ONE OF THE closest nuclear power plants to Ireland “continues to cause concern” to the British Nuclear watchdog.The Office for Nuclear Regulation ONR in the UK said that a quarter of their inspectors work at Sellafield, attempting to improve such things as nuclear waste storage facilities.The ONR’s head inspector Colin Patchett said that there were a number of issues at Sellafield.“Some legacy facilities at Sellafield require a significantly enhanced level of regulatory attention and we continue to engage with the licensee to ensure improvements are made

via Sellafield facilities “do not meet modern standards” – UK nuclear watchdog.

Irish authorities welcomed the (damning) report.

Here in Ireland, the Department of Environment welcomed the report and said Ireland will continue to work with British authorities in decommissioning the plant.
“Given our long-standing concerns in relation to Sellafield we welcome the report from the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation and also a previous report from the UK National Audit Office in relation to managing risk reduction at Sellafield. We believe that it is important that the Sellafield site and its operations are subject to independent scrutiny, such as that undertaken in the preparation of these reports.

but in November 2012 the Irish Govt. received their own report that blew cold water on the dangers of Sellafield. Cold water is good I hear for heating rods.

How can Irish govt. say

We believe that it is important that the Sellafield site and its operations are subject to independent scrutiny

When they called for Sellafield to be included on a list of sites to be inspected after Fukushima explosions. The site was added. The Irish Govt. welcomed this. The site was then removed from the list. The Irish Govt. said nothing!

So Irish Govt. think

  1. Sellafield is not a risk (but UK’s HSE & NAO & ONR do think it is)
  2. Its OK for Sellafield not to be tested as no one will notice it being removed from the list – sssh!
  3. it’s good to welcome reports but don’t really object to it at all

Is anyone paying attention to this. It’s old, it’s the oldest in the world, it’s dangerous, it’s broke as a business (MOX plant closing), it is continuing to cost billions to the UK tax payer to (not) clean up, and future new build nuclear can only be built with unprecedented state backing and incentives with high price fixed buy back of energy.

There is one thing I will agree with the pro nuclear lobby, it is not going away any time soon, not in my life time not in its half life time, it will be here even when we stop. So we should stop it now. Shut Sellafield.