Publication Laka-library:
A report on the Sellafield aerial discharges (1988)
| Author | CORE |
| Date | March 1988 |
| Classification | 2.05.8.32/03 (UNITED KINGDOM - SELLAFIELD - DISCHARGES IRISH SEA) |
| Front | 
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From the publication:
The Sellafield Aerial Discharges 1.0 Introduction In this report CORE looks at the effects of the gaseous discharges from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. Sellafield is one of the major polluting plants in the world in terms of aerial releases. This aspect of the plant has never been under public scrunity before. CORE started this work some time ago and presented evidence to the Inspectorate of Pollution on the authorisations that came up for consultation in November 1987. This was the first time in the history of the plant that the aerial releases of radioactivity had been put under any sort of limit. The report shows that a calculable health impact occurs due to the discharges. Estimates of between 36 and 62 fatal cancers caused every year by the release of radioactive Krypton-85 alone. Discharges are due to increase and will cause more deaths. The report also shows that radiation doses already delivered to populations local to the plant have exceeded the life-time recommended dose. The report advises that those individuals who fall into the categories most exposed should be moved from the immediate vicinity of Sellafield. BNFL should cover the cost of this. The report also highlights a number of worrying aspects regarding the whole issue of the authorising bodies attitudes towards radioactive pollution. As with the sea discharges from Sellafield, Company and financial considerations have won over environmental and radiological considerations. The environmental impact of the aerial releases is touched on and the toxidity and acid rain effects are brought to the attention of the public, as is the far-reaching nature of the contamination. Radioactivity from the Sellafield aerial releases is measured in Poland, Spain and West Germany. The recent authorisation allows for on average a level seven times greater than the highest levels ever previously discharged by Sellafield. The reason for this is that BNFL wishes to move into reprocessing short-cooled fuel in its present Magnox reprocessing plant. However, when Oxide fuel reprocessing commences this will lead to the greatest increase in gaseous releases. Obviously permitting such a high level makes the authorisation virtually worthless. The technology to reduce all releases, (especially Krypton-85 – by far the largest component of the aerial discharges), does exist. The Inspector at the 1977 Windscale Inquiry in fact recommended that Krypton-85 reduction technology should be installed in the Oxide reprocessing plant (THORP). Ultimately the best technological and environmental answer to this would be to keep the spent fuel in dry stores, thus reducing both marine and aerial releases of radioactivity. CORE would like to emphasise that this is a preliminary report.
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