Latest news with #NuclearDecommissioningAuthority
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The UK's 'most hazardous building' - the story of Sellafield's nuclear disaster
The UK's largest nuclear site – once dubbed the "most hazardous building in the country" – could continue leaking radioactive water into the ground until the 2050s. That's the damning verdict of a new MPs' report into the ongoing decommissioning of the Sellafield nuclear power plant in Cumbria, which, nearly 70 years ago, was the site of one of the world's worst ever nuclear accidents. In October 1957, uranium cells inside one of the site's two nuclear reactors caught fire, burning for three days solid. The fallout remains to this day and, on Wednesday, a report by the Commons public accounts committee criticised the speed of decommissioning the site, warning that officials are in danger of losing a race against time to complete the clean-up safely. Of particular concern is the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS), which was built in the 1960s and consists of 22 vertical underwater compartments, storing around 10,000 tonnes of radioactive waste. Since 2018, the silo has been leaking enough radioactive water to fill an Olympic swimming pool every three years. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has described the situation as its "single biggest environmental issue". The site, initially known as Windscale, was initially built as a royal ordnance factory during the Second World War. After the war, it became the main site intended to produce plutonium for the UK's nuclear weapons programme and became home to Britain's first two nuclear reactors. During its construction, chief engineer John Cockcroft had insisted that filters were installed at the top of the chimney stacks on the two gas-cooled nuclear reactors, Windscale Pile 1 and 2. On the morning of 10 October 1957, a planned energy release procedure in Windscale Pile 1 did not go to plan, and unintentionally heated parts of the reactor. Scientists were expecting the reactor to eventually cool down but then spotted a fire in uranium fuel cells, producing a blaze reaching an estimated 1,300C (2,380F) – causing an incident so bad it was eventually ranked in severity at level 5 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The severity of events were minimised by the government and nuclear establishment of the time. When the incident started, men wearing radiation suits used scaffolding pipes to try and push the burning fuel rods out of the graphite reactor. High radiation levels meant they could only spend a few hours at the reactor, so they sought more volunteers from a nearby cinema. The blaze was eventually extinguished when air to the reactor room was restricted, but tons of radioactive materials had already escaped into the atmosphere. Indeed, it was Cockcroft's filter – the pair were collectively known as 'Cockcroft follies' – on Windscale Pile 1's chimney that stopped the disaster from becoming a catastrophe as it limited the amount of radiation released into the air. The ramifications of the accident were felt for years. It is estimated about 240 cases of cancer were caused by the radioactive leak and all milk produced within 310 square miles (800 square km) of the site was destroyed for a month after the fire. The disaster proved to be a wake-up call for the nuclear industry. Windscale Pile 1 was permanently shut down, and remains sealed and not yet fully decommissioned while Windscale Pile 2, which was undamaged, was also shut down shortly afterwards. It also to led to vast operational and technical improvements in nuclear reactor design, technology, licensing and regulation. Nowadays, Sellafield is one of the largest nuclear sites in Europe, with more than 10,000 people cleaning it behind miles of fencing. The size of a small town, it also has its own infrastructure with facilities including a postal service, an armed police force, shops, canteen and a medical team. The site's aging buildings plus the highly radioactive nuclear waste and unstable materials stored at the site mean it remains a significant hazard. Despite being non-operational since 2003, the site has many years of dismantling to go, up to 2125. Indeed, Sellafield still contains hundreds of thousands of tonnes of radioactive waste, including the largest stockpile of civilian plutonium in the world, in excess of 140 tonnes. Sellafield Ltd, the company clearing the site on behalf of the NDA, has been criticised in the report for missing 'most' of its annual targets, including those at the MSSS. 'The consequence of this underperformance is that the buildings are likely to remain extremely hazardous for longer", the MPs' report said. The challenge for Sellafield Ltd, and the NDA, is not only cleaning up the site but also maintaining the ageing buildings, which were never designed to be accessed again, and contain the unknown amount of radioactive waste inside. The site has several high-risk buildings including the Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP), an open-air pond holding irradiated fuel and sludge that was built in the 1950s. The Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) which contains fuel casings and other highly radioactive materials and the MSSS, which holds metallic cladding waste and removed from nuclear fuel rods. Despite an estimated decommissioning cost of £136bn, according to the report, the leakage on the MSSS is expected to persist until the oldest section of the structure is emptied in the 2050s. Public accounts committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: 'The sheer scale of the hundred-year timeframe of the decommissioning project makes it hard to grasp the immediacy of safety hazards and cost overruns that delays can have. 'Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life. Our report contains too many signs that this is a race Sellafield risks losing.' The NDA acknowledged that the leak at the MSSS is its 'single biggest environmental issue', saying managing and retrieving waste from the silo was their 'highest priority'. They said: 'As the report says, the leak in the MSSS is contained and does not pose a risk to the public. Regulators accept that the current plan to tackle the leak is the most effective one.' The UK has a reported volume of approximately 4.58 million cubic metres of radioactive waste stored in various facilities across the country. Radioactive waste goes through stages of treatment, packaging, storage and disposal depending on its classification as high level waste (HLW), intermediate level waste (ILW) or low level waste (LLW). HLW is typically found in liquid form, and is often generated as a by-product during the reprocessing of fuel from nuclear reactors, with current practice to store for at least 50 years before disposal. ILW consists of mainly steels, graphite, concrete, cement, sand and sludges and is stored until a suitable disposal route becomes available, essentially an underground facility the UK government is planning on building. LLW is building rubble, soil and steel items that may have come into contact with radioactive material and can sometimes be incinerated or recycled. In the longer term, the UK government plans to create a geological disposal facility (GDF) to store nuclear waste underground for thousands of years. The NDA has identified two sites in Cumbria and plans to provide a decision to government on one site after community engagement. The current planning assumption is that a GDF will be available for intermediate level waste emplacement in the 2050s and high-level waste and spent fuel from 2075.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK nuclear site could leak until 2050s, MPs warn
LONDON: Britain's most hazardous building threatens to leak radioactive water until the 2050s unless the clean-up of a former nuclear power plant is quickened, UK lawmakers warned on Wednesday. The waste has been leaking into the ground from a storage silo at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria, in northwest England, since 2018 -- enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every three years. Sellafield, which began operations in the 1940s, generated nuclear power between 1956 and 2003. In a report published Wednesday, a group of British MPs criticised the pace of the decommissioning work, citing examples of 'failure, cost overruns and continuing safety concerns'. It said the risks were highlighted by the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS), described by Sellafield owner the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as 'the most hazardous building in the UK'. The report by the Public Accounts Committee found that most of the annual targets for retrieving waste from buildings at the site, including the MSSS, had been 'missed'. It said the storage silo is likely to continue leaking until the oldest section of the building has been emptied in the late 2050s, instead of 2040 as previously expected. 'Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life,' said the committee's chair, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown. 'Our report contains too many signs that this is a race that Sellafield risks losing,' he added, saying the site presented 'intolerable risks'. The radioactive leak is contained and does not pose a risk to the public, the report noted. A spokeswoman for the NDA said fixing it was the group's 'highest priority'. Britain's National Audit Office forecast last October that the cost of decommissioning and cleaning up the entire Sellafield site over the next century had soared to £136 billion ($177 billion). This was up almost 19 percent on the previous official estimate made in 2019. It noted that 'full site remediation' was not expected until 2125.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Sellafield could leak until 2050s, MPs warn
The UK's largest nuclear site could continue leaking radioactive water until the 2050s, MPs have warned, while its clean-up operations struggle to progress quickly enough. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the speed of decommissioning work at Sellafield in Cumbria, citing "cost overruns and continuing safety concerns" in a report published on Wednesday. Although the committee noted there were "signs of improvement", PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said Sellafield continued to present "intolerable risks". The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) acknowledged the leak at its Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) was its "single biggest environmental issue". The MSSS, which the NDA described as "the most hazardous building in the UK", has been leaking radioactive water into the ground since 2018, releasing enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every three years. It is likely to continue leaking until the oldest section of the building has been emptied in the 2050s, about a decade later than previously expected. Sir Geoffrey said: "As with the fight against climate change, the sheer scale of the hundred-year timeframe of the decommissioning project makes it hard to grasp the immediacy of safety hazards and cost overruns that delays can have. "Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life. "Our report contains too many signs that this is a race that Sellafield risks losing." Pointing to the fact that Sellafield Ltd had missed most of its annual targets for retrieving waste from buildings, including the MSSS, the committee warned: "The consequence of this underperformance is that the buildings are likely to remain extremely hazardous for longer." A spokeswoman for the NDA said the "leak in the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo is contained and does not pose a risk to the public". "Regulators accept that the current plan to tackle the leak is the most effective one." Sir Geoffrey said it was of "vital importance that the government grasp the daily urgency of the work taking place at Sellafield and shed any sense of a far-off date of completion for which no-one currently living is responsible". "Sellafield's risks and challenges are those of the present day. "There are some early indications of some improvement in Sellafield's delivery, which our report notes. "The government must do far more to hold all involved immediately accountable to ensure these do not represent a false dawn, and to better safeguard both the public purse and the public itself." Sellafield ceased generating electricity in 2003 and, in addition to work cleaning up the site, now processes and stores nuclear waste from power plants around the UK. The government plans to create an underground geological disposal facility (GDF) to store nuclear waste for the thousands of years it will take to become safe. But the committee said delays in creating the GDF, which is now not expected to be complete until the late 2050s, meant more costs for Sellafield. NDA chief executive David Peattie said it welcomed the report, adding it took the "findings seriously and the safety of the site and the wellbeing of our people will always be our highest priorities". "We are pleased they recognise improvements in delivering major projects and that we are safely retrieving waste from all four highest hazard facilities." The PAC expressed concern there was a "sub-optimal culture" at Sellafield and called on the NDA to publish information about the prevalence and perception of bullying in its annual report. The NDA spokeswoman said: "We're committed to an open and respectful culture and we've taken decisive action to enable this, including strengthening our whistleblowing policy." The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it "expected the highest standards of safety and security as former nuclear sites are dismantled, and the regulator is clear that public safety is not compromised at Sellafield". "This is underpinned by monthly performance reviews and increased responsibility for overseeing major project performance, enabling more direct scrutiny and intervention," a spokeswoman for the department said. "We have zero tolerance of bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour in the workplace - we expect Sellafield and the NDA to operate on this basis, investigate allegations and take robust action when needed." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Leak is Sellafield's 'biggest environmental issue' GMB warns over potential nuclear plant Budget cuts Nuclear site runs up 'considerable' costs - report Plan for new building to store radioactive waste Sellafield Ltd Public Accounts Committee
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Report lays out ‘failure' at nuclear power plant
A report by MPs warns that the Sellafield nuclear power plant may continue to leak radioactive water into the 2050s due to the slow decommissioning progress. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the process at Sellafield for "failure, cost overruns, and continuing safety concerns", despite some signs of improvement. The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, considered the UK's most hazardous building, has been leaking radioactive water since 2018. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) acknowledges the leak as its "single biggest environmental issue". However, the NDA said that it is contained and does not pose a risk to the public, with regulators approving the current plan to manage it. The PAC raised concerns about a "sub-optimal culture" at Sellafield, pointing to non-disclosure agreements and calling for transparency regarding bullying, while the NDA said it is committed to an open and respectful culture. Britain's 'most hazardous building' could leak radioactive water for 30 more years, MPs warn
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Sellafield could leak radioactive water until 2050s, MPs warn
The UK's largest nuclear site could continue leaking radioactive water until the 2050s, MPs have warned, while its clean-up operations struggle to progress quickly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the speed of decommissioning work at Sellafield in Cumbria, citing "cost overruns and continuing safety concerns" in a report published on Wednesday. Although the committee noted there were "signs of improvement", PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said Sellafield continued to present "intolerable risks".The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) acknowledged the leak at its Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) was its "single biggest environmental issue". The MSSS, which the NDA described as "the most hazardous building in the UK", has been leaking radioactive water into the ground since 2018, releasing enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every three is likely to continue leaking until the oldest section of the building has been emptied in the 2050s, about a decade later than previously Geoffrey said: "As with the fight against climate change, the sheer scale of the hundred-year timeframe of the decommissioning project makes it hard to grasp the immediacy of safety hazards and cost overruns that delays can have."Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life. "Our report contains too many signs that this is a race that Sellafield risks losing." Pointing to the fact that Sellafield Ltd had missed most of its annual targets for retrieving waste from buildings, including the MSSS, the committee warned: "The consequence of this underperformance is that the buildings are likely to remain extremely hazardous for longer."A spokeswoman for the NDA said the "leak in the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo is contained and does not pose a risk to the public". "Regulators accept that the current plan to tackle the leak is the most effective one." 'False dawn' Sir Geoffrey said it was of "vital importance that the government grasp the daily urgency of the work taking place at Sellafield and shed any sense of a far-off date of completion for which no-one currently living is responsible"."Sellafield's risks and challenges are those of the present day."There are some early indications of some improvement in Sellafield's delivery, which our report notes. "The government must do far more to hold all involved immediately accountable to ensure these do not represent a false dawn, and to better safeguard both the public purse and the public itself." Sellafield ceased generating electricity in 2003 and, in addition to work cleaning up the site, now processes and stores nuclear waste from power plants around the government plans to create an underground geological disposal facility (GDF) to store nuclear waste for the thousands of years it will take to become the committee said delays in creating the GDF, which is now not expected to be complete until the late 2050s, meant more costs for chief executive David Peattie said it welcomed the report, adding it took the "findings seriously and the safety of the site and the wellbeing of our people will always be our highest priorities"."We are pleased they recognise improvements in delivering major projects and that we are safely retrieving waste from all four highest hazard facilities." The PAC expressed concern there was a "sub-optimal culture" at Sellafield and called on the NDA to publish information about the prevalence and perception of bullying in its annual NDA spokeswoman said: "We're committed to an open and respectful culture and we've taken decisive action to enable this, including strengthening our whistleblowing policy."The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it "expected the highest standards of safety and security as former nuclear sites are dismantled, and the regulator is clear that public safety is not compromised at Sellafield"."This is underpinned by monthly performance reviews and increased responsibility for overseeing major project performance, enabling more direct scrutiny and intervention," a spokeswoman for the department said. "We have zero tolerance of bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour in the workplace - we expect Sellafield and the NDA to operate on this basis, investigate allegations and take robust action when needed." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
