News !
 Words
of the month
What
a waste
Superphenix
shut down for good
Figure of the month
The inventory of separated plutonium in the UK, which has doubled over
the last ten years, is the largest in the world. Most of the separated
plutonium is of British origin, which highlights the inconsistency of
the UK plutonium management scheme. As of 31 March 1997, the amount
of non-British separated plutonium in the country was less than 5.5
tonnes, that is to say less than 10% of the total separated plutonium
of almost 60 tonnes. BNFL is to continue producing very significant
quantities of separated plutonium of UK origin, while there is no use
for such material in the UK.
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As of 31 March
of year
|
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
|
Plutonium at all UK nuclear sites but UKAEA
sites
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| In store as plutonium oxyde |
25 |
26,5 |
29,5 |
32 |
34 |
36,5 |
38,5 |
41,5 |
44 |
48,5 |
53,5 |
|
|
Unextrated plutonium
in irradiated fuel
|
17,5 |
23,5 |
26 |
28 |
31 |
34 |
37 |
39,5 |
43 |
49,5 |
45 |
|
|
In process of extraction / fuel fabrication or
in other intermediate forms (eg.nitrate)
|
2,5 |
2 |
1,5 |
1,5 |
1,5 |
1,5 |
1,5 |
1 |
1,5 |
2,5 |
2 |
| |
|
UKAEA sites
(in Mt no detail)
|
4,5 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4 |
4 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4,5 |
4 |
4 |
16 tonnes Of Plutonium Produced At La Hague During
1997
The French reprocessing plants at La Hague reprocessed a total of 1,620
tonnes during 1997. The UP2 plant reprocessed 850 tonnes of French spent
fuel and the UP3 plant reprocessed 820 tonnes of foreign spent fuel
and a total of approx. 16 additional tonnes of plutonium were separated.
Most of it will, of course, be added to the plutonium stockpile. A brilliant
demonstration of the official French policy of not putting plutonium
on the shelves.
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Words of the month
Early Day Motion On The British Plutonium Policy
As of 23 February 1998, 134 MPs had signed the following Early Day
Motion, tabled at the House of Commons by Labour MP David Chaytor on
27 October 1997: "That this House is concerned with the ever-increasing
stockpiles of plutonium in Britain and the rest of the world; regrets
the lack of any clear policy on what to do with this plutonium and in
particular the decision by Britain to allow the recycling of some of
this plutonium for use in mixed oxide fuel; regrets the lack of a detailed
plutonium disposition policy for Britain and the lack of discussion
or debate in the House on the potential proliferation risks of Britain's
plutonium stockpile and the manufacturing and exporting of mixed oxide
fuel by British Nuclear Fuel plc; and calls on Her Majesty's Government
to instigate a thorough re-examination of how to deal with Britain's
plutonium stockpile that takes account of the many concerns of the public
and honourable Members before arriving at a plutonium disposal policy
that properly addresses all the potential health, environment and proliferation
risks posed by the stockpile."
Plutonium Stockpile A Proliferation
Risk ?
Mr Derek Fatchett, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,
stated to MPs in a House of Commons written reply on 2 December 1997
that "the proliferation risks posed by the use of Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX)
by European Union countries and its transport from EU suppliers to Japan
are assessed as being extremely low". He added: "Indeed, the use of
MOX fuel reduces proliferation risks by gradually reducing plutonium
stockpiles"... which the same government currently allows to increase
at unprecedented speed. Ah, politics and logic.
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What a waste
Belgian Government Says Radwaste Will Stay In France
Large quantities of low level radioactive waste from the reprocessing
of Belgian spent fuel shall stay in France. In a response to parliamentary
questions, dated 18 february 1998, the Belgian Government states: "The
execution of the reprocessing contracts no longer forsees the return
to Belgium of Category A waste". How the French population will appreciate
the Belgian glowing gift - illegal under the 1991 Radioactive Waste
Act - remains to be seen.
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Superphénix Shut Down For Good,
Phénix Restart Legally Doubtful
On 2 Fébruary 1998, the French Government issued a clear statement
confirming its decision to keep the world's only industrial scale (1,200
MWe) fast breeder reactor shut down and prepare for its decommissioning:
"Superphénix will not restart, not even for a limited time span". The
same statement indicated that the almost 25 year old Phénix (250MWe)
fast breeder reactor at Marcoule could be restarted "until 2004 under
certain conditions which will have to be respected by the operator".
The reactor was shut down for upgrading work on 7th April 1995 and has
been inoperative ever since. The French legislation stipulates that
a reactor which is shut down ("à l'arrt") for more than two subsequent
years has to undergo a new licensing procedure. The operators want to
restart the reactor by the end of March. Opponents are only waiting
for the authorisation to be given to go to court - with good chances.
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