This issue of Countering Capenhurst is one in which we give some updates on what URENCO has been doing over the last couple of months.

In September we asked URENCO just How Much Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride is stored around the Capenhurst site.

We are still waiting for a reply.

New Chair for URENCO

URENCO has just appointed Peter Hill CBE as the companies Non-Exec Chairman.

Hill has previously worked for Anglo American PLC, Rossing Uranium Limited, and BP.

We are sure that his knowledge of the Rossing mine will serve the company very well in the years to come.

URENCO to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine

URENCO has agreed to supply Ukrainian Energoatom with enriched Uranium. At this stage we do not know which of the URENCO plants this work will be done.

This is while the Chernobyl disaster continues to destroy the lives of many Ukrainians.

Now read the quote by the British Ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough that:

“The UK welcomes steps by Ukrainian authorities to strengthen the country’s energy security and diversify its energy supplies. The British government will continue to work with URENCO and Energoatom in the area of nuclear energy to achieve that aim”

It is one of the most outrageous remarks we have read in a long while.

Insurance Matters

The Nuclear Free Local Authority has just produced the following briefing.

Nuclear Third Part Liability: Defining Prescribed Sites and Transport Consultation

This report looks at:-

The updated Government policy, which will require changes to legislation, increases the minimum level of financial liability that must be imposed on a nuclear operator in the event of a nuclear incident from £140m to €1200m.

It concludes that:-

‘If the nuclear industry was forced to provide insurance to cover the full level of risk this could add more than €140/MWh to the cost of nuclear electricity, making it almost completely uneconomic. Limiting nuclear liability clearly represents an unfair subsidy to nuclear power.’

Fire or Fired ?

On Wendsday October 5^th the Morning Star came up with this news story:-

‘Twenty-five emergency response and rescue staff at Urenco’s uranium enrichment plant in Capenhurst, Cheshire, have been threatened with dismissal.’

This is very scary as any fire which might occur at the plant would have be covered by the local fire brigade which has itself become subject to cuts.

Though the really scary aspect about any fire at Capenhurst is what happens if occurs in any area is which Uranium Hexafluoride is stored or used.

To repeat what we keep saying – Uranium Hexafluoride is highly toxic, radioactive, corrosive to most metals, and reacts violently with water.

So any fire fighting at the plant does require some very specialist training and equipment.

It’s not like one can just hose down any fire at the site and hope for the best.

It is also of note that Babcock International currently supply fire and incident response teams to the Capenhurst site.

No Sale this year, next year, or maybe at all.

The proposed sale of URENCO has been delayed again.

This is how it was reported by Reuters at the end of October: –

 ‘ Talks to restructure Urenco broke down after German utilities E.ON and RWE, which hold a third in the uranium enrichment firm, refused to agree to a deal that would have prevented a lucrative stock market listing in the future.’

It went on to state that: –

‘ Urenco, the world’s second largest nuclear fuel vendor after Russia’s Tenex, could fetch up to 10 billion euros ($11.03 billion), sources have told Reuters. Its technology could be used to make a nuclear bomb.’

 

Countering Capenhurst Issue 8– August 2016

This issue of Countering Capenhurst is very much a news update.

We will be published a series of follow ups on all the issues mention in this edition within the next few weeks.

Co-Ordinated Waste Train Protests

DRS [ Direct Rail Services ] is the company which transports nukiller waste along the railways.

The company has two depots.

One at Carlisle and the other one at Crewe.

On Saturday July 23^rd DRS held its open day at Crewe.

The Close Capenhurst Campaign organises a protest outside of the Depot, and played a key part in initiating a series of Co-Ordinated protests / leafleting sessions outside of various stations the waste goes through.

On the Saturday there were leafleting sessions outside of the following stations.

Bangor, Bridegwater, Bristol,  Bromley,  Colwyn Bay,  Inveness,  Rhyll,   Shepherds Bush

There was also leafleting outside of Slateford Station / Edinburgh West on the Friday.

While Radiation Free Lakeland was leafleting in Whitehaven on what was the last day of the public consultation about new build at Moorside.

This is the text of the 1,800 leaflet which we distributed at Crewe.

Welcome to the Direct Rail Services [ DRS ] Open Day!

Welcome to one of the most dangerous train depots to be found anywhere in the world !

Do enjoy your visit to this DRS depot where waste trains that carry nuclear waste are based.

Yet do please consider these facts before you go in to the depot.

– Each of these waste flasks contains extremely-radioactive fuel rods.

– These waste trains are transported through some of the most highly-populated areas in the UK.

– They are transported through towns and cities including Bristol, Chester, Edinburgh, Lancaster, London, Preston, Stafford, Warrington, Wigan, & Worcester. They also go through some of the most congested railway junctions in the country, including Willesden Junction and Crewe.

– The flasks this waste is carried in is not 100% secure: they leak low-level radiation causing contamination risks.

– Accidents to nuclear trains have happened and will happen in the future. In a serious accident, causing a waste flask to break open, high-level radiation would be released threatening thousands of deaths downwind.

– All this waste is taken to Sellafield were it will be left untreated for many decades into the future.

We do not need to create this waste, as we can create power from the sun, wind, and tides.

What the Hex?

Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride is a nukiller waste product which is stored in very large quantities in the grounds at Capenhurst.

Drigg

During July the Planning Committee of Cumbria County Council considered the proposed expansion of the nukiller waste site at Drigg.

We voiced our opposition to this development at the meeting, as did Radiation Free Lakeland.

This is the joint statement by CCC Kick Nuclear & Nuclear Trains Action group which was given to the Committee.

Statement concerning the Drigg Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria.

This statement is written on behalf of the following organisations: –

– The Close Capenhurst Campaign

– Kick Nuclear

&

– The Nuclear Waste Trains Action Group.

Immediate Concerns.

We would like voice our concerns about the proposed extension to the Low Level Waste Repository at Drigg in Cumbria.

Our immediate concerns are as follows:-

– There has been very poor monitoring of just what radioactive waste is stored at the Drigg site.

– That a full audit of the radioactive waste needs to be made in order to get a clear understanding of the state of site.

– That the edge of the site boarders upon a flood risk area.

&

– Will be subject to rising tides due to global warming with the next few decades.

Historical Development.

‘During WW2 a Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF Drigg) was established at Drigg between the railway line and the sea. This is now the site of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority low-level radioactive waste repository.

The site, which was opened in 1959 by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, covers about 110 hectares (270 acres), and holds about one million cubic metres of radioactive waste, although historic disposal records are incomplete. Much of the waste came from the nearby Sellafield nuclear complex.’

Dangerous Waste, Rising Tides and Flooding.

During 2014 the Guardian newspaper published the following: –

‘Cumbrian nuclear dump ‘virtually certain’ to be eroded by rising sea levels

One million cubic metres of waste near Sellafield are housed at a site that was a mistake, admits Environment Agency.’

It went on as follows: –

‘Britain’s nuclear dump is virtually certain to be eroded by rising sea levels and to contaminate the Cumbrian coast with large amounts of radioactive waste, according to an internal document released by the Environment Agency (EA).

The document suggests that in retrospect it was a mistake to site the Drigg Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR) on the Cumbrian coast because of its vulnerability to flooding. “It is doubtful whether the location of the LLWR site would be chosen for a new facility for near-surface radioactive waste disposal if the choice were being made now,” it says.’

The current Environmental Agency Flood Warning map clearly illustrates our concerns..

This map clearly that Drigg site is surrounded by low lying land which is prone to flooding.

Future Waste.

Our other main concern is that any extension to the storage facilities as Drigg will be used to justify keeping existing nuclear facilities in operation, and be used to justify new build with all the dangers which come with it.

We would also like it to be noted that any extension to the storage facilities at Drigg will not just effect the population of Cumbria, but could well have a much more global impact.

In conclusion.

– A full Ecological audit should be made of the Drigg site.

– No more radioactive waste should be added to it.

– An immediate clean up plan should be implemented at the site.

&

– No more radioactive waste should be produced which would go to the Drigg Low Level Waste Repository, or any other site.

A Terrible Outcome.

Despite our protests the planning proposal was approved.

Here are the  Field Notes from the”Delegated Decision” to Sweep Ever More Nuclear Waste Under the West Coast at Drigg

We will continue to oppose this development in conjunction with our fellow campaigners within Radiation Free Lakeland.

Capenhurst to become the next nukiller submarine Dustbin

It has just been announced that Capenhurst will the the site to store the radioactive remains of 27 Royal Navy nukiller submarine.

The issue about the 19 sub radioactive parts is just a starting point, as it looks like the radioactive cores from the currently being built subs will also go to Capenhurst at some date in the future.

There are currently 19 nuclear submarines which the MoD no longer wants.

12 of them are currently at Plymouth and the rest at Rosyth in Scotland.

There is a suspicion that exactly the same might happen with the currently being built Astute-class submarines once they have been decommissioned.

Longer term the same might happen to any Trident  submarines – should they ever be built.

 

Drigg

Statement concerning the Drigg Low Level Waste Repository in Cumbria.

This statement is written on behalf of the following organisations: –

The Close Capenhurst Campaign

Kick Nuclear

&

The Nuclear Trains Action Group.

Immediate Concerns.

We would like voice our concerns about the proposed extension to the Low Level Waste Repository at Drigg in Cumbria.

These are:-

There has been very poor monitoring of just what radioactive waste is stored at the Drigg site.

That a full audit of the radioactive waste needs to be made in order to get a clear understanding of the state of site.

That the edge of the site borders upon an area at  high risk of flooding.

That the site will be threatened by flooding due to global warming leading to a rise in sea-level in the next few decades.

Historical Development

During WW2 a Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF Drigg) was established at Drigg between the railway line and the sea. This is now the site of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority low-level radioactive waste repository.  The site, which was opened in 1959 by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority covers about 110 hectares, and holds about one million cubic metres of radioactive waste, although disposal records are incomplete.  Much of the waste came from the nearby Sellafield nuclear complex. *1.

Dangerous Waste, Rising Tides and Flooding.

During 2014 the Guardian newspaper published a report which said: “[The Drigg] nuclear dump is virtually certain to be eroded by rising sea levels and to contaminate the Cumbrian coast with large amounts of radioactive waste, according to an internal document released by the Environment Agency [EA]…[This] document suggests that in retrospect it was a mistake to site the Drigg Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR) on the Cumbrian coast because of its vulnerability to flooding. It says: “It is doubtful whether the location of the LLWR site would be chosen for a new facility for near-surface radioactive waste disposal if the choice were being made now.”

The current Environmental Agency Flood Warning map clearly illustrates our concerns, showing that Drigg site is surrounded by low lying land which is prone to flooding. *3

Future Waste.

Our other main concern is that any extension to the storage facilities as Drigg will be used to justify keeping existing nuclear facilities in operation, and be used to justify new build with all the dangers which come with it.

We would also like it to be noted that any extension to the storage facilities at Drigg will not just effect the population of Cumbria, but could well have a much more global impact.

In conclusion.

A full ecological audit should be made of the Drigg site.

No more radioactive waste should be added to it.

An immediate clean-up plan should be implemented at the site.

No more radioactive waste should be produced which would go to the  Drigg Low Level Waste Repository, or any other site.

References.

*1: Drigg

*2: Cumbrian nuclear dump ‘virtually certain’ to be eroded by rising sea levels.

*3:Map

Countering Capenhurst Issue 7 – June Ending 2016

New Reports

The Nuclear Free Local Authorities have just publish their Policy Briefing 145: Nuclear security concerns – how secure is the UK civil nuclear sector?

Nuclear security concerns – how secure is the UK civil nuclear sector?

This report raises a lot of current concerns about the nukiller power industry.

E.g.

– The fast emerging threat from drones

– Risks from an attack on a nuclear material transport

&

– Cyber security concerns

Co-Ordinated Waste Train Protests

– Saturday July 23rd.

This is the DRS [ Direct Rail Services ] open day at Crewe.

There will be some activists leafleting outside of the DRS Crewe depot that day.

There will also be co-ordinate leafleting sessions outside many of the railway stations which nukiller waste trains go though.

So far confirmed leafleting sessions include two in London, Bridgewater, Carnforth in Cumbria, and various locations in North Wales.

Full details of these protests will be published at the start of July.

What the Hex?

Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride is a nukiller waste product which is stored in very large quantities in the grounds at Capenhurst.

New publications

Updated Leaflets

We have just updated our leaflets about nukiller waste transport.

Chester Beware !

&

Warrington Beware !

New Stickers.

There are new sheets of stickers with the CCC logo on them.

We would like to thank the Footprint Workers Co-op for the Solidarity support they gave in printing them for us.

Yet More on the Urenco Partnership with the Science Museum

Urenco have given put more information about their sponsorship of the new Science Museum Gallery which opens later on on this your

Activists within Kick Nuclear are also aware of this, and will hold a protest outside of the museum when it opens. Though there is no exact date as to just when that will be,

 

Current Concerns.

Much of the focus of anti-nukiller-power activists of late has focused up stopping new build at Hinkley, Wylfa, and Moorside.

This is because nukiller New Build will result in:-

– More pollution as the result of Uranium Mining.

– More Uranium Enrichment work being done at Capenhust with all the dangers which go with it.

– Much more highly radioactive waste to deal with.

That is why we continue to put a lot of our effects in to opposing such plants Continue reading Countering Capenhurst Issue 6 – June 2016

Countering Capenhurst Issue 4 – December 2015

This Fourth issue of Countering Capenhurst is a brief summary of our current concernes.