Sellafield Plan envisages end of nuclear reprocessing there by 2018

"The planned clean up of the Sellafield site must be successfully completed", said Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD.
Commenting on new plans published by Sellafield and endorsed by the UK`s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Minister Hogan stressed the importance of reducing the risks from the Sellafield site and bringing to an end the nuclear reprocessing operations there.

Used nuclear fuel elements

The Minister said: "It is my understanding that this plan emphasises the reduction of risk and hazard at Sellafield and that it envisages the end of nuclear reprocessing there by 2018. Successive Governments here have objected to the risks from Sellafield as well as to the environmental damage caused by reprocessing activities, in particular the discharges of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea."

The Sellafield Plan outlines a wide range of current and planned decommissioning and clean-up programmes for the various facilities on the Sellafield site. These facilities host ongoing commercial operations as well as a large and varied inventory of radioactive waste, some of it stored in ageing facilities which are acknowledged by the UK authorities to represent a risk that must be reduced.

The plan envisages the ultimate closure of Sellafield, which has been a long-term goal of Irish Government policy. According to the newly published time-line this outcome will take more than 100 years to achieve. Sellafield intends to publish annual targets and reports to allow progress to be observed.

Minister Hogan commented: "The successful implementation of this plan is going to require long-term sustained commitment from both Sellafield and the UK authorities. For our part, the Irish Government will be monitoring the implementation of the plan closely. We look forward to the numerous clean-up targets being met in the years to come."

Quelle: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Ireland

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