Latest news with #ONR
BBC News
18-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hartlepool nuclear plant given more time to carry out work
An improvement notice issued to a nuclear power station after a scaffolder was injured by a defective light fitting has been nuclear power station operator EDF has been given extra time to carry out improvements after receiving the notice from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) in ONR said a worker had been injured by a defective light fitting in said it was developing a "specific training package" to minimise the risk of incidents. The ONR said the extension would allow the plant to complete the work which it expects to rollout in the had previously said the accident had occurred even though EDF had identified the defective light in October said EDF had not correctly assessed the health and safety risks with the light at the time. The watchdog said it would continue to monitor the plant's progress in line with the notice, which is now due on 15 station opened in 1983 and has two advanced gas-cooled reactors capable of powering 1.4m year it was announced the site would continue to operate for an extra year until 2027. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Timmins residents have their say on the return of the Northlander train
Ontario Northland is holding public information sessions to update people on its progress and collect feedback. Work on bringing the Northlander back into operation continues at Ontario Northland. Public information sessions are ongoing to update people on its progress and collect feedback. ONR representatives were at Northern College in Timmins on Wednesday. Early phases of construction are underway at the stops that will form the new Northlander train line – and officials at Ontario Northland said they want to keep people updated on their progress. 'There's a few work streams in motion,' said Kate Bondette of Ontario Northland. 'We are completing infrastructure work all along the corridor and we're also doing our environmental studies for the future station. We've done architectural studies, noise and vibration studies, ground and soil water. So all of those things that need to be considered before we start to build are happening now and have been happening since last year.' Bondette said the information sessions are bringing in valuable information about what people expect from the service's return and what they'll be using it for: work, travel, school, medical appointments, even exploring the corridor. 'What's been really exciting is people are starting to envision the service for themselves,' she said. 'They're asking what time the train is coming in, what time it'll be getting in to Toronto, when it's coming back. They're asking about the connections to municipal transit. What will people do when they get here? So, it's been really insightful.' Public feedback has included accounting for parcel service, security and potential impacts on properties and off-road trails. And ensuring the train line will stay for good and run smoothly. After more than two decades without passenger rail, people are eager for its return. 'My wife and I will be on the first train, guaranteed, no matter what,' one person said. 'I'll be supporting it right to the end.' Northland officials said train sets will begin manufacturing in the coming weeks, expecting a 2026 arrival. Once testing along the corridor commences, active service won't be far behind.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Sellafield issued with enforcement notice over lead oxide incident
Workers at the UK's largest nuclear site were put at potential risk when a harmful substance was unintentionally released, a watchdog has Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) issued Sellafield, in Cumbria, with an enforcement notice after lead oxide was detected at the site's First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP).The regulator said staff spotted flexible lead sheeting - used to shield staff from radiation exposure - that was in a degraded condition, posing a potential risk from the release of lead said it happened in the oldest part of the site, which was a "highly controlled environment" with low numbers of people. No-one was harmed. "Access to the affected area was immediately stopped, an investigation was initiated, and our regulator was informed," a company spokesman oxide is not a radioactive substance but can be harmful if ingested, inhaled or absorbed, the ONR added further enquiries had identified other degraded flexible lead shielding sheets across other areas of the site.A ONR spokesman said: "Sellafield Ltd should establish procedures for conducting routine visual inspections of these sheets and ensure timely repairs to maintain operational standards."A Sellafield spokesman said "additional controls" were already in place to prevent workers coming into contact with the lead. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cumbria rail freight firm told to improve after nuclear failures
A specialist rail freight company that carries nuclear material has been told to improve after its subcontractor was not registered to work with radioactive Rail Services Limited (DRS) transports material including flasks of irradiated fuel between EDF's advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactors and Sellafield in company temporarily suspended movements in November 2024 after it was found its subcontractor was not complying with regulations, including around risk assessments and staff Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has served an improvement notice on DRS. The firm said steps were being taken to strengthen processes. The ONS said the subcontractor was not registered for certain practices involving radioactive material, lacked key advisor positions and had not carried out sufficient risk assessments or staff which is part of Nuclear Transport Solutions, said they notified the ONR after learning this and stopped transport movement for five ONR said no harm was caused to the public or the environment as a result of the regulatory shortfalls. 'Management failings' It was also determined that various pieces of legislation had been, and continued to be, contravened by DRS and its subcontractor for the duration of the contract lodged an appeal against the notice, which was issued in February 2025, but that was later withdrawn, the ONR Bowden, an ONR Transport Competent Authority inspector, said inquiries revealed "wider shortcomings" in DRS's management system and "failings" with supply chain management and incident management and reporting. Mr Bowden said the ONR would continue to work with the company during the improvement notice to ensure progress was made.A Nuclear Transport Solutions spokesperson said: "Whilst there were no consequences to public safety or the environment as a result of these shortfalls, we take our regulatory obligations seriously and are fully committed to meeting the highest standards expected by our regulators, customers, and stakeholders. "We have already taken steps to strengthen our internal processes, and we will continue to work with ONR to ensure we comply with the improvement notice."DRS must comply with the notice by 31 August. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Why Torness nuclear power plant is not all it's cracked up to be
The risk of a nuclear accident is thought to be relatively high in new reactors as they are broken in. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl were both in their break-in phase when accidents occurred. Then the risk lowers in mid-life. But as reactors become older, as with any other sort of equipment, there is an increased risk of age-related failures. The Fukushima reactors began commercial operation between 1971 and 1975, so were over 40 years old when the meltdowns occurred. Torness and Hunterston B are both Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) which opened in 1976 and 1989 respectively. There were an estimated 586 cracks across the two Hunterston B reactors when it was eventually forced to close in January 2022. There are a similar number of cracks in just one of the two reactors at Torness, with cracks also starting to appear in the other reactor. Cracking in the graphite core of these reactors is a problem because graphite debris could build up in the fuel channels comprising the operator's ability to keep the fuel cool and misshapen bricks could make inserting the control rods difficult. In a worst-case either of these could lead to a meltdown. The late John Large, a nuclear engineering consultant, explained that cracks also cast doubt on the safety of these reactors in the event of an emergency like an earthquake. A cracked and deteriorating core has lost its residual strength. If the core is wobbled by a small earthquake the core could become misaligned, and the fuel modules could get stuck in the core. Then the fuel temperature would get raised and could undergo a melt. If the radioactivity gets into the gas stream and the reactor is venting because it's over pressurised then you have a release the radioactive gas into the atmosphere and you have dispersion and a contamination problem. Pete Roche (Image: NQ) Clearly, it's time for the ageing Torness reactors to be closed. Keeping them open any longer would be gambling with public safety. We also have to bear in mind that there is a significant design difference at Torness, compared with Hunterston, which could make the cracking problem worse. The Torness reactors have seal rings between the graphite bricks that make up the reactor core. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) says there could be 'a systematic failure' of the seal rings after cracking. In January 2020, ONR brought forward the date when it expected to start seeing cracks appearing at Torness by six years but the closure date was only brought forward by two years from 2030 to 2028. Logically, we might have expected Torness to close in 2024. Then, in January 2024, in a bizarre switch, EDF changed its mind, and reverted to a 2030 closure date 'subject to plant inspections and regulatory approvals'. READ MORE on the Future of Torness series: Torness was only ever expected to operate for 30 or at most 35 years, so it is now past its sell by date. With cracks appearing in both reactors the precautionary principle dictates that it is time to shut up shop. Jobs at Torness won't disappear immediately when the station closes. It took over three years to empty Hunterston B of fuel. After that it will take almost a century to dismantle the buildings, decommission the reactors and eradicate the radiation from the land and buildings, in fact, when Hunterston B transfers its ownership from EDF to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) next April, the Scottish Parliament has been told the NDA will probably need to recruit more staff to help with the decommissioning work. As far as building new reactors at Torness, or anywhere else in Scotland, whether large or small, is concerned, that would be the last thing Scotland needs. It is perfectly feasible to supply 100% of Scotland's energy (not just electricity) from renewable sources. Future of Torness logo (Image: NQ) In fact, a recent study by renowned energy modelling academics at the LUT University in Finland, showed that not only is a 100% renewable energy mix feasible for the whole UK but it would save well over £100 billion in achieving net zero by 2050, compared to the UK Government's current strategy. What we need to balance variable renewables and reduce payments for turning off renewables is not always on 24/7 nuclear reactors, but more energy storage and flexibility in electricity demand. Nuclear power is too slow, too inflexible and too expensive to play a role in cutting carbon emissions.
