REPROCESS A DANGEROUS DECISION

Web version of a press release issued on 4th October 2001 by SGR

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR [1]) believes that the UK Government's recent decision to start the Sellafield MOx reprocessing plant shows a strange blindness to fundamental global forces that became so terribly apparent in the attacks in the US on September 11th 2001.

The events of this date have shown that the international terrorist threat has considerably increased. The vulnerability of the MOx and other industrial plants (nuclear, chemical etc.) must be reconsidered together with the infrastructure that supports them.

Clearly, the existence of a plant for reprocessing nuclear fuel entails the movement of high-level radioactive waste. Any transport of this material is a weak link in the security of a very dangerous substance, especially as this plant will be receiving overseas waste.

As recently as August 2001 [2] it has been pointed out to the UK government that reprocessed fuel could be converted into a form which could be used in the construction of a nuclear weapon. By opening the Sellafield MOx plant the government is increasing this risk and encouraging a dangerous worldwide industry.

SGR believes that the blatant danger proven by the events of September 11th cannot have been given more than a token evaluation by the time the decision to commence reprocessing was made. SGR feels that whether the decision was made either for unsound political reasons or from simple bureaucratic momentum, it is in any event deeply flawed, dangerous, shortsighted and, arguably, incompetent.

SGR therefore calls in the strongest terms that on these grounds alone (aside from any other doubts over commercial viability) that the Sellafield MOx plant be retired.

Notes:

[1] Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) is an independent UK organisation of scientists committed to the ethical use of science and technology. SGR, PO Box 473, Folkestone, CT20 1GS, UK. Tel 07771 883696. Email: info@sgr.org.uk

[2] Terrorist devices from Plutonium and MOX, Dr. Frank Barnaby of The Oxford Research Group, available from http://www.oxfrg.demon.co.uk/main%20frame%20-%20publications.htm