Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Photographs of Sellafield nuclear plant prompt fears over radioactive risk

#Energy Nuclear safety expert claims there is significant risk due to poor condition of storage ponds containing highly radioactive fuel rods

Previously unseen pictures of two storage ponds containing hundreds of highly radioactive fuel rods at the Sellafield nuclear plant show cracked concrete, seagulls bathing in the water and weeds growing around derelict machinery. But a spokesman for owners Sellafield Ltd said the 60-year-old ponds will not be cleaned up for decades, despite concern that they are in a dangerous state and could cause a large release of radioactive material if they are allowed to deteriorate further.


The concrete is in dreadful condition, degraded and fractured, and if the ponds drain, the Magnox fuel will ignite and that would lead to a massive release of radioactive material, nuclear safety expert John Large told the Ecologist magazine. I am very disturbed at the run-down condition of the structures and support services. In my opinion there is a significant risk that the system could fail.


Continue reading...http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/29/sellafield-nuclear-radioactive-risk-storage-ponds-fears http://bit.ly/15KdByZ

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