The THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield will operate until at least 2010 because of existing contracts, according to a report to be considered by British and Irish politicians later today.
The report, to be presented to delegates to the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (the association of backbenchers from elected assemblies in Britain and Ireland), welcomes the high priority being given to vitrification of liquid high-level waste not only to reduce accidental discharges from the site, but to minimise the impact of a terrorist attack.
The report, from a sub-committee, states that "the spent fuel is stored at the plant and the company has no option but to reprocess it. However, we understand that BNFL are actively seeking new reprocessing contracts, which will keep THORP in operation beyond 2010.
"Given the sensitivity of this issue, the lack of clarity in the British government's position on new contracts is unfortunate: the government should be more forthright in expressing a view on the desirability of such a development, rather than treating it as merely a commercial matter for NNFL."
The sub-committee said it was of "grave concern" that none of the products of the reprocessing operations had been returned to the customers who owned them, and who were contractually committed to taking them back.
"Sellafield is increasingly becoming a quasi-permanent storage facility for highly dangerous material, including plutonium and liquid high-level waste.
"There is no guarantee that BNLF will be able to enforce its contracts, and so compel customers to take back this waste. Any such decision would have to be political, not merely commercial or operation. It is therefore essential that the United Kingdom government, rather than relying on BNFL to enforce its contracts, should itself apply pressure at the political level to ensure that Sellafield does not become a permanent dumping ground for nuclear waste and plutonium."
The report recommends that information exchange across the Irish Sea should be made more publicly available as its extent could allay fears. It is not enough, it says, for officials only to communicate.
The two-day meeting of the BIIPB begins this morning. As well as Sellafield, the agenda will cover the Irish-Scottish bid for the European Championships 2008 and the 50th anniversary of the Nordic Council.