[NukeNet] Scotland: Reactor's radioactive dirty laundry

[The Roy Process]

Sunday Heraldhttp://www.sundayherald.com/57100
      Sunday Herald - 06 August 2006 
      Reactor's radioactive dirty laundry 
      By Rob Edwards 


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      THE nuclear industry's attempt to clean up its image in support of Tony Blair's promised programme of new reactors has been marred by some dirty washing. 
      The Sunday Herald can reveal that the laundry at Hunterston nuclear power station in North Ayrshire has sprung a leak. Radioactive water escaped from a tank, causing it to be shut down. 

      The revelation is described as "very worrying" by anti-nuclear campaigners, who are calling for an independent investigation. But British Energy, the company that runs Hunterston, dismisses the leak as a "relatively minor occurrence". 

      Overalls worn by workers in contaminated areas have to be washed in Hunterston's laundry to remove traces of radioactivity. Dirty water from the wash is pumped into two tanks, where it is stored before being disposed of. 

      But on the night of 18-19 July one of the tanks started leaking. As a result, British Energy has stopped using it while it carries out repairs. 

      According to the company, waste water leaked only into a contained area around the tank and the levels of radioactivity in the water were "negligible". 

      But this was little comfort to Rita Holmes, who represents Fairlie Community Council on the Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group. "It makes it sound like Hunterston is falling to bits," she said. 

      "British Energy can't even seem to do its dirty laundry without making a radioactive mess. The incident casts doubt on the competence of the nuclear industry and should be immediately investigated by the safety regulators." 

      According to British Energy, however, the incident did not breach any regulations so did not have to be formally notified to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. 

      "The leak was identified quickly and immediate action taken," stressed the company's spokeswoman, Sue Fletcher. "At no time did water leak outside the building." 

      She said: "Laundry water is currently being stored in and discharged from the second tank only until repairs are completed. We are one tank down, but the procedure for discharges remains the same, and we continue to be well within consented discharge limits." 



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      Copyright © 2006 smg sunday newspapers ltd. no.176088 
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