation of Australia, which has previous cou, Cornwall, which was bequeathed to ahead for 38MW of capacity. A total of experience of the industry having fin National Power, is being developed by around 80MW of capacity has been anced several Californian wind farms. National Wind Power along with two sites given planning permission, and the .. I think we understand wind power in Wales at Cemaes (Safe Energy 85) and BWEA expected installed capacity in possibly better than other banks", com Uangwyrfon. The three projects, which the UK to have reached 130MW by the mented John Nortbn of Westpac. will all use British turbines (300kW Wind end of the year. 0
farmers supplying the Miscanthus on Biomass contract to small community central heat Solar Village ing systems and power stations. for in For those who want to know more s interest in producing crops for stance." about the mysteries of solar energy, Apower grows amongst British British investigations will be run by and how it can heat your home, a new fanners (Safe Energy 88), the Govern ADAS, a government-owned agriculture series of courses will be of interest. ment have announced a £45,000 6 year research agency near Ely in Cambridge Tir Gaia Solar Village in Rhayader, Mid Wales, have been running work trial of a giant reed which may offer the shire. Colin Speller of ADAS, believes the shops and seminars for two years, ideal substitute to burning fossil fuels. crop could compete with short-rotation during the earlier design stages of The reed - Miscanthus sinesis - has coppicing of trees such as willow and their project. Construction work is been dubbed as .. elephant grass" in Ger poplar, which gives typical yields of 16 now nearing completion on the first many because it grows to a height of over tonnes per hectare. of their new passive solar heated, 3 metres in one season. German re Speller, however, is cautious of claim timber frame houses. searchers claim it can yield 30 tonnes of ing to much for the reed. ADAS have just This month sees the launch of their dry matter per hectare annually ...We are completed a review of studies around the new Training Department, which will be offering information and support having to answer inquiries from farmers world on the crop, for the Energy Tech to anyone who is interested in 'green every day of the week," says Manfred nology Support Unit. They have found building', or who wishes to include Dambroth of the Federal Research In that estimates of the plant's yield vary energy- saving features in their own stitute for Plant Breeding and Crop Hus widely. from below 20 tonnes up to 35 home. bandry in Brunswick. tonnes per hectare. If it can achieve yields 'The courses examine many of the German research into the crop is of over 20 tonnes .. it moves into a new ideas which have gone into the pres much further advanced than in the league.. according to Speller. ent solar house,' explained the train UK; they have planted over 130 hec One complication for British use is that ing organiser, Mick Brown. 'We are evolving a new building technology,' tares of trial plots this year. Indeed, the plant is more suited to sub-tropical he added, 'and are teaching how some German farmers are so con climates. It thrives on high light levels and many of these new features can be vinced of the crop•s viability they are high temperatures. Speller is uncertain of applied to other house designs.' pressing ahead with commercial pro how it will fare in Britain, where most The new courses also cover a wide jects. In Bavaria a group of farmers crops are suited to temperatures below range of topics including heat and have signed a deal with a local crop 2S"C. sound insulation, triple glazing, ven drying cooperative, where the plan is The plant offers high production on tilation and condensation controls, to replace 80% of fuel oil with home minimal chemical inputs. Dambroth ex conventional and alternative heating systems, and the design of sun grown power by 1995. plains, ..No pesticide sprays are required spaces. The reed is also suitable for making and the plant's rhizomatous root system Fees for a weekend course are £85, paper and chipboard, and in Dresden a has proved to absorb fertilisers efficiently, including half-board. These are now paper company is using it as a cellulose so helping to prevent seepage of nitrates taking place at the new solar house, source instead of timber. Veba, an oil and into ground water." giving people the chance to explore chemicals company in the Ruhr, has Speller believes the crop will be at and discuss its construction with the planted 30 hectares. The crop is used to tractive to British farmers because it is self- build team. produce hydrogen which in tum will be dry when harvested, burns cleanly and Dates for the next courses are: July 18/19, August 1/2, and September 516. used in oil refining. can be harvested annually. Unlike cop Longer 5-day courses are on August The most obvious use for the crop picing, where harvests arc available 19 to 23, and September 16 to 20. For would be in power stations, says Dam every three years, it does not require further details, phone 0597 810929. broth: .. Systems must be created: with special machinery.
JunefJu/y '92 I LETTERS Dear Safe Energy Power - who would have to European Commission pro whereby RECs (regional The dash-to-gas issue close coal-fired stations - is posed to rescind the EC Di electricity companies) tie achieved prominence on the 'economic' only if they can rective forbidding the use of themselves into gas-fired political agenda back in wriggle out of obligations to gas in electricity generation. generation projects, contract January, when the Coalfield retrofit FGD. Safe Energy contributor to buy power long-term for Communities Campaign Orimulsion fuel gives an David Ross asked FoE to themselves, and expect to launched Fothergill and other twist. National Power lobby MEPs to get the Euro pass through the costs under Witt' s "The case against and PowerGen have been pean Parliament to insist on the regulator formula, is also gas". This excellent Special granted company-wide maintaining the Directive; unacceptable. Ways to stop Report<1>showed that on the quotas for sulphur FoE declined. That potential this, while still encouraging basis of present proposals for emissions. They can bum the battle was so easily lost. RECs to invest in local re CCGT gas-fired stations in sulphur-rich orimulsion in By mid-1991, however, FoE newable sources and CHP England and Wales, gas will redundant oil-fired stations got the message. They agreed schemes, need to be devised. soon account for more elec (Ince; Pembroke; Isle of to oppose NP' s Dideot CCGT Can FoE come up with prac tricity generation than the Grain) if they can counterbal application (1300 MW). It's tical proposals, while they combined total from oil and ance it with extra sulphur pleasing that FoE have fight the CCGT inquiries? nuclear - and virtually all at free gas-fired generation. "targeted resources on fight the expense of coal. The costs depend on as ing the l~e power station MaxWallis Why the dash-to-gas? It's sumed discount rates. The proposals". >Butwhynotac not "primarily economic private sector uses high rates knowledge that others did 1. "The case against gas: why considerations" as stated by exceeding 10% and pay-back the groundwork, that the En gas is the wrong fuel for Bri Michael Ha.:per of FoE in times of 15 years. Since ergy Committee's criticism<3> tain's power stations", "It's a gas"<21 (Safe Energy power plant is designed to used the CCC analysis, and Stephen Fothergill & 88). Fuel and operating costs last twice as long or more, that the strength and in Stephen Witt, Coalfield of existing coal-fired stations one would expect FoE to be fluence of FoE has come into Communities Campaign, (eg 2.2p/kWh) are less than critical of these short-term the battle almost too late? Barnsley,6 Jan 1992. (£7.50) CCGT generating costs of economics. The regulation structure of 2.45-2.95p/kWh (depending In April 1990, Stephen Witt privatised electricity is work 2. "It's a gas", Michael Harper, on present and future gas and I met with FoE's Energy ing against general objective Safe Energy 88, April1992. prices), a point picked up by Campaigner to alert them to s of energy efficiency and the House of Commons En the dash-to-gas issue. Noth CD2 reduction. Efficiency of 3. "Consequences of Elec ergy Committee(3) (Safe En ing resulted. A few months 50% in power generation tricity Privatisation", House ergy 88, p18). However, the later, FoE were asked to op (42% delivered power) is un of Commons Energy Com cost of retrofitting FGD, at pose the ICI-Enron CCGT acceptable compared with mittee, HMSO, 26 Feb 1992. about 0.6p/kWh, would be power station on Teesside 80% or so for CHP<2>. High crucial<1>. It follows that the (1725 MW, with small use of penalties or even a ban on 4. "Orimulsion", Miri Zlat building of CCGT plant by heat-steam for ICI), but gas for non-CHP generation ner, FT Business Info, Lon PowerGen and National showed no interest. Then the are needed. Also, the seam don 1989.
Dear Safe Energy the backlog of CCGT appli As always I am indebted to cations awaiting his consent Max Wallis for his contribu under Section 36 of the Elec THE AVERTISING RATES FOR tion to this debate, though I tricity Act. SAFE ENERGY ARE: disagree with his economic We are helping FoE local analysis which looks to the groups to fight proposals at operating costs of existing Greenwich, Brighton, Bris Full Page £140 stations as opposed to the tol, Connah's Quay, Traf (190 x 265mm) capital and operating costs of ford, and Colchester, in addi new stations. tion to the two proposals I both fully recognise and Max mentioned. I agree that Half Page- £75 value the work of the Coal it is unfortunate that we are (190 x 130mm) field Communities Cam not able to fight other devel paign in fighting the CCGT opments but there are other Quarter page £40 proposals and indeed the pressing energy-related work of the individuals who issues, from resisting the (92 x 130mm) have contributed to this end. lobbying efforts of oil com I did not mean to cast any panies fighting climate The above prices are for camera ready copy, an disparagement on their work change agreements to press additional charge may have to be made for design and by my article and I find it ing for the restructuring of lay up of adverts. remarkable that Max found the NFFO and the end to such innuendo in the piece. NIREX proposals for a nu INSERTS: leaflets can be mailed out with the journal I agree with Max' s argu clear dump. details from the phone number/address below. ment that only by imposing a I hope that this helps to ad ban on non-CHP generation dress some of Max' s varied For further information phone 031-557 can this madness be ended. concerns. 4283/4, or write to SAFE ENERGY, 11 This is exactly what Friends Best Wishes of the Earth requested of Mr Michael Harper Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LE. Timothy Eggar, the Minister Assistant Energy Campaigner for Energy, as he considers Friends of the Earth
26 Safe Energy 89 REVIEWS I
vides a damming list of acci clear transports is often de Nuclear Juggernaut: The Transport dents small and large which cried by the industry as being point to the inevitability of Luddite and without foun of Radioactive Materials; human life being lost be dation. Bond lists the differ by Martin Bond. cause of these transports. ent materials being trans If a serious accident ported and catalogues the Earthscan; 1992, 239pp, £11.95. does happen, its conse accidents they have been in quences could well be volved in.. He places t.he made much worse by the transports in the framework Every day throughout Bri move. secrecy surrounding the of international legislation tain, by road, by rail and The International Atomic nuclear juggernaut. and finds it wanting. by sea, there are large Energy Agency believes Local authorities "have This well-researched and numbers of routine move such transports are per scant information and no well-written book puts meat ments of radioactive fectly safe, arguing: "In authority over the variety of on the bones of the public's cargo. Materials at all more than 40 years of ex ways in which the cargo is radiophobia. stages of the nuclear cycle, perience, there have been routinely moved." Yet it is It also provides a series from Uranium ore to nu no known deaths or in those authorities which of original photographs clear waste, from nuclear juries due to the radioac would be expected to take ac so that we all know what warheads to radioactive tive nature of the material tion in the event of an acci to look out for. isotopes used in medicine, being transported." But, dent. are constantly on the here Martin Bond pro- Public concern over nu- MIKE TOWNSLEY
Energy policies & the greenhouse SAY NO. TO THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY! effect V.olume Two: Country Do you realise that ¥m!.( money may be invested in companies studies & teclinical options; who promote, distribute and supply nuclear power? by Michael Grubb et al. There is an alternative: The Royal Institute of International MfairsjDartmouth Publishing; ETHICAL INVESTMENTS 1991, 450pp, £35 hb, £12.50 pb. Pensions, Savings, Investments, Mortgages, life Assurance without investing in Not just another book about the greenhouse The Nuclear industry or armaments, apartheid, animal experiments effect, this excellent work considers in detail and with posjtjye environmental action. energy resources and systems, energy effi ciency, and modelling and analysis. It also provides six country case studies looking at the economic and political context for emissions reduction in the UK and European Community, the United States of America, Japan, the former Soviet Union, China and India. This second volume "represents the in tellectual underpinning" of Grubb' s ear lier book on Policy Appraisal (Safe Energy EARTHWORK 84). It is thorough in its consideration of the technical options and realistic in its assessments of what can be achieved. Grubb states that "identified and cost FINANCIAL PLANNING effective technologies in OECD countries Independent financial advice since 1985 could in principle increase the efficiency of electricity use by up to 50%". The problem For information without obligation, contact is not primarily technical but political, as Earthwork Financial Planning Grubb points out in the case study of the UK Dept. EE and the European Community: "the role of 1 -7 Princess Street the UK government in energy supply has Albert Square declined, and there is great reluctance to intervene ... [which] precludes many signi Manchester ficant abatement options". M24DD Anyone planning to look in detail at the Tel: 061-8393218 technical and policy aspects of reducing • greenhouse gas emissions would be well An appointed representative of the Bums-Anderson Independent Network PLC advised to read this book. GRAHAM STEIN June/July '92 27 UTl' BLACK I Fax or fiction? Gull cull announced:. "We have encouraged the use More trouble with facsimile messages in The feathers have been flying at of unJeaded petrol; we are introducing the corridors of (non-Federal) European sunny Sellafield, since BNFL catalytic converters on new cars ... and we power: the SociaJist Group in Strasbourg called in the exterminators to have also introduced the use of sulphur carelessly let one of these dangerous beasts deal with an unfortunate scrubbers at power stations." escape in the direction of the British press. plague of seagulls. Happily, a The document claimed that a couple of our spokesperson informed the local press, the j Forward planning? beloved Falkland Islands had been hapless- birds were trapped in cages and shot ?a) Scottish Nuclear is currently earmarked for nuclear dumping, and "in a humane way''. The same impeccable ~ runninga£1.9millionpublicity 1 seduced hapless hacks into printing the source reassured us that th.erewas "certainly campaign. which includes a 1V 'scoop'. no radiological reason for culling the birds". ~ advert featuring a veritable Unfortunately, no body thought of Not that we would dream o f ( P ark-load of cuddly woodland checking up on the source of the story until suggesting otherwise: for what Cumbrian creatures, all setting off in wide-eyed the islanders themselves started to kick up herring gull with an ounce of sense would enthusiasm for the fascinations of the visitor a fuss. It was eventually traced back to an be silly enough to become contaminated centres at Hunterston and Tomess. (Euro article in 'Extra', the Argentine equivalent by perching on top of those warm, inviting Disney? Who needs it!) of our own highly-respected investigative radioactive filte rs? And what O ur furry friends are sure of a big journal 'The Sunday Sport'. Next time, self-respecting gull would then proceed to surprise, though, when they arrive at this before rushing into print, the humbled deposit radioactive calling-cards on all and particular picnic, for demonstrations of reporters would be well advised to make sundry, setting oH alarms and disrupting renewable energy (yes indeed!) are being sure of their fax. the good work of the reprocessing plant; installed as part o f the educational especially when a little bird might be displays. Could the more forward More malvinas watching? No, that would be well beyond thinking engineers at SN want hands-on More news of interest to the bounds of reasonable foreseeability ... experience before facing radical enforced Brita in's proud possessions in career changes? LBR thinks we should be the South Atlantic concerns /! In safe hands told - and has asked those cuddly little the Royal Navy's current ~ It's good to know that those moles to see if they can find out for us, embarrassment over its ~ 1. filling the top posts in the when they get there. superannuated Polaris submarines. What Environment Department do- they do with the irradiated hulks? It has have a sound grasp of the Sponsorship update been suggested that at least one of them ( • issues. Lord Strathclyde, a Buxton O pera House is to could be spruced up as a tourist attraction. ne w Junior Minister a nd previously play host to the world's first The most likely candidate for this distinction would-be scourge of Scottish anti-nuclear Festival of Musicals; featuring is none other than HMS Conqueror. (In case campaigners (LBR, Safe Energy 84), last ten musicals chosen from 491 the n:une doesn't ring any bells, prospective month gave the Upper House the benefit entries. One of the winners visitors are advised not to approach the sub of his extensive knowledge of pollution "New thjngs to feel bad about" is a in anything resembling a South American control. On Government measures to limit performance- about genetic engineering. naval vessel.) emissions of carbon dioxide, he Event sponsors? British Nuclear Fuels!
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