- he Chairman of British Aluminium yest ~rday blamed the closure squarely on high power costs ...... Contents ------Comment______lnvergordon and Nukes 3 News 4-5 Waste Dumping - final? 6 Energy Politics Namibia and RTZ 7 PWR's and Sizewell 8-9 The closure of the aluminium smelter at lnvergordon shows that economics Consumer Campaign 10 and energy policy are Intimately linked. The energy policy of the current Govern­ ment Is based on the economics of unemployment. An energy policy which is Insulation Programme 11 inflationary can only lead to increased hardship for low Income groups. Appropriate Tech- 12-13 This Issue of the Energy ISulletin Is all about the· worst effects of such a policy, nology which spreads to the Third World, creating a poverty trap In places like Namibia [see page 7]. Reviews 14 The intransigent policies of this Government blunder onward, with the pro­ SCRAM 15 posed Pressurised Water Reactor at Slzewell in East Anglia raising Its ugly head Little Black Rabbit 16 [see pages 8 & 9]. And yet a coherent and humane energy strategy Is staring us Copy date for next issue: in _the face. An energy conservation programme, If Initiated, would Immediately Friday, February 26th, 1982. create thousands of Jo~s, save our oil reserves and eliminate the need for expen­ sive and dangerous nuclear power stations; and give us the breathing space to HELP! develop an alternative energy strategy [see page 11]. The weather hasn't smiled on the Smi­ The Combined H.eat and Power feasibility study of Atklns and Partners is ex­ ling Sun Shop. On Thursday, January 14th, pected in mid February. The Government seems to be considering a feeble pro­ the thaw burst a water tank in the flat up­ gramme of one or two 'lead cities' in this CHP study. What the nine lead city stairs, and the result was that a large part of the ceiling in the shop's storeroom came contenders need is a total commitment, and the cancellation of the Torness, Hey­ down. Donations to help us get replace­ sham and Sizewell projects. ment stock in quickly would be much appreciated- as would a new carpet! We apologise for any delays in the mail order service over the past few weeks - we will be advising the people upstairs on proper insulation to stop it happening again! SUBSCRIBE TO THIS MAGAZINE NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION The cost of subscription to this magazine has now been inpreased due to in­ day workshop creased production and distribution costs. The cover price has also gone up from There will be a day-workshop in 30p to 40p - a figure more in line with other similar journals and magazines. Edinburgh on February 20th, to look at Over the past year or so we have been improving the content and 'layout of the where non-violent direct action might be useful (especially against nuclear Bulletin and we welcome contributions on any aspects of the nuclear industry d-evelopments such as Civil Defence and appropriate technology. Why not let us know what you think of our cov­ exercises) and at 'training' techniques erage? groups can use to prepare for action. We are always in need of funds to finance our various campaigns and to keep lt 'sat the Crosswinds Centre, Tollcross, up our office administration. Any help, financial or active will be gratefully from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., details from 26 accepted. We need the certainty of regular income to survive so why not fill in Glen St., Edinburgh. 031-229-7487. the Standing Order Form below and help us out? Please be generous. Send off your subscription etc. now to: SCRAM, 30 Frederick Street, Edin­ burgh EH2 2JR. [031-225-7752).

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lands, but has also left the SSEB with a lot of egg on its face. lt's already well-known that the SSEB has an embarassing overcapacity of gen­ erating plant. In 1980/81 they had equip­ ment installed to generate 9564 mega­ Aluminium watts. Their all-time peak demand for elec­ tricity (in February 1979) was 5517 MW­ including the 250 MW taken by the smel­ ter. Thus without the smelter, but assum­ ing that the Board still doesn't adopt in­ Foiled dustrial pricing policies which could curb the rare "spikes" of peak demand, they have an overcapacity of 81%. Shutting both Hunterston nukes tomorrow would The sorry history of the lnvergordon aluminium smelter project charts the leave a very comfortable 24% overcapa­ slide i.nto nightmare of the "white heat of technology" dreams held by planners city. In the Sixties. Nuclear power would provide vast quantities Cff cheap and relia­ This is bad enough - and expensive ble electricity, government would set up large Investment schemes in "remote" enough for the Scottish consumer - but it [le. remote from Whitehall) areas, the economrwould boom. Particularly, al­ is perhaps not the most significant point for uminium smelters and nuclear power were used to justify each other, as at Wylfa nuclear plans. Nuclear power stations are on Angelsey and with the deal between British Aluminium and the SSEB over notoriously inflexible- it can take days to the building of the Hunters ton B Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor. start one up from cold. Sa they tend to be run 24 hours a day between fuelling (or lt was the reality of nuclear power - expensive and unreliable - which breakdowns!), contributing what is called brought the dreamers down to earth with a bump, and with disastrous conse­ "baseload power". quences for the Highlands. But, as Pete Roche and Mike Holderness explain The SSEB didn't produce figures for below, the consequences go much further. They make the case for abandoning their baseload demand - effectively the Torness now stronger than it's ever been. amount of electricity used at five in the morning - before we went to press. A reasonable estimate would be 40% or less of their peak demand - maybe 2200 MW The long-running saga involving both But the company held out for a similar in winter with lnvergordon, certainly less Scottish Electricity Boards and British subsidy right through to the year 2000 - than 2000 MW in winter without, and per­ Aluminium has finally ended with the clo­ which would have cost the taxpayer a fur­ haps 1000 MW on summer nights. sure of the aluminium smelter at lnver­ ther £288M, because the promise of cheap But if Torness was finished the SSEB's gordon, at a cost to the taxpayer of £113 electricity from Hunterston had not been nuclear capacity (usable only for baseload) m i 11 ion. The loss of 890 jobs is disastrous in realised. would be 2730 MW - in other words, an area where there is little prospect of they'd have to keep a large part of their further employment. However the story is nuclear plant shut down even in winter, not yet completely over, and the knock-on­ and only ever use coal-fired plant in the effect throughout the Scottish economy More Jobs at Risk daytime. may cause further redundancies. The SSEB has lost, at a stroke, 7.5 per We can expect them to produce a spate The lnvergordon smelter was one of the cent of its sales. This will probably mean of advertising for night-storage heaters main empJoyers in the Highland Region that the Board will make even less use of and the like to try to sell themselves out of and Scotland's biggest single electricity its coal and oil-fired power stations. ln­ this fix. user. The smelter came into operation in verkip, an oil-fired station which was only 1972 and has used almost a quarter of the opened 2 years ago at a cost of £140M and North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's the Kincardine coal-fired station are the entire output since 1974. most vulnerable. Already two of lover­ British Aluminium contributed. to the kip's three generators are mothballed and establishment of Hunterston B nuclear the plant's output has been as low as 5% of power station. They agreed with the South its capacity. At Kincardine two of the five of Scotland Electricity Board to pay a pro­ coal-fired generators are shut down. Clo- portion of the station's running costs, in sure of either station would put hundreds , return for receiving electricity at a cheap out of work. (' rate. This complex contract, however, did Another consequence of the smelter's (~ not prevent the imposition of a series of closure will be a ten per cent reduction in crippling electricity price increases. the SSEB's annual coal requirement. lt - Delays in construction meant that Hun­ seems certain that this will mean a cut- 7 terston B was completed four years late at back in Scottish coal production, and per- fl a capital cost 15 per cent higher in real haps the closure of more pits. terms than expected. Since then the SSEB The Government must act now to avoid have experienced several problems at the knock-on-effects of the smelter closure. Hunterston. In 1977, 1,800 gallons of salt As well as the effects on the energy in- water was accidentally allowed to flood the pressure vessel. The reactor eventually dustries,under threat. Highland railway lines are now ~~§~!!!;~~~~~~~~~ came back on stream two and a half years A new d,evelopment policy is needed for later, by whicll time the total cost of the the Highlands, based on small locally­ accident had mounted to £57 million. based enterprises. In the Islands. there are That's if they carry on their fixation with This led the NSHEB to instigate proce­ signs of a new determination to insist on nuclear power. The consequences for Scot­ edings against British Aluminium to re­ more local control of economic affairs. land would be severe - in loss of jobs in cover £47M worth of disputed charges (see Community co-operatives have proved that coal-mining, and in higher prices to con­ Bulletin No.25). BA disputed the charges economic problems can begin to be solved. sumers as fuel was wasted starting and because they did not believe that they Small-scale renewable energy systems will stopping coal-fired plants designed for were liable to pay extra charges due to a fit easily into such a development strategy. base load, and the loans to build unneces­ seawater leak and the rocketing price of On January 6 workers at the lnvergordon sary plant were paid off. nuclear fuel reprocessing. plant voted to occupy the plant to stop it Torness has already failed to live up to The Chairman of British Aluminium being dismantled, but success looks un­ the expectations of local people as far as 'blames the closure squarely upon high likely. employment is concerned. With the clo­ power costs. The Government had offered sure of Scotland's biggest electricity user, to write off the £47M claimed by the and the effects on the Scottish energy NSHEB and to subsidise BA's fuel bill with economy, it looks set to become a major £16M for the next three years in the hope Overcapacity economic disaster in its own right. The that world demand for aluminium would The failure of the lnvergordon scheme Government must cancel the project be­ pick up by 1984. has not only risked devastating the High- fore it is too late. 4 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin ·------~News------News------sion of the issues lasting another year. Australia Then a report summarising the options, Dose; one per accident Last month the Executive council of the but containing no recommendations, will Postassium Iodide has been distributed Australian Council of Trade Unions be presented to the Government for Par­ to 30,000 households near Sweden's 4 (ACTU) voted to allow the export of uran­ liamentary discussion in 1984. nuclear stations- to improve protection in ium until February 1982. This is a rever­ Meanwhile, there is a real possibility case of a reactor accident. Inhabitants sal of the stand taken in 1979. that public pressure may force Dodewaard within a 10 mile radius will receive the The ACTU decision may be reversed yet to close. Many politicians have already tablets and an instruction folder describing again at a meeting to be held this March - adopted a non-nuclear stance and in some course of action in the case of an accident. but only if there's strong pressure, inclu­ cases have promised to try to close the There will also be outside audio alarms or ding support from abroad. The success of only nuclear stations to have been built in telephone for people living within a 6 the boycott culminated in a shipload of Holland. (The 54MW demonstration Boil­ mile radius. uranium being held up at Darwin for 2 ing Water Reactor at Dodewaard, comple­ The Swedish Nuclear Inspectorate has months. This ship, loaded with uranium ted in 1969; and the 450MW Pressurised recommended that the licence for the from Ranger (a mine on Aboriginal lands), Water Reactor at Borssele which came on Studsvi KR-2 test reactor should not be stream in 1975). left Australia before Xmas, and is heading renewed. They believe that the embrittle­ for Britain. Dutch energy policy has also given a ment of an aluminium tank due to neutron Australian activists are calling for sup­ new impetus to district heating and com­ radiation could result in cracking. port action from British groups when the bined heat and power projects. The Im­ At Ringhalls-3, a Westinghouse steam ship arrives here, probably in early Feb­ pact of such projects is likely to postpone generator is having problems; 45% of the ruary. the need for large new generating plant. generator's tubes have suffered 50% For information on the uranium ship­ At present there are 17 district heating corrosion. Though their proposed solution ment contact: Roger Moody, 28 Liverpool schemes in operation or planned, and 26 of decreasing the velocity· in the tubes has Road, London N1 (01-6091258). Send tele­ more are understudy. been generally greeted with scepticism, re­ grams of support c/o Jean Melzer, 250 Electrical Review, 4.12.81 placing the generator would be very diffi­ George St., Fitzroy 3065, Australia. cult. The Swedish Nuclear Inspectorate EEC Whitewash? has rejected a request by the Swedish State Power Board to plug the damaged The Energy Committee of the EEC has tubes and operate by 50% power. The Dutch Nuclear Debate passed a resolution on European nuclear Inspectorate were critical of the use of safety which will be considered by the ad­ computer models in arriving at designs. December saw the beginning of a long­ visory European Parliament in February. Almeaz-1 in Spain is having the same pro­ awaited national discussion on energy in The recommendations involve setting up blems. Holland. This is being co-ordinated by a an EEC Nuclear Safety Information Ser­ non-government steering committee vice and streamlining and improving Euro­ appointed by the Minister of Economic pean standards of reactor safety, emer­ Affairs. gency planning etc. The nuclear lobby pre­ Approximately the first twelve months sent were adamant to show full approval of this debate - of which the future of by the EEC of continued nuclear expansion nuclear power is a central issue - will be within the Community. taken up with gathering the views of There should also be a 'broad policy various organisations and the public in review document' from the EEC Commis­ general. This will be followed by a discus- sion before the Summer.

Deadly Deals The UK Atomic Energy Authority were Taiwan marketing their nuclear services and N El Parsons of Britain is one of the Italy In Decision equipment to the Yugoslavians in Belgrade chief contenders for the supply of turbine The choosing of a site for Italy's pro­ recently. The team stressed that they were generators to Taipower's 7th and 8th nu­ offering a flexible package of technology, posed 2000 MW nuclear power statiQn is clear power units. Other bidders are Hit­ nearing conclusion. The two areas now left expertise and back-up care; but one achi, General Electric, Brown-Boveri, spokesman said: "If the Yugoslavians in the running are Avetrana in the Gulf of Mitsubishi, Westinghouse and Framatome Taranto and Caravigno near Brandisi on wanted a Magnox or an AGR we'd be more (France). than happy to supply it". the Adriatic coast. Local unions have pro­ On the financing side the US Export tested against the nature of the selection France Import Bank (EXIM) are trying to outbid process and there was an anti-nuclear An embarrassed French Government Is France. sit-in in Avetrana city hall during the keeping quiet about the origin of enriched summer. uranium for South Africa's Koeberg nu­ The Sardinia Region have been demand­ clear power station which Is turned into Romania ing a nuclear power station for at least 5 fuel by Eurodiff at Tricastln. Romania Is overdue in awarding orders years. The island now uses 1000 MW (800 The Koeberg power station was built to one of nine contending Canadian major self-generated, 200 via a power line from by Framatome, the French PWR builders. component suppliers. The orders will be Italy) and it is estimated that they will need The French Foreign Ministry gave an am­ for steam generators, fuelling machines, an additional1400 MW. biguous reply to the speculation about the moderator, heat exchangers etc. This could be met by expanding the exis­ source of the fuel. The Ministry said:- "All ting coal stations and building a new 600 contracts made with foreign countries will MW coal station. The Sardinian admini­ be respected. This is also the case for the Mexico stration feels that this would harm their contract with South Africa for Framatome Mexico has stated that it will not accept tourist trade and that the power line from to build a nuclear power station at Koe­ bids for reactor sales from any country Italy could be subject to terrorist attack as berg." which demands a restrictive bilateral it traverses Corsica. The Ministry added:- agreement for cooperation or cannot pro­ Even the nuclear industry feel that it "To fulfil these requirements South vide transfer of technology for the full fuel would be inappropriate and catastrophic, Africa has supplied Framatome with a cycle. They would like an agreement 'like especially in the event of a shutdown, to quantity of enriched uranium which it what we have with the French •. This is a make the island dependent on one nuclear has obtained on the international marke\. problem for the US, which is bound by the unit. They might consider building 2 France has not made any new contract Nuclear Non Proliferation Act and aims not 'micro-units' and solve the over-capacity with South Africa for enrichment of nu­ to transfer certain sensitive technology by cooperating with an energy intensive clear fuel." for commercial use to another country. industry, eg. aluminium. (Looks familiar?) SCRAM Energy Bulletin Feb/Mar '82 5 ------News,______News ____ _

preparing itself for a possible Icelandic decision to evict the former's base there. Sizewell Costs Power Poll There have been rumours, however, that Although, in an effort to reduce costs, the Stornoway base could be delayed as the design of Britain's proposed Pressuris­ NATO's funding for structural projects has A national op101on poll carried out in ed Water Reactor at Sizewell, has moved October for Vale of Evesham Friends of the almost run out. American demands for closer to that of the Westlnghouse Snupps more money have been resisted by some of stations on which it is "based, costs are Earth showed that 53% of adults interview­ the European members of the altiance. ed were opposed to the building of any still estimated to be 20 per cent more than However, a Ministry of Defence official more nuclear power stations, and only 33% those for a PWR of the same size and stated that they knew of no changes result­ generic design. were in favour. ing from the NATO budget and that Storn­ Two further conclusions were that The cost difference reflects Central oway is still of high priority. women and all people under 35 were the Electricity Generating Board and Nuclear groups most opposed (62% and 60%) and Installations Inspectorate safety require­ that opposition spread across all parties ments, which place special emphasis on (Labour 62%: 23% anti-nuclear, Libs/ duplication and diversity of safeguard pro­ SDP 53%: 34% anti, Conservatives 45%: visions, national requirements in engineer­ 42% pro-nuclear). These comparisons are ing standards and the standards for oper­ all significant in opinion-poll terms, based ation and maintenance set by the CEGB. on a survey of 878 people in 165 constitu­ But according to these latest capital cost encies by NOP Ltd. estimates, presented recently by the Na­ In the last national survey carried out, tional Nuclear Corporation's Director, the 46% said they were opposed to further PWR will be around 30 per cent cheaper nuclear expansion. There seems to be a than an equivalent sized Advanced Gas­ definite swing ... The nuclear industry's coo,ed Reactor of the H unterston B design. reaction to this has been to launch a Dounreay £300,000 propaganda campaign aimed directly at the sections of the population Germany who are most opposed - women and Hat-trick A joint venture of W. German electricity people under 35. They admit privately that utilities (DWK) has suggested two new this is not a coincidence. Three 'reportable' incidents occurred sites in the state of Hesse for the country's at Dounreay in August '81. first reprocessing plant. A decision should Two workers carrying out maintenance be reached by the Hesse Government this work on a non-radioactive system were Spring. Work on the plant would begin in Stornoway found to have received small amounts of 1984/85 and would not be in operation be­ Predictably, in December the Scottish radioactive contamination on their hands fore 1993. lt would handle 350 tonnes per Office finally approved the extension of the and overalls. The cause; a faulty valve was year, cost at a minimum OM 4 billion and airfield at Stornoway, on Lewis, for use as leading to a backfeed of radioactive liquid. create 1600 jobs. a NATO base. The locally based Keep Thaf same day another worker's radia­ This follows the failure to push through Nato Out Group promise strong opposi­ tion monitor indicated an exposure twice plans for an integrated reprocessing and tion, e.g. by obstructing the flow of mater­ what it should have- been and which sug­ nuclear waste storage facility at Gorle­ ials. gested prolonged exposure to a high level ben in 1979. W. Germany's reprocessing The Western Isles Council are among of radiation. Medical tests showed no sign contracts with France are due to expire in those that condemn the public inquiry that of significant radiation exposure. An in­ the mid '80s but DWK are also currently was held and the final decision making pro­ quiry concluded that the dose recorded on discussing sharing a US reprocessing cess. The inquiry was restricted to consi­ the film was received when not being plant. dering local planning issues, on which worn! grounds the council feels it won its case. There was a leakage of 'slightly' radio­ France But the Scottish Office's decision was active water near the irradiated fuel stor­ Opposition to the proposed Golfech made on the grounds of 'national interest'. age building, because of a loose coupling in (Garonne Valley, France) 1300 MW reac­ The 'justification' for the base is the 'lce­ a temporary structure which has now been tor continues. Over 800 police officers were land-Faroes Gap' via which Russian planes replaced by a more substantial one, and called out in early December to protect the would invade ... More likely, NATO is 'no-one was contaminated'. site and 'control' a demonstration there. Attacks on the site and other utility pro­ perty has so far cost about £4 m ill ion. Meanwhile Electricite de France and the regional authorities are publicising how they want to award the majority of con­ RoundUp tracts to local firms - but this is govern­ ment policy anyway. Government Grant! DOE Muroroa Atoll, France's nuclear test In Manchester an experimental scheme The Department of Energy has allocated zone in the South Pacific, is steadily sink­ of new, low energy council homes will be £250,000 to fund an energy management ing according to a report leaked from the aided by a £69,000 government grant. The information service for local authorities. French Atomic Energy Commission. Since grant should help to monitor the perfor­ The total cost of the latter's energy bills 1975 the island has sunk 1112 m. Worse mance of 15 houses which are in conven­ is estimated to exceed £1000 million a year. still storms have exposed buried 'radio­ tional terraces and built of brick. The roofs, The aim is to show the cost effective and active and plutonium waste'. floors and walls have been 'super' insul­ energy saving measures that local authori­ The engineers who prepared the report ated, windows double glazed, external ties can take. are angry at the lack of action and initia­ doors protected by draught lobbies and the tive by the Mitterand government. The central heating boiler and flues are in the testing continues ... There were a further centre of the house. 2 underground explosions in December at Dungeness the Atoll of Muroroa and it is also possible Dungeness A2 went back on line just Lewis for wind, peat. that they are testing a neutron warhead. before Xmas nearly two years after being France has agreed to share with India its The North of Scotland Hydro Board are shut down because of cracked welds in its expertise on Fast-Breeder research and investigating the possibilities of wind and carbon dioxide cooling circuit. Dungeness development. M. Chenenement, Science peat for the island and of course laying a A1, Berkeley and Bradwell, which have and Technology Minister, also said that submarine cable from the mainland. also suffered cracked welds are expect­ France would be ready to set up the FBR at In the meantime they'll probably instal ed back in service by this Summer! The Kalpahkum. He would not comment on a mobile gas turbine generator near Storn­ total cost of repairs should be between whether France would supply enriched oway. The board's earlier plan to expand £20 and £24 million with a further £220 uranium for India's Tarapur plant though the existing oil-generated station is now million having been spent so far on re­ it's felt that US shipments have all but dead. placement generation costs. ceased. 6 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin No Dumping?

NUCLEAR DUMPING ... British. This amounted to around scope of the Loch Doon/Carrick DECISION? 100,000 curies last year, and there i~ Forest Public Inquiry before, dur­ no monitoring carried out. In spite of ing and after that inquiry. Just before Christmas, it was an­ this, and also against international 2) Maladministration and misrepre­ nounced in Parliament that the opinion, there are plans to increase sentation by the Reporter for the appeals for planning permission for dumping at sea by up to 30-40 times oy Loch Doon/Carrick Forest Public nuclear test drilling at Mullwharchar the 1990s. Inquiry before and during that and the Cheviots would be dismissed, There is to be no test drilling, but inquiry. and the other appeals and planning the possibility of burial of high level Objectors at this inquiry were told applications withdrawn. (c.f. medium IEwel) nuclear waste _has that the remit was restricted to only The main reasons given by Environ­ just been postponed for 50 years. Most local considerations concerning the ment Minister Tom King, were that of the previous shortlist of possible drilling of holes in rock, and wider the Radioactive Waste Management sites still exists. Meanwhile, there are issues were not "relevant". Govern­ Advisory Committee (RWMAC) in probably going to be more nasties in ment policy was not to be discussed. its latest annual report, recommended store for us with the problems of med­ Reporter (Inspector) for this inquiry that serious consideration should be ium level wastes. Public consultation recommended allowing drilling "in the given to the desirability of storing high is a rather sick joke, and the public national interest"- however, the Sec­ level radioactive waste above ground inquiry system has overwhelmingly retary of State has overturned the re­ for at least 50 years. discredited itself. sults of this inquiry for reasons of In view of work overseas, the fea­ government policy. sibility of disposal of high level waste lt is wrong that public inquiries underground has been "established in should be used in this way to reflect principle" and "nothing has emerged "national interests". This move by to indicate that it would be unaccept­ Mrs Ralley may well have implica­ able." Research would now switch to tions for other public inquiries. confirming that findings in the five other countries would apply to Britain. In view of plans to build demonstra­ tion disposal facilities elsewhere, it is not- now intended to build such an ex­ perimental facility in Britain. INQUIRY FARCE...... Research would continue into the LOUGHBOROUGH disposal of intermediate level wastes, and sea bed disposal. A White Paper The Loughborough public inquiry is to be published setting out the posi­ into test drilling in Nottinghamshire/ tion. Leicestershire, started on November Undoubtedly massive public pre­ 24th, and lasted just 1 Y2 weeks. This ssure has played a major part in the was just two weeks before the govern­ government's decision. Ironically, the ment announcement to scrap the test advice to the government given by the drilling programme. Report/ Inspector at the Mullwharchar Yet for some perverse reason the and Cheviots inquiries, were both in Department of the Environment rush­ favour of drilling; the supposed "na­ ed it through with only 7 weeks notice tional interest" was seen as more to local objectors. They refused to important than local needs. delay it and also refused to hold a pre­ The announcement about medium ~"1~,fR~\~#:~~¥#.$#4W4J#h·&~.· ...... · ...·...... : . ·.... : ·.. . inquiry meeting . level wastes was no surprise, as the Local objectors did well, despite the UKAEA had already stated a desire INQUIRY FARCE ..... short notice given to them. Alterna­ to seek planning permission for addi­ MULLWHAR.CHAR tive "People's Inquiries" were also tional sites for dumping intermediate held in the area. level waste. Permission for one site is Complaints that objectors to test There was no official tape or tran­ wanted within 3 years, to be in opera­ drilling at Mullwharchar, Loch Doon, scripttaken at the public inquiry, even tion by 1987, and the second by 1990. were misled by the terms of reference though the inspector, Mr. Wood, was Drilling has been completed into clay of the public inquiry into these pro­ obviously hard ·of hearing. The remit at Harwell, which could be a possibil­ posals have been submitted to The was virtually unspecified, and Mr. ity. Ombudsman. This action is being pur­ Wood appeared to be rather flippant The government has been silent sued in spite of the decision by Scot­ about the issue of nuclear waste. about this for too long, as intermediate tish Secretary George Younger, to This inquiry was the greatest farce wastes, many which are as lethal as veto drilling. of its kind yet, and a shocking waste of high level wastes, present by far the Evidence in support of the com­ public time and money. The govern­ bulk of the immediate nuclear waste plaint has been assembled by Ayr ment must have had some idea be­ problem. housewife Mrs Margaret Ralley, with fore this inquiry began, that the test Developments at sea need close the help of the Scottish Conservation drilling programme would be aban­ scrutiny. The RWMAC also welcomes Society and the Campaign Opposing doned, and yet they forged ahead with greatly increased sea dumping of Nuclear Dumping. 1t deals with: this useless inquiry. medium level waste. The prospect is 1) Maladministration and misrepre­ rather alarming as well over 90% of sentation by the Scottish Develop-· Mary Scott all radioactivity dumped at sea is ment Department on the terms and SCRAM Energy Bulletin Feb/Mar '82 7

ing to a price for Rossing uranium fixed in Rand multiplied by the South African rate of inflation, Britain is now buying uranium at about 50% above the world spot market Uranium: price. A deal was worked out by the Treasury to relieve the financial pressure of the Rossing contract temporarily; the uranium contracted for was sold to RTZ's financial subsidiary for a year, after which the hidden link it was bought back by the CEGB which The anti-nuclear movement in this coun­ South Africa uses Namibia to build mili­ try concentrates its efforts against nu­ tary supremacy in the area, to launch acts also paid the interest on that instalment. clear reactors and bombs because in Bri­ of aggression against neighbouring coun­ Britain could be in a position where Ross­ tain these are the nuclear industry's most tries and to serve as a military buffer ing uranium is being bought at inflated visible manifestations. However, it tends against the Front Line states. prices while uranium from the stockpile to be forgotten that the nuclear fuel cycle Uranium has other military implications is being sold at a considerable loss. begins elsewhere with uranium mining, in the area. In terms of direct co-operation, and that here too criticisms may be level­ RTZ maintains a 69 man paramilitary unit led at nuclear operations. Uranium is the which is prepared to act in conjunction with primary link between weapons and power the South African military in cases of civil and a halt to mining would put an end to disturbance/labour unrest. Furthermore, both these processes. Britain currently the Western world's dependence on South needs approx. 300 tons of uranium a year African uranium has comprised it into pro­ to maintain its civil and military nuclear viding South Africa with the technology to programme. At the moment, its main develop a nuclear weapons capability. sources of uranium are Canada, Australia Since 1950 the US, UK, West Germany and and Namibia. France have provided money for exploita­ Perhaps its interest in Namibia best tion of uranium reserves, technology to illustrates how vital uranium is to the nu­ build power plants, refining and enrich­ clear industry, to what lengths it will ment plants, and training of personnel. stretch to procure it, and also that uranium South Africa now has a complete nuclear mining involves similar economic, environ­ fuel cycle and the capability therefore to mental and political considerations as the construct 5 Hiroshima sized bombs every remainder of the fuel cycle. year. Off South Africa in the South Atlan­ The British Government, through British tic ocean, on 22nd September 1979, a Nuclear Fuels Ltd, is currently importing United States satellite registered a quick over half Britain's uranium requirements flash of light, followed by a longer flash of from Namibia through contracts with Bri­ light producing a double spike on the logar­ tain's largest mining multinational, Rio ithmic scale. This double flash is charac­ Tinto Zinc (RTZ). Namibia is occupied ille­ teristic of a nuclear explosion. More parti­ gally by apartheid South Africa. The World cularly, it is characteristic of a neutron Court and the United Nations have ruled bomb explosion. The neutron bomb is that this trade is illegal. Namibians thr­ especially suited for use against guerilla Supportive actions are being taken in ough their liberation movement, SWAPO, warfare and thus highly appropriate in this country. Actions have been taken to oppose the trade. South Africa's battle against liberation publicise the situation. Meetings, films, RTZ were attracted to Namibia because struggles and Front Line states. trade union seminars have been held. A they could utilise Namibian labour at a South Africa's position regarding use of campaign against the Namibian Uranium lower cost than the price of labour else­ its nuclear potential was clearly stated by Contract (CANUC) exists as does a cam­ where in the world and because they did the South African Finance Minister who paign against Rio Tinto Zinc and its subsi­ not have to concern themselves with either said; "If South Africa wishes to use its diaries. Actions have been taken to per­ the rights of the people or the protection of nuclear potential for other than peaceful suade investors to disinvest their shares in the environemnt. Nor did they have to purposes, it will jolly well do it according to RTZ. RTZ's shareholders' meeting was concern themselves with the health and our decisions and our judgement." disrupted in 1981 and a counter tribunal safety of Namibian workers. Furthermore, the military use of Nami­ held. Various RTZ shareholders such as Namibia's current production of 5000 per bian uranium extends to Britain. Namibian the Salvation Army and Tyne and Wear annum increases South African uranium uranium is not covered by the Treaty on the County Council have now disinvested, and production by 50%. This . gives South Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other local authorities are being urged to Africa a degree of political and economic hence is our only substantial source for the follow. The United Nations are taking legal leverage with regard to the supply and military. The British situation regarding action to seize cargoes of Namibian uran­ price of uranium. lt also compromises the Namibian Uranium is confused. There is a ium. UN Decree No.1 on Namibia states formulation by the countries involved in vast stockpile at BNFL Springfields (near that the uranium is the property of the Namibian uranium of foreign policy to­ Preston) adequate without replenishment people of Namibia and therefore anyone wards South Africa's current illegal occu­ to fuel the British nuclear programme for may seize it on their behalf. pation of Namibia and indeed towards the 10 years. The increase in the public sector So, there are actions which we in Britain Pretoria regime Itself. Western states, in­ borrowing and interest charges are very can and must take to support the rights of cluding Britain, are simultaneously in­ large. Because of the CEGB error in agree- oppressed peoples and to stop the nuclear volved in Namibian uranium and in inter­ menace at its beginning. national efforts to secure South African RTZDeslres withdrawal from the territory. Thus the liberation of Namibia has been subject­ The long saga of Rio Tinto Zinc bid to ed to delays on account of this duplicity. take-over the TW Ward Co. continues, During South Africa's invasion of Angola, with RTZ having been forced again to make Britain vetoed the UN condemnation of yet another (higher) final offer. South Africa, probably for this reason. Why is RTZ so interested? Ward owns 42% of Tunnel Holdings, the cement com­ pany (as well as having many construction subsidaries). RTZ owns the other portion of Tunnel. Tunnel controls 20% of the coun­ try's cement production. Not only would owning all this prove useful, but also RTZ's overseas trading taxation would decrease - as a reward for their increased domestic productivity. Ward are resisting despite the finger wagging that they'll rue the day and only 8% of their shareholders have so far taken the bait. 8 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin PWR- Problems Will Recur !

In recent months there has been a great deal of coverage in the Press, straight erators, primary pumps, pressurisers and alternative, for the proposed development of a Pressurised Water Reactor and piping - to be shielded, since the at Sizewell in Suffolk. The watchful observer will also have noticed several re­ primary coolant is highly radioactive. ports describing fundamental faults in PWR's in the United States and on the The reactor building, itself, is nor­ Continent. In this article Roy Thompson of the East Anglian Alliance Against mally desi.gned to serve as a secondary Nuclear Power, explains the workings of the PWR and some of the design weak­ containment. nesses which are now beginning to show themselves. He also links this to the Sizewell proposal and describes the implications of an incident on the local popu­ lation. Fundamental Weaknesses Following the general awareness around the country and the lobbying of local Because the core must be cooled authorities, several councils have submitted objections to the enquiry, including constantly, it is essential that a flow of South Yorkshire County Council. The two local Councils, Suffolk County and water over it is maintained. Should a Suffolk Coastal District, have both lodged 'technical, holding' objections to the break occur anywhere within the pri­ proposal. Anti-nuclear groups too, have put in objections and a series of meet­ mary coolant system - for example, ings are being undertaken to decide on what tactics to take for the enquiry. the fracture of one of the pipes carry­ ing the water into the reactor vessel - some form of emergency cooling must be provided. Emergency Core-Cool­ What is a PWR? Water leaving the core passes ing Systems (ECCS) are designed to The basic structure of a Pressurised through pipes, the 'hot leg', which are pump water into the core automatically Water Reactor is a large pressure welded to the top of the pressure in the event of a loss of primary cool­ vessel made from welded steel with a vessel. lt then passes into the steam ant. The National Nuclear Corpora­ lid bolted to the top. Inside the pres­ generator, a device which has been in tion's design for Sizewell B included sure vessel is the reactor core and the news recently since it is one of the an increase in the number of ECCS's other internal mechanisms such as the PWR's weaknesses (see below). 1t to four, instead of the two or three control rods. Around all of these is consists of thousands of tubes through found in an American system. This re­ ordinary. 'Hght', water at a pressute which the hot water passes, each port was rejected by the Central Elec­ of around 150 atmospheres. Without surrounded by cold water passing in tricity Generating Board because it this pressurisation the water would the opposite direction. This water was described as too costly. The rea­ boil and turn to steam since, under turns to steam which is collected at the son for having more than one ECCS is normal operating conditions, • its top of the steam generator and used to that each system is designed to deal temperature is about 300°C. turn the turbines thereby producing with a different level of emergency. The reactor core consists of 1.93 electricity. The water, now cooled, re­ However, a number of problems ex!st fuel assemblies. These are made up of turns to the core through the 'cold leg' in this theory:- a 17 x 17 square array of fuel pins, pipes at the base of the pressure 1 . The loss of coolant, or •blowdown • which contain pellets of uranium oxide vessel. can send violent shockwaves fuel. The fueJ pin is cylindrical, about Each coolant loop (there may be through the primary circuit. These 1 cm in diameter and cfad in a ;ztrconium two or more) also contains a pressuri­ can damage . the 'reactor fnter­ alloy called zircatoy. Aftogether the ser, In which water is evaporated or nl:!-IS' and hinder the removal of pins contain 98 tonnes· of uranium condensed to maintain coolant pres­ heat. oxide enriched to 3 per cent Uranium sure and to compensate for the effects 2. 'Steam binding' may occur. This 235. This level of enrichment is nec­ of thermal expansion and contraction is when steam generated in the essary because the wat-er acts as a as the output of the plant varies. core by the loss of coolant stops moderator and absorbs neutrons, un­ Above the core are the control rods. the flow of emergency cooHng like the British Magnox reactors which These are raised or lowered in order to water. use natural uranium {0.7% U_.235). controt the nuclear fission within the 3. Several components or systetns Since the volume of the core is only core. Nevertheless, after lowering the can fail, or be made inoperable about 30 cubic metres, very high control rods, to shut down the reactor, by human intervention, as hap­ power densities can be achieved - up considerable heat is still given off by pened at Three Mile Island, lead­ to 130 times greater than those reach­ the fuel assemblies. This 'decay heat' ing to the ECCS not functioning. ed in a Magnox reactor. This can Jead can account for up to seven per cent 4. The mixture of steam. and hot to peak power densities of 250kW I of the heat produced during operation. water within the core after a loss litre in parts of the core. (For compari­ One minute after Shut down a 12 of coolant is a much less effective s.on, a cylinder of fuer assemblies the MW reactor, such as the one proposed remover of heat. This •two-phase' size of a milk bottle could produce heat for SizeweH, would be generating flow is very difficult to examine equivalent to 140 single bar electric 240MW of heat. After one day this and to pred1ct its effects. fires.) would fall to around 20MW, 1t is there­ Should the core temperature con­ To remov.e this much heat, extreme­ fore essential that the core is cooled for tinue to rise the fuel pins will beg.in to ly high rates of coolant flow must be some tlme after shut down. swell and distort, thus blocking the maintained. In the type of PWR pro­ The whole reactor is surrounded by flow of any coolant water around. At posed for Sizewell this would amount shielding - usually two metres of about 1200°C the zircaloy cladding to water passing through the core at concrete. lt is usual for the entire will begin to react chemically with the 18 tonnes per second. 'primary' cooling circuit- steam gen- steam, releasing hydrogen gas. At SCRAM Energy Bulletin Feb/Mar '82 9

Three Mile Island, the gas formed a Also, should the tubes distort, the Energy Authority recommended the bubble inside the pressure vessel and coolant flow will be hindered. use of certain steels in the construc­ exploded. A pressure spike of 28 There have been numerous exam­ tion of pressure vessels. However, in pounds per square inch was recorded. ples of both distortion and cracking in 1979, cracks were detected in French If the temperature reaches 2900°C American PWR steam generator PWRs. the ceramic fuel pins would melt and tubes. The causes are not always Recent US discoveries of brittle­ the entire core and its supporting fully understood. ness in the steel of some PWRs, structures would collapse. The molten The 'solution' which has been caused by the nuclear reaction inside mass could melt its way through the applied to the American reactors is the vessel, has led to the possible shut­ reactor base and into the earth be­ to 'plug' defective tubes to prevent the down of .a number of power stations. In low - the 'China Syndrome' - relea­ primary coolant flowing through all, 46 American reactors are affect­ sing vast amounts of radioactivity to them. This has led to reactors having ed; some after only six years of ser­ the environment. At this stage evacua­ up to 25% of their tubes plugged and, vice. The US NRC's director of Safety tion of the surrounding area should in some cases, having the entire steam Technology is reported as saying "On have taken place in order to avoid generator replaced. The plugging the information available today I large scale fatalities and injuiries. procedure is highly dangerous, in­ would say we'd start to get very ner­ Around Sizewell, within a ten mile volving as it does work"Srs entering the vous after a year or so". radius, there are approximately 50 highly radioactive steam generator Other areas of concern for the UK settlements. These must all be evacu­ and manually firing explosive plugs include the fact that the levels of ex­ ated quickly, safe!>' and with a mini­ into the tubes. Sometimes the charges posure received by workers in PWRs mum of fuss. The evacuation may have fail to explode, or the plugs leak, or in are higher than the low doses exper­ to be maintained for several decades. a few instances the wrong tubes have ienced by staff at UK gas-cooled sta­ been plugged. tions. Occupational exposures report­ lt is essential, however, that no ed from operating facilities in the US Unresolved Safety Problems. more than 30% of the tubes are seal­ have averaged nearly 500 man-rem per There are, according to the United ed since the ECCS cannot be relied reactor year - a disturbingly high States' Nuclear Regulatory Commis­ upon above this point. Should any level. Since access to the designs, both sion, some 17 unresolved safety issues tubes, not known to be defective rup­ those rejected by the CEGB and those known to exist in PWR's. The list ture during an accident, there is a real accepted, has been denied it is impos­ sible to judge what efforts have been made for the proposed Sizewell B PWR, to reduce these levels.

Further reading: The Pressurised Water Reactor: A Critique of the Government's Nuclear Power Pro­ gramme by Michael Flood, Renee Chudleigh and Czech Conroy. FoE Energy Paper No.4. Price £1.50.

PWR News; FoE Ltd., 9 Poland Street, London W1. 15p.

SCRAM Energy Bulletin Nos. 26 & 27. SwedesShutPWR Just one month after commissioning, the number three Pressurised Water Reactor unit at the Swedish Ringhals nuclear power station has been shut down following in­ dications of radioactivity in the water circuit feeding the turbine. Laboratory investigations now underway are likely to have wide significance, as the type of reactor involved Is one of 15 makes depressing reading and is con­ possibility that the copious flow of either already, or soon to be, commission­ stantly being added to as experience steam in the steam generator would ed all over the world. 1t is of the Westing­ with PWR's increases. Amongst the stall the reflooding of the reactor house design with a thermal output of most important problems are the vessel. 2, 783 MW. A fourth unit at Ringhals has yet to be commissioned. following:- 2. Reactor Pressure Vessel integrity. Excessive vibration of the pipes carry­ 1. Steam Generator Tube integrity. ing hot water from the reactor to the pre­ This has been featured in press re­ This is another problem which has heater section of the steam generator had ports recently, as more problems are been around for some time, but on caused them to fracture. discovered with American PWRs. The which new evidence has come to light The Ringhals station has two reactors tubes inside the steam generator, as recently. already in operation, following commis­ mentioned above, carry the two flows The ability of the steel pressure sioning in 1974/5. Unit number one is a of water and act as a heat exchanger. vessel to operate without cracking Boiling Water Reactor, and the second is a The primary coolant, is highly radioac­ open is a point which is worrying PWR. The third and fourth units differ tive and must not be allowed to. come several eminent metallurgists, notably from the first two in that they operate at Sir Alan Cottrell. He has expressed higher pressures and flow rates. The first into contact with the secondary cool­ two units have a 1,550 MW capacity be­ ant. Should the tubes fracture, the grave doubts as to whether cracks in tween them, while the third and fourth are prirnary coolant, being under greater the pressure vessel can be detected rated at 912 MW each. in time for remedial action to be taken. pressure, can pour into the secondary Electrical Review, 4.. 12.81 system and contaminate the coolant. In 1976, the United Kingdom Atomic 10 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin

wrong economically was a political deci­ sion. He added: "We all think the electri­ city board's charges are monstrous - I SOUTH OF SCOTLAND RECTRICITYBOARD ~=-=--~V.A.T. Reg. -No. certainly do." ARREARS BILL Please read notes overleaf carefully. The Way Ahead in Law Any enquiry regarding this Bill should be mada IMMEDIATELY to your District If the SSEB are to be forced by law to di­ vulge facts and figures about their nuclear DEWAR PLACE, EDINBURGH EH3 8EJ. programme, then this will have to be done io the Court of Session by means of a De· ACCOUNT ISSUED REFERENCE clarlter. This is a legal action which can be 1 06 r~ov ~o I taken out against any public body which an individual or group thinks is in breach of Supply Address:- its statutory obligations. This would be a very expensive - but very worth-while - exercise. lt would mean a lot of work for a group or individual, starting with the laun­ AMOUNT ching of a Fund-Raising Campaign. If anyone is at all interested in this, please contact the SCRAM Office. 1?.32 6.87 Three-Point Plan 26.19 At the time of the first hearing Nigel Griffiths, who is District Counciilor (Lab.) OVERLEAF for South Hailes, Edinburgh, wrote to the Secretary of State for Scotland making three main demands; which form the basis of the Consumer Campaign: 1 . An Independent Investigation Into the SSEB: "The SSEB have misled the public at every stage and their estimates of future electricity consumption, future plant costs, and future fuel and generation costs have been wrong at every turn." (The latest spectacular and tragic example of this is The Consumer Campaign the Consumer Campaign lawyer, the SSEB the lnvergordon smelter fiasco). Along were taking the case very seriously, and with George Foulkes, MP forS. Ayrshire, Court Case had brought along big legal guns at the he suggests that the SSEB be investigated On Monday 23rd NovaTlber 1981 Con­ very outset. by the Monopolies and Mergers Commis­ sumer Campaigners Nigel and Sally Grif­ The money claimed by the SSEB had in sion. fiths were granted an Interim Interdict fact already been paid to them, as the 2. A Massive Loft - Insulation Scheme to save 750 million barrels of oil a decade and against the SSEB at the Edinburgh Sheriff money in the Trust Fund belongs to them. Court. The Griffiths' had received a dis­ This was part of the argument for granting create 100,000 jobs. 3. Committing the SSEB to dropping all connection notice for Thursday 26th Nov­ an interim interdict, but the central plank nuclear developments and switching to ember because they had over £10 in the of the case which the lawyer used was as schemes which utilise waste heat from con­ Consumer Campaign Trust Fund, into follows: which they had been regularly paying 2Q% ventional power stations( known as CHP or (the 'nuclear portion') of their electricity Combined Heat and Power). In fact, ano­ bill. The interim interdict meant that the The Case Itself ther of the SSEB's statutory obligaUons in the 1979 Act is to make the most of CH P. SSEB were prohibited by law from carry­ According to the Electricity Lighting Act ing through this disconnection. 1t got good 1909 the electricity board is not entitled to coverage in the Press, with newspaper disconnect a consumer if what they claim to hordings round Edinburgh proclaiming be this consumer's arrelii'S are the subject Consumer Campaign AGM "Law Upholds Torness Protesters•. A fur­ of a bona fide dispute. There is, the lawyer ther hearing was set for the following Mon­ argued, a bona fide dispute about these On December 41h, 1981 the (South) day (30th Nov.). Unfortunately, and not 'arrears' because the electricity board it­ Scottish Consumer campaign Against Nu­ entirely surprisingly, the law upheld the self is in breach of its statutory obligation clear Power held its AGM in the Nether­ SSEB this time, and the Griffiths' were as set out in the 1979 Electricity Act bow in Edinburgh. About 25 people froiJl given 14 days to pay up or be disconnected. (Scotland), which states that it must 'plan all over the SSEB area attended. The most They paid up. According to Roger Askam, and carry out an efficient and economic important decision was that the Consumer distribution of supplies of electricity to per­ Campaign should be integrated more into sons in their district.' There is now in fact the major Scottish campaigns for a safe, overwhelming evidence that nuclear power sane energy policy and a nuclear-free Scot­ is both uneconomic and Inefficient compar­ land, such as SCRAM, FoE, CND, HOPE, ed with other forms of electricity genera­ etc .. NAG, the small group that set up the tion. Furthermore, the SSEB's nuclear pro­ Consumer Campaign, feels it has done gramme poses a grave potential risk to all enough, and will raTlain responsible only their consumers, including those taking out for the every-day ma1agement of the Trust the interdict. Fund. Responsibility for publicity, future lt was hoped that the case would lead to expansion, legal action etc. will rest with the SSEB's having to pnwe In court that the above-mentioned groups, as well as nuclear power was cheap and efficient - a with all SSEB consumers concerned about claim that they have long made but which the board's dangerous and expensive com­ they constantly refuse to back up with mitment to nuclear power. Meetings of the hard detailed facts and figures. However, Consumer Campaign will be on the third it never got that far be

be a joint venture between local authorities, private sector and com­ munity interests. The plan would be Conservation drawn into an action programme along Everyone accepts that insulation is a all increase in public spending. similar lines to the Inner City Pro­ good thing, but the idea of a national Debate continues about how much gramme in England. Appropriate insulation programme is still only anergy can be saved by a national in­ finance would be directed to the local slowly moving up the political agenda. sulation programme. For example, it consortia once each plan was agreed. Why should this be so when a massive is argued that as many people live in The central role of the Department programme of insulation could not cold houses, the benefits of insulation of Energy would, in this scheme, be to only save energy, but also create jobs will be soaked up in producing warmer provide guidelines for action, monitor and help solve fuel poverty? In this homes, and not in reducing energy progress, encourage the replication of article David Green of the Energy consumption. Whilst this is in part good practice and provide the finance Advice Unit in Newcastle examines true, studies by Government research required in conjunction with other why effective action has not taken establishments show that even taking public and private sector interests. place, and suggests a new approach. this into account, there is considerable lt is not necessary to wait for 1t is far easier to buy an appliance potential for energy saving. To illus­ government action to set up such a that consumes energy than it is to get trate this point, David Melior the new scheme. Local consortia could be advice on how to use energy more minister responsible for energy con­ brought together at any stage, point­ efficiently. This state of affairs occurs servation said recently: "Even when ing the way for further action. In­ because the energy corporations' we contemplate what is technically deed, on Tyneside the new Tyne and primary role is to sell their products, feasible now, the reductions that Wear Energy Forum is already ex­ and they have built up an effective net­ should be possible range from some amining how such schemes could be work of outlets to enable them to do so. 30% in industry to perhaps as much as developed. The clear message is - do This suggests constraints upon the 50% in domestic terms." not just campaign for action in White­ ability of these corporations to An effective programme of energy hall, plan your action locally. Now is promote an effective energy cooser­ conservation needs to take into the time to organise what work you vation programme. A new structure account the different groups affected could be doing in your area. to take such an initiative is needed. - poorer households, more affluent Contacts: David Baillie, Tyne and An effective insulation programme areas, shops, offices, industry, and so Wear Energy Forum, Mea House, also requires an injection of capital. on. A useful way to approach this Ellison Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne This money, however, should be seen might be for the Conservation Divi­ NE1 8XS and Gill Owen, Neighbour­ as an investment. 1t will save the Ex­ sion of the Department of Energy to hood Energy Action, 81 Jesmond chequer on the national fuel bill, as request a local energy conservation Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 well as help reduce expenditure in action plan to be drawn up. This would 1NH (0632-818297). other areas. For instance, the Depart­ ment of Health and Social Security Energy Returns for Investment In Conservation and Nuclear Power spends over £250 million each year on special assistance with heating. At the same time local authorities are forced KWh/annum/£ to increase their borrowing to cover Draught Proofing 8.2-15.6 rate/rent arrears created by the high Loft Insulation 15.8-20.3 fuel bills suffered by those on lower Cavity Wall Fill 5.6- 7.3 incomes. Elements of a national ·Full Heating Controls 7.1 -10.8 insulation programme could therefore Nuclear Power Generation 3.5- 5.5 be financed out of savings on existing expenditure. In essence, a conservation pro­ gramme is about more effective use of For the above conservation measures there can be significant improvement in existing expenditure, not just an over- these figures by economies of scale. From ACE Report - see page 12.

Neighbourhood Energy Action unemployed to help those most in (NEA) was officially launched in May ,~' , need to save fuel." 1981, by the National Council for - ~ - The pack contains information of Voluntary Organisations. NEA aims ,..,. .... all aspects of setting up and running a to help "local communities conserve I \ project - funding, project planning, energy and create jobs". lt provides insulation work, grants, health and advice and information to voluntary safety etc. 1t is available free to vol­ organisations, community groups and untary groups and individuals running local authorities wishing to set up and or setting up insulation projects. run energy projects - especially Otherwise £3 to voluntary groups and those aimed at low income house­ individuals, and £6 to other organisa­ holds. tions. NEA has already run a series of NEA has also launched Energy workshops around the country. Their Action Bulletin. This quarterly Bulle­ Home Insulation Project Pack was tin contains a wide range of informa­ launched on 5 November by David tion and news. Included in the first Melior, Under Secretary of State at the issue is an International Supplement. Department of Energy. "This pro­ 1t is available at £3 to voluntary or­ ject provides an important focus for ganisations and individuals and £7 to voluntary work in domestic energy other organisations. conservation" said Mr. Melior. "The Both the Home Insulation Project Government sees the Programme Pack and Energy Action Bulletin are (NEA) as an important pump-priming available from Neighbourhood Energy operation, bringing together volun­ Action, Information Centre, 81 Jes­ tary resources and a section of the mond Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 12 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin ------Appropriate Technology.

Conservation Makes Sense Britain's energy conservation policy are insignificant compared with (he has come under attack (again) in two £10-15 billion nuclear programme the recent reports. The UK conservation government favours. effort is found to lag behind that of The second report, "Improving In­ many other countries. This is the fault sulation in Existing Dwellings" pub­ of the Government, who are providing lished jointly by the Electricity Con­ inadequate financial backing. Both re­ sumers Council and the National Con­ ports emphasise that conservation sumers Council, reaches broadly measures, especially insulation, are similar conclusions. However, the re­ far more cost-effective than virtually port goes further in its recommenda­ any inve$tment in new supplies. tions. · A programme costing £4-5 "Domestic Energy Conservation billion is envisaged, which would save and the UK Economy", produced by the country £1 billion each year. Such a the Economists Advisory Group for the programme would be "cost effective newly formed Association for the Con­ both for the nation as a whole and also servation of Energy (ACE), argues for the individual consumer". that the UK's present self sufficiency Two ways to implement such a in energy is inducing an attitude of programme are suggested. The first complacency. lt also criticises the requires a major package of measures Insulation government for relying upon pricing including: to induce conservation. The report • More and better publicity about Dole ... out calculates that a 3% reduction would insulation and grants. Are you claiming or eligible for requi(e energy prices to rise by 10% in • A nationwide energy advice net­ Supplementary Benefit? If so then real terms, whilst petrol would have work. read on. You are now entitled to a to rise by 38p a gallon. This would add • More help for local insulation pro­ Single Payment to cover the cost of a 2112% to the cost of living index, as jects run by voluntary organisations hot water tank jacket. The new rules well as affect industrial output and (Neighbourhood Energy Action is even cover replacement of a very old or unemployment. seen as a start, see p.11 of this worn jacket. This new concession is in Energy Bulletin). addition to existing Single Payments Economic Benefits • Local Council sponsored insulation for draught proofing materials - plas­ projects. tic or metal strips or plastrc sheet­ The ACE report provides a detail­ • A home energy audit service. ing. So warm up a little and put your ed analysis of the economic benefits of 1t is stressed that all these measures claim in now. energy conservation. The rate of re­ wcuid have to be implemented as turn on. investing in insulation in hou­ "none of them would be adequate if sing is found to be significant by any adopted in isolation". standards. A comparison is also made between the energy saved per £1 in­ Insulation for All? Scrooge Speaks vested in conservation measures and Liberal M.P., David Penhaligon has the energy produced per £1 invested in The second approach would be a been pressing the Government to in­ nuclear power generation. Some con­ comprehensive direct insulation pro­ crease the funds available for research servation measures work out six or gramme to bring all homes in the UK into alternative forms of energy. David seven times. more cost effective than up to appropriate insulation stand­ Melior, Under Secretary of State for nuclear electricity (see table on page ards. This would be done on a street Energy, said that there were no plans 11 ). This is despite being generous to by street, district by district basis. nuclear electricity in the calculations. for any substantial change. Expendi­ Such a phased programme would be ture on research and development Present government policies are cheaper to carry out than the present more random approach. into renewable energy sources would making only small in-roads into the be about £15.4 million in the current task of insulating existing houses. Both these reports throw open a financial year compared with £3.7m in Around 9 million dwellings have in­ challenge to the government. How will 1978-79. adequately insulated lofts·, whilst half they respond? On past experience the Mr. Melior said that his Department of the 10 million homes with central call for a serious insulation programme was preparing a report on Research heating have inadequate controls or will quietly be ignored, whilst the and Development ·on alternative none at all. Yet insulation grants are government will push ahead with its sources of energy, including work on running at below 300,000 a year, and far more "glamorous", though less new and renewable forms of energy. they only go part of the way. cost effective, nuclear power pro­ This would be published as soon .as gramme. was practicable. The Department is A Modest Proposal also awaiting public response to the "Domestic Energy Conservation and report of the Severn Barrage Com­ The ACE report suggests a "modest the UK Economy" available from mittee. programme", involving insulation of Association for Conservation and He said it was important to develop Energy, 3 1 million lofts and 500,000 cavity Pleydell St., London EC4, the renewable sources of energy avail­ walls annually. This is well within the £20. able but equally important that we capacity of the industry and would pro­ "Improving Insulation in Existing were not deluded into thinking that duce 27,500 extra jobs. The pro­ Dwellings" available from Electricity this would in any way replace the need gramme would have to rely upon sub­ Consumers Council, 119 Marylebone for new power stations, whether coal­ sidies. The sums involved, however, Rd., London NW1, £2.50. fired or nuclear. SCRAM Energy Bulletin Feb/Mar '8213 ______.Appropriate Technology ______

hot rock lying underground. By the end of 1982, it should be possible to Rock On! know if the system works in Cornwall. FINESS? The drilling of what will hopefully If it does, then the whole of the land Three companies with expertise in be Britain's first commercial geother­ surface of Britain becomes a practical different forms of renewable energy mal well, In the middle of Southamp­ zone for geothermal power exploita­ have formed a consortium for the de­ ton, was due to be completed in Dec­ tion. sign and supply of complete systems ember. The hot water will fhen be which will generate electricity from the wind and/or the sun with back-up tested to see If it is suitable to heat a Hot Dry Rock Power Station new shopping and office complex in power from batteries or other secon­ the city centre. dary sources. The integrated system The Energy Technology Support will be controlled by microprocessors Unit (ETSU) of the Department of and designed for minimal mainten­ Energy has found water at 70-73°C at ance. lt could be used to provide power a depth of 1 ,600 meters. The project for telecommunications, pumping, follows the successful geothermal bore desalinatlon, railway signalling, navi­ at Marchwood power station on the gational aids and so on. other side of Southampton water. Ori­ The three companies involved are:­ ginally hot water at Marchwood was to * Northumbrian Energy Workshop, be used for boiler feedwater, but since which has been designing and install­ the project started, the Central Elec­ Ing wind energy systems rated up to tricity Generating Board station there 10kW for six years. had been put so low down in the merit * Power International, a Portsmouth order that it is hardly ever operation­ company which designs and manufac­ al. But some 12 acres of greenhouses tures voltage regulators, battery char­ could be built on the site instead. gers and power supplies. Meanwhile, the ETSU geothermal * Independent Telecommunications project at Rosemanowes Quarry in and Electronics Management, a Scot­ Cornwall is six months ahead of tish telecommunications and systems schedule. Twin 2,000 meter deep wells engineering firm. have been sunk Into the Cornish gran­ The Fully Integrated Natural Energy ite to demonstrate the feasibility of Supply Systems (FINESS) will cater for power ·generation from geothermal every possible climatic condition by heat brought up in water previously integrating wind and sun with secon­ pumped down to deliberately fractured dary sources such as gas, and with batteries for energy storage. Exports are expected to form the bulk of the consortium's business. CHP go-ahead ... and delay Following the success of the Mid­ The report being prepared by Atkins lands Electricity Board Combined and Partners, as main consultants into Heat and Power Station in Hereford, the feasibility of large combined heat the Government has given its approval and power/district heating schemes in for a second station at Fort Dunlop in nine British cities, is now expected to Birmingham. be finalised by mld-February instead of by Christmas (1981) as was pre­ Earlier in December there were viously hoped. worries that the Fort Dunlop Scheme The task of gathering detailed in­ would have to be cancelled, because formation about the commercial via­ the Department of Energy have spent bility potential of lead city schemes the last 19 months considering the has proved more complicated than project. was first thought. As well as identify­ The M.E.B. have 12 other possible ing the lead city or cities, Atkins has schemes under examination which also been·looking at the wider national would have been. cancelled If the potential for C.H.P. Fort Dunlop scheme had not been Meanwhile Lothian Regional Coun­ given the go-ahead. cil have sought planning permission Sunflower Power from Edinburgh District Council for The plant with its two 12 megawatt the construction of a C.H.P. station at A 25-foot motor cruiser belonging to generators powered by diesel or coal Seafield In Edinburgh. This is in anti­ Mr. tan Kerr, is operating from Little­ will provide steam and hot water for cipation of Edinburgh becoming one of port, near Ely, powered by sunflower Fort Dunlop, a large rubber products the "lead cities". One of the bonuses of oil. Mr. Kerr, a company director, is factory, and electricity for the M.E.B. being selected would be that large thinking of extending the idea to the distribution system. grants for development would be avail­ other 120 cruisers his Derby-based The Midlands Region of the CEGB able from both Government and the holiday company owns. The project is is. also looking at the possibility of EEC. Both Lothian Region and being supervised by the Peterborough­ using Nechells power· station for dis­ Edinburgh District councils are "very based Perk ins diesel engine company. trict heating In Birmingham. excited" about the scheme. (F.T., Jan. 6th, 1982) 14 Feb/Mar '82 SCRAM Energy Bulletin

disarmament by the superpowers. Ameri­ can response to refusing US missiles, the reshaping of NATO, British security and Race to the Finish alternative defence strategies for a non­ Race to the Finish, Dervla Murphy. John nuclear Britain are briefly mentioned. Murray pubs., 1981. £5.95, available from On the political front, he looks at the SCRAM mall order .f. 30g p&p. 'consensus of silence', by which, In the past, nuclear defence strategy was Impos­ Oervla Murphy Is a novelist. You might ed on the public. Absence of debate in initially or sceptically ask, "how can she Parliament, deliberate suppression of give any revelations on nuclear power to Politics of... information and the Chevallne modernisa­ fill 231 pages?" Whilst preparing to write tion programme are cited as· evidence of another travelogue, this time on Peru, she how this consensus was implemented. The realised that the whole nuclear power Issue ... Uranium political means for ensuring that, in future, was immediately more urgent, a matter of THE POLITICS OF URANIUM- Norman such a 'consensus' does not exist, lies in survival (or not). Her journalistiQ approach Moss, Published Andre Deutsch, 1981, supporting Parties which have more is that of a lay-person, undertaking an in­ price £4.95. accountability to the public. As such, the quiring study i.nto the nuclear matrix. The author sees the Labour Party as a focus for fact that she customarily wrote about This book contains a great deal of inter­ such democracy and, hand In hand with it, countries and the people she met there is esting and useful information on uranium unilateral disarmament. However the read­ advantageous in that 'Race to the Finish' and the links between civil and military er is warned that CND should not identify is woven with encounters with CEGB offi­ nuclear power, both past and present, most solely with one political party. Contingency cials, ex-Gurkha officers, housewives of it damning. However, Moss seems more pl~ns via civil disobedience, and Union scientists and antl-nukers. She can explai~ concerned with supporting the status quo activity are thrown up as possibiUtles how these people think and how the tech­ and appeasing the nuclear establishment should the Parliamentary path to disarma­ nological industrial complex ticks on. than with taking the substance of his re­ ment prove unfruitful. She was in Harrisburg when it ail search to its logical conclusion and propos­ The book brings together a wide range of happened. Using the various reports and ing viable alternatives to uranium-based perspectives and arguments. In doing so, studies that were produced after the acci­ energy and 'defence' policies. 1t has posed many interesting questions. dent, she gives a clear run-down of the One of his weakest chapters is the one and only investigated them rather too· events. Looking back, she is disgusted at entitled 'The Uranium Cycle', in which he briefly in my view, considering the cost of the NRC's publiC relations; how could they blatantly disregards or glosses over vital the book. appear on telly hour after hour and tell the. evidence concerning the unique and dead­ AlanChow anxious Pennsylvanian population that ly hazards of uranium extraction including •everything is fine" whilst backstage they radiation. A good antidote to this chapter were tearing their hair out? lt illustrates is the ANC leaflet Uranium • The Plain •.. Music well how the emergency systems might Facts. not, after all, be capable of dealing with a In his last chapter he finally comes out in Life in the European Ttwatre. An Album by Various Artists on W .E.A. multiplicity of mishaps. By her account, favour of nuclear energy, with facile argu­ the authorities' handling of the event has mentation cribbed straight out of the The royalties from this album. are all left people with a nasty taste in their nuclear industry's propaganda sheets; he going to the anti-nuclear movement. Half mouths. is also in favour of an extension of nuclear the royalties are to go into a project fund Her analysis of the health and safety safeguards to prevent unbridled prolifer­ and the other half of the royalties are to be practices confirmed my doubts about their ation, having devoted much space to pro­ split between C.N.D., FoE, the European inadequacies. If workers are not aware of ving that such safeguards are Impossible to Nuc.lear Disarmament Campaign, and the the possible effects of radioactive mater­ apply without the co-operation of the Anti-Nuclear campaign. authorities concerned. Moss himself is ials, naturally they will be apathetic about Reviews of albums are always very per­ being scrupulously cautious. Long-term obviously very confused about the Issues sonal, for example, as far as I am con­ and he leaves his reader equally confused. risks ·are too abstract and the pay Is. too ?erned any album with a track by The Jam attractive to forsake: one would rather fid­ You can't have your yellowcake and eat IS worth having. The Jam have helped the it, too, Norman. dle one's meter-reading! anti-nuclear movement on several occa­ IMP is the rather clever abbreviation of Simon Taylor sions, and in a recent interview in 'Sanity' the industrial-military-political machine. Paul Weller said that he hoped to see ~ Oervla Murphy refuses to make any gen­ C.N.D. stall at all their concerts. The Beat eralisations about scientists; they're ... Disarmament too, have helped by donating money from a people who are C:lolng what they think best, single, and several members have been to The Politics of Nuclear Disarmament: Torness. Other bands who have donated le. advancing in the only way they know. Martin Ryle. Pluto Press, 1981, £2.50. tracks include The Clash, The Specials, The next step In technology is always an For readers of this book the goal is clear; XTC, Madness and Bad Manners. attractive, prestlgous challenge to scien­ to unite people, not only in Britain but Despite being a raving Jam fanatic 1 tists. After they make their 'discovery/ across Western, then Eastern Europe think the best track on the album is 'All breakthrough' however, control passes out against the nuclear strategy of the super: that Jazz' by Echo and the Bunnymen. of their hands and becomes another tool of power for IMP. powers; with the aim of disarming the nu­ After years of frustrating work in SCRAM clear menace. To achieve such unity, the this track appeals to me, because of the Though the writer had intended to avoid author looks at the horizontal divide, chorus which begins "See you on the barri­ the subject of nuclear weapons, she found common to East and West, between the cades babe." the latter too interdependent with the civilian population and the military appara­ The famous names on this aloum should 'civil'/nuclear programme to omit. There tus which controls the nuclear arsenals. attract many people to buy it. The al­ is plenty of historic detail on the beginn­ For Britain in particular, he concludes that bum has extensive sleeve notes with an ings and progressions of the •Atomic nuclear weapons systems are, by their article written by E.P. Thompson on Nu­ Bomb' including the proliferation or 'the nature, incompatible with democratic de­ clear Weapons and another by Roger runaway reactor trade'. The latter she con­ cision making. The role of disarmament Deakin of FoE on Nuclear Power. cisely describes as cynical economic imper­ movements is viewed as the mass voice of We need to do some work If this album is ialism. And so the IMP is beyond control of public opinion, used to reverse the flow of to make some money for anti-nuclear anybody, be he moral or not. power back to the populace at large. groups. Please help by making sure that As for us individuals, what ha$ IMP The author looks at the global aspects of your local record shop has it in stock. The done? Succeeded in doling us out with varying shares of 'psychic numbing' so the nuclear debate, especially Russia~s A.N.C. have posters available to adver­ perception of the picture. The aim of tise it. that we remain reluctant to face up to the European Nuclear Disarmament is seen as Pete Roche possibility of such government immorality opening up new political possibilities be­ affecting our own countries. tween East and West. The book examines There Is an urgency In this book "how will the transition to the next era shape it­ how END's message might spread and self?". Dervla Murphy Is no eccentric or evolve In the Eastern Bloc and how it can prestige chaser. Perhaps you should have be used to modify the political context of bought this for your mum for Christmas. decision making in the West. For Britain, Martin Ryle argues for uni­ Bernl Graham lateral disarmament, as a step towards SC.RAM Energy Bulletin Feb/Mar '8215

On the subject of Alternatives, we ran a series of seminars during the Summer which served a dual purpose of educating ourselves and publicising the viability of different alternative energy systems. Following the seminars we have started a campaign involving the production of an alternatives slide show and a book setting out an alternative energy strategy for Scotland. There are two other Important eveRts on the cards for 1982. The first Is the appoint­ ment by Friends of the Earth Scotland of a Nuclear Free Zone campaigner for Scot­ land. As part of this campaign, SCRAM will be offering use of our library and con­ tact lists as well as office spate as required. The campaign will involve lobbying Lo­ cal Authorities to declare themselves nu­ clear free zones, and disinvest from RTZ, showing videos and films as widely as possible and getting the links message to Since the last Bulletin went to press we corners because so much time is taken up as many groups and Individuals as poss­ at SCRAM have had a meeting to decide on with tedious business matters. To remedy ible. our strategy for 1982. An appraisal of our this we are planning to involve other Finally, a Peace March has been plan­ present position showed that, following the groups in meetings on a regular basis. For ned for the Summer of this year along the rather quiet period during the Summer, we example, members of the Scottish Con­ lines of the Peace March from Copenhagen now have a strong team of workers, inclu­ sumer Campaign will come along about to Paris last Summer. lt is expected to ding two people working virtually full­ once a month to discuss tactics and to help start from Inverness in July and will end in time cataloguing our extensive Library and share the work load. Other groups con­ Edinburgh in August just before the Fes­ newspaper cuttings collection. Our fin­ sidered include SANE and the Anti Apar­ tival. To coincide with Its arrival in Edin­ ancial position has improved dramatically, theid Group. Another useful tool. for co­ burgh, SCRAM is organising a conference largely as a result of increased activity on ordination is the Edinburgh Anti Nuclear on the links, hopefully with some 'big the fund raising front. Our street barrow Newsletter which we intend to restart soon names'. If anyone is interested In helping was taken out nearly every Saturday during - probably with a summary of the 'moth­ with the organisation please contact the Summer and on a couple of occasions balling' document. A leaflet Is also inten­ SCRAM. took as much as £170 over the day! Jumble ded which will have a pilot run in Lothian All in all the coming year will see a Sales, sponsored walks and discos also Region. lt will be partly anti-Torness and renewed activity on all aspects of the anti­ helped to boost the bank account. partly pro-alternatives and the aim is to nuclear campaign. We are looking for­ As fc;Jr the future, Torness figured pro­ eventually distribute it throughout" Scot­ ward to a very busy yet hopefully exciting minently in the discussions. We decided land. year. not to call a demonstration at Torness this May as there seems little point when we have been proved right time and again yet it is still being built. We felt that this form of action was having no effect on the Elec­ tricity Board or the powers that be. We plan to compile a document, tentatively titled 'The Case for Mothballing Torness SUN NOW!' which will point out all the 'we told you so' facts. lt was stressed that re­ gular discussions on Torness should be held during our meetings as the campaign Intensifies. During the Summer the SCRAM cara­ van was sited near the gates of the site as an information centre and attracted a lot of attention from local people, site workers and tourists passing along the busy A 1 trunk road. When it was removed for much-needed repairs and general protec­ tion from the inclement East Lothian Win­ ter, many local people were disappointed as it seemed that SCRAM had 'given up the fight'. Because of this we felt some per­ manent, visible presence was required to show that we are still fighting. Also, in­ terestingly enough, there is no Indication outside the site as to exactly what is being built! The other development on the Torness scene is the forthcoming enquiry into the pylon routes, possibly in March of this year. SCRAM lodged an objection based on the health hazards of high voltage cables, visual and agricultural intrusion and the fact that Torness is unnecessary. lt seems the remit of the enquiry is restricted to which of the two routes is preferable and hence we feel that to be represented would be prejudicial to the anti-Torness cam­ paign. To this end we are planning a series of events during the enquiry to draw atten­ Scotland's first anti-nuclear bookshop. Huge selection of books, badges, tion to the great opposition to the construc­ posters, t-shirts and leaflets: Send for a free mail order list. Generous dls· tion of a nuclear power station at Torness. lt was recognised that our Monday meet­ counts for groups. Open Monday·. Saturday; 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Ings are becoming a wee bit boring to new- encouraging news ... 'I think the best thing that could happen would be a really bad nuclear accident, so people know what they have to live with'. That's a bit different from saying that 'the industry has to accept Cracking Up? that there will be accidents ... and pull its General Public Utilities (GPU) and its socks up'. three subsidiary utilities are pressing a On her way back up for a proper Hog­ £2,010 M court action against the US Nu­ manay, Little Black Rabbit passed through clear Regulatory Commission, arising from Cumbria. There she heard of the sayings of the Three Mile lsland-2 accident in March one David Simister (sic) of the Sellafield '79. GPU is arguing that the NRC is res­ (whoops, Windscale) works. Asked by her ponsible for supplying vital information to relatives why his employers (BNFL) its licensees, and has failed to do so. weren't looking at alternatives when a GPU subsidiary Metropolitan Edison has nuclear accident could kill thousands, he paid NRC for safety reviews and GPU claim had replied 'A few thousand deaths is not that the NRC should have warned them of much of a price to pay for nuclear power'. the possibility of a TMI-2 type accident, Old-fashioned pig-headed arrogance still using information gathered following a The annual round of Hogmanay duty seemed to have a foothold in the nuclear 1977 incident at Davis-Besse (Ohio). They visits to far-flung relatives may be a pain in establishment... also complain that the NRC did not apprise some ways, but Little Black Rabbit finds it Wanting to know why BNFL didn't lis­ them adequately of the 1977 Michelson re­ useful for catching up on the gossip. ten to them, her relatives were told to join port on 'small-break loss-of-coolant acci­ Eccentrically (for a Scot) spending part the Labour Party or a trade union. Asking dents'. Met. Ed. say that if they had been of the festive season in London, she was what they were supposed to do if they warned of substantial safety hazards they interested to hear of the state of mind of didn't want to go about things that way, would have taken prompt action the nuclear industry's public relations they'd been told: 'then I suggest you leave All this does look a bit like Met. Ed. people. They seemed to be quite unusually the country if you don't like it, but don't trying to pass the buck. affected by the news of increasing opposi­ quote me'. Especially since they have problems with tion to nuclear power. Maybe hangovers Little Black Rabbit thought about this, the TMI-1 reactor. This was closed for explained this dropping of their normal and left the country. But this doesn't seem fuelling at the time of the TMI-2 accident confident face ... or maybe it was their to have solved the problem - the SSEB (otherwise known as the Harrisburg dis­ bosses' hangovers they were worried can hardly be described as being a lot aster!) and is now ready for re-start. But about. Mutterings of 'justthe sort of thing better ... Met. Ed's nuclear operating licence from to encourage the chairman at this season' • * * . the NRC is under threat, because of sus­ were heard. One high-up in the Atomic pected cheating on an operator's examina­ Energy Authority seemed especially affec­ Six months ago Little Black Rabbit men­ tion - and the Atomic Safety and Licen­ ted: 'I do think there's a tide of anti-nu­ tioned the UKAEA's curious procedure for sing Board is also investigating Met. Ed's clear feeling ... ' Little Black Rabbit almost choosing a site for Fast Breeder experi­ plant design and emergency planning. felt sorry for him, and poured another ments. ... Readers have asked where Furthermore, there is a case before the drink (rabbits don't suffer from hang­ that quote came from. The answer is from Court of Appeal on the psychological im­ overs). a speech at Strathclyde University on pact of restarting TMI. She needed that drink when she heard March 29th, 1977, proceedings published this same person's next reaction to the The NRC was criticised from within by Scottish Academic Press. when its new chairman, Nunzio Palladino, told a Congressional committee that his Advertisement confidence in the nuclear establishment's 'quality assurance' had been 'clouded' by his four and a half months' experience. This was largely due to the cock-up at Diablo Canyon, where earthquake protec­ tion components had been built back to front and the NRC had suspended the oper­ ator's licence (see last Energy Bulletin). But Palladino said that 'a significant number' of other stations have problems. NRC Director of Operations, William Dicks listed four of these: Pressurised Water Reactors at Marble Hill in Indiana, in South Texas and at Midland (Michigan), and the Zimmerman Boiling Water Reac­ tors in Ohio. Meanwhile, the NRC told Congress that it is no longer confident that the In­ ternational Atomic Energy Authority could spot the mis-use of nuclear material. If the NRC is not satisfied with IAEA inspections it may not issue export licences - which could prove embarassing to the govern­ ment. Neither will any of this please the Ameri­ can Nuclear Society, whose winter '81 meeting laid into the US Government for its 'misguided' emphasis on the Fast Breeder and 'neglect' of the Light Water Reactor (ie. PWRs and BWRs). They wel­ comed the Reagan regime's unambiguous The well-established Edinburgh wood-stove suppliers support for nukes in general (after the Carter policies ... ) but felt that 'laissez­ Forest Fire, offer a wide range of wood. faire' policies (like Reagan's) would not peat and coal burning appliances for space heating, 'safeguard' the industry's interests - and that 'Those who most clearly see the nu­ cooking and central heating. clear benefits of nuclear energy should be willing to pay the costs of ensuring its FOREST FIRE survival'. In other words, they want the 50 ST MARYS ST. EDINBURGH. 031-556-9812. kind of handout to build unnecessary and unwanted stations that the British nuclear THE BEST OF SAFE AND RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY industry gets ...