nuclear-news

Anti-nuclear group take on Sellafield for the second time in legal row

The group is concerned over the safety of toads thought to frequent local lakes.

Floyd March, Energy Voice 27th May 2026

An anti-nuclear group has successfully raised £20,000 for legal fees to take on Sellafield and the Environment Agency (EA) for a second time.

The Lakes Against Nuclear Dump (LAND) group previously failed a High Court attempt for a judicial review into the EA decision to award Sellafield a licence to extract water from the decommissioning site in Lancashire.

After the failed attempt in 2025, the new funds will look to overturn the development of a new radioactive waste storage facility.

Its leader, Marriane Birkby, fears the construction of a tunnel underground as part of the work will lead to the discharge of contaminated water into the River Ehen and River Calder, respectively.

Sellafield plans to pump water taken from the construction site to on-site storage tanks for testing prior to being discharged directly into the sea.

It has no plans to discharge into either River Ehen or Calder.

Toads, Salmon and water leaks

Birkby had previously taken issue with the length of time taken for a judge to dismiss the group’s previous attempt for a review.

If an appeal is approved, the group will argue the EA failed to conduct due diligence in assessing wildlife concerns, mainly Atlantic salmon and natterjack toads.

Natterjack toads are a protected species and reportedly inhabit a location less than a km south west of the site. Atlantic salmon, also protected, have a migration route along the River Ehen.

The group will use law firm Leigh Day to set out the grounds of appeal to overturn the original quashing of the judicial review.

High Court Judge Karen Ridge previously ruled that an assessment of the River Ehen special area of conservation wasn’t necessary “because it was considered unnecessary” as the extraction of water “was not likely to have a significant effect.”…………………..

Sellafield labelled ‘most hazardous’ UK building

Sellafield has previously been under fire from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The agency had told the public accounts committee (PAC) in the House of Commons that Sellafield’s Magnox swarf storage silo (MSSS) was “the most hazardous building in the UK”.

The committee had noted there were “signs of improvement”. However, PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said Sellafield continued to present “intolerable risks”………………………………. https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables-energy-transition/nuclear/598287/anti-nuclear-group-take-on-sellafield-for-the-second-time-in-legal-row/

June 1, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK