Leaked Photographs Sellafield

Photographs leaked by a whistleblower showing decades of neglect of dangerous wastes at the Sellafield site have been sent by Radiation Free Lakeland to the Austrian Chancellor. The photographs were published in The Ecologist on 27th October under the headline: "Leaked Sellafield photos reveal ‘massive radioactive release threat.’"

In a letter sent on October 29th to the Austrian Chancellor, Radiation Free Lakeland says:

"We wrote to you last week supporting your challenge to the European Commission on state subsidies for new nuclear at Hinkley C. Since then the leaked images of the Sellafield wastes have been published in the Ecologist and have been studied by nuclear expert John Large.
 * if the ponds drain, the Magnox fuel will ignite and that would lead to a massive release of radioactive material.


 * Looking at the photos I am very disturbed at the degraded and run down condition of the structures and support services. In my opinion there is a significant risk that the system could fail.


 * If you got a breach of the wall by accident or by terrorist attack, the Magnox fuel would burn. I would say there's many hundreds of tonnes in there. It could give rise to a very big radioactive release. It's not for me to make comparisons with Chernobyl or Fukushima, but it could certainly cause serious contamination over a wide area and for a very long time.

The photographs of Sellafield released by a whistleblower should have been released by the British Government in the interests of openness and transparency when developing their energy policy.

It is clear that the UK government instead of asking the British public to subsidise new build should be asking for the world's help in looking after these nuclear wastes which are a real and present danger.

Sellafield and the UK government continue the pretence that Sellafield is a "centre of excellence." There is not enough money in the world to make Sellafield safe but that is what the world must aim for instead of spending £billions of public money to make yet more waste.

Wastes from the existing Hinkley nuclear plant continues to arrive at Sellafield by rail through towns and villages.

We fully support Austria's opposition to the UK continuing along this toxic path to future and ever more deadly "legacy" wastes.

The Ecologist article Leaked Sellafield photos reveal massive radioactive release threat"

Find out more at Radiation Free Lakeland:
 * http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/letters-to-the-austrian-chancellor-and-other-european-leaders-no-new-build-subsidies/

See the e-mail sent to Austria:
 * http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/images/e/e7/Sent_by_Email_to_the_Chancellor_of_Austria_22.10.14.pdf