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Sellafield under fire for ‘catastrophic’ safety error

Sellafield under fire for ‘catastrophic’ safety error North West Evening Mail , 17 April 2009

SELLAFIELD has come under fire from an anti-nuclear group after four highly-radioactive waste stores malfunctioned.

Cooling water was lost when a faulty valve on the waste containers broke down.

The temperature of the waste was allowed to rise for eight hours before Sellafield workers were able to fix the problem……………………….

Details of the malfunction were only released last week.

CORE’s spokesman Martin Forwood said: “The catastrophic result of an extended loss of cooling to these dangerous and increasingly obsolete tanks is well documented and has major implications not only for Cumbria but also for the UK and its European neighbours.

“The incident was dangerously and unacceptably close to resulting in a major off-site release of radioactivity with long-term consequences for human life and the environment”.

North West Evening Mail | News | Sellafield under fire for ‘catastrophic’ safety error

April 18, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive