ENGLAND: HSE TIGHT-LIPPED ON REACTOR SAFETY PROBLEMS

While the Dept for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are anxious to consult about proposed new nuclear power stations UK government Departments are not so anxious to discuss Britain's existing nuclear programme.

In November 2008 the Celtic League pressed the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about problems with the brick-lined cores of existing nuclear reactors.

We referred to safety assessments, obtained under Freedom of Information legislation, which said that the Nuclear Safety Directorate (NSD) has issued warnings over the deterioration of reactor cores at a number of British nuclear plants. The NSD also had criticised British Energy, which operates 13 advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactors.

We asked:

What steps the HSE/NSD have taken to address this situation?

Which nuclear reactors still give cause for concern?

Has the damage to all reactor cores affected now been quantified and what steps are being taken to ensure that no reactors that pose risk are still operating?

Finally we asked if the FoI report referred to in the media available and also if any follow up action arising from that report now in the public domain?

No reply having been received we have re-iterated our concerns to the HSE.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

23/04/09