BNFL dismisses idea of zero nuclear discharges into sea

British Nuclear Fuels has dismissed the possibility that "zero discharges" into the sea from nuclear installations is achievable in the short-term, though this option is set to dominate discussions at the OSPAR commission meeting on marine pollution which opens in Sintra, Portugal, today.

The operators of the Sellafield reprocessing facility have pointed out that less than one third of its discharges are associated with the thermal oxide reprocessing plant (Thorp), its main facility. "The remainder is due to clean-up of historic wastes, decommissioning activities and the reprocessing of magnox fuel," a BNFL spokesman said.

This meant that, with the best will in the world, a zero option was not realistic now or in the foreseeable future given the historic legacy of the early days of the nuclear programme going back 50 years, he said. "Waste arising from these programmes has to be dealt with. Some discharges would continue to arise, even if the ongoing operations were stopped." However, last night Britain was looking increasingly isolated in its stance when France proposed cutting its own discharges into the sea to "close to zero". Its proposals, authorised by the prime minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, would effectively mean an end to nuclear reprocessing in France.

BNFL had a "legal and moral obligation" to continue decommissioning and waste management programmes, but was, nonetheless, supporting the UK government's declared aspiration of "demanding but achievable reductions in discharges by 2020", though its exact form has to be finalised at the meeting in Sintra being attended by ministers from 15 states, with Ireland represented by the Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise, Mr Joe Jacob, who has responsibility for nuclear affairs, and the Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, who will address other marine issues at the two day meeting.

Commenting after indications that Ireland, with Nordic countries, is pushing the zero discharges option, BNFL said the OSPAR commission must "take into account what is technically possible and cost effective when targeting priorities for reducing future marine discharges".

BNFL remained committed to reducing discharges, and over the past decade had spent more than £2 billion on waste management and effluent clean-up. "Discharges into the Irish Sea now contain about 1 per cent of the principal radioactive substances which were present in discharges of the 1970s," he noted.

On radioactive Technetium-99 (Tc-99) - which has been occurring at unprecedented levels over the past year in lobsters - he said the company had requested a revised discharge authorisation which involved a reduction in limits of 25 per cent. The Labour spokesman on public enterprise, Mr Emmet Stagg, yesterday said the Government had, in effect, abandoned all efforts to force Sellafield's closure.