Comparisons of the emissions in the Windscale and Chernobyl accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamberlain, A.C.

1987-02-01

The contents are summarized under the following headings: 1) Windscale accident summary 2) Emission of 137 Cs from Windscale 3) Emission of other fission products from Windscale 4) Environmental effects - iodine 5) Environmental effects - caesium. A bibliography is attached and where figures are available, comparisons are made with the Chernobyl fallout, including thyroid iodine burdens for U.K. students who were in Russia at the time of the Chernobyl accident, and milk measurements of Caesium 137 in the U.K. (UK)

Sellafield: the nuclear legacy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, Sir D.

1985-01-01

The paper concerns Sir Douglas Black's independent inquiry into cancer in young people living near the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant. The inquiry followed a Yorkshire Television documentary on the subject. Childhood cancer and the statistical methodology employed in the report are discussed, as answers to criticisms of the report. Also discussed are the Sellafield discharges and the incidence of childhood leukaemia near Sellafield. (U.K.)

New Sellafield study poses a puzzle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kingman, S.

1993-01-01

Three years ago, an epidemiological study rocked the nuclear industry by suggesting a link between exposure to radiation among men and leukemia in their children. The study, by the late British epidemiologist Martin Gardner, focused on workers at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in northwest England and had profound implications for the nuclear industry: If a causal link between exposure and cancer could be proven, occupational exposure limits to radiation would have to be tightened and British Nuclear Fuels, the operator of Sellafield, might be open to litigation from the affected children and their relatives. A new study by Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found only fragile evidence that long-term cumulative exposure to radiation by fathers before conception of their children was linked to an increased risk of the child developing leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. But in Seascale, 3 kilometers south of Sellafield, the rate of leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma among children whose fathers worked in Sellafield and lived in Seascale when they were born was about 14 times the national average. The findings remain uncertain as to cause of the cancers

Windscale: a case study in public scrutiny

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bugler, J.

1978-01-01

An account is given of the action in Parliament - and relevant action outside Parliament - leading to the setting up of a public inquiry into the application by British Nuclear Fuels Limited for planning permission to construct a thermal oxide reprocessing plant at their Windscale works. The hearings and the subsequent report by the inspector are also examined from the points of view of public involvement and parliamentary and government machinery. (U.K.)

The Windscale piles initial decommissioning programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boorman, T.; Woodacre, A.

1992-01-01

The two Windscale Piles, the first large scale nuclear reactors built in the UK were constructed in the late 1940's and operated until the accident in Pile No 1 caused their permanent shutdown in 1957. Following a period of care and maintenance, a programme of initial decommissioning has begun aimed at establishing a satisfactory long-term safe condition for the Windscale Piles Complex with minimum maintenance commitments. For the chimneys this involves the removal of the top filter sections. The pond will be emptied and cleaned. For the Piles the initial phase includes the consideration of options for long-term decommissioning solutions. (author)

A comparison of the observed and the expected cancers of the haematopoietic and lymphatic systems among workers at Windscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolphin, G.W.

1976-12-01

Data are given about the cases of cancers of the haematopoietic and lymphatic systems among workers at Windscale Works, BNFL during the period 1950 to 1974. The number of cancers of these types expected to occur in the working population at Windscale has been estimated for the same period. For none of these types is the observed number of cancers significantly different at the 95% confidence level from that expected. (author)

What price Windscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, S.

1985-11-01

The report examines the economic and waste management arguments used to justify the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. With specific reference to Windscale reprocessing plant, it concludes that reprocessing is not the optimum approach to the management of spent fuel for the next decade or longer, and that the alternatives of long-term storage and/or direct disposal are more economic and more environmentally sound alternatives. (author)

Taming Windscale's piles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, A.L.

1989-01-01

The options as to what to do with the Windscale Piles are being assessed before a final decision on decommissioning is made. Both Piles were shutdown in 1957 following the fire in the Pile number 1. Pile 1 still contains 22 tons of natural uranium fuel. The details of graphite moderator content, biological shielding and other components and containment are given. The fuel and isotope channels in Pile 2 have been examined and the air and water ducts have been inspected. The chimneys of both Piles are contaminated and all entrances have been sealed. Before any work starts the air outlet ducts will be sealed from the chimney and a ventilation system installed. A manipulator is being prepared to remove the remaining fuel elements from both Piles. The proposed decommissioning programme for both Piles is outlined. (U.K.)

Selling Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milne, Kirsty.

1987-01-01

The article describes a trip to the Sellafield reprocessing plant arranged by BNFL for journalists. The train journey from London and the actual tour round the Sellafield site and visitor centre are described briefly. Several protest groups were encountered on the way but the point made is that in encouraging visitors to the site and explaining what is going on there BNFL is trying to be more open in its dealings with the public in an effort to inform, reassure and lessen mistrust. (UK)

Windscale inquiry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, C.M.

1981-01-01

The nuclear debate, far from being concluded by the Windscale decision, was in fact opened up and its scope widened to take into account the political, international, environmental and social issues involved. This debate continues and the selection of literature presented here aims to illustrate all aspects of the Inquiry and its implications. The material is presented in two main sections. Section A is concerned with the Inquiry itself: the proceedings, the report and the government's decision. Section B presents a selection of the literature and debate that resulted. (author)

The selling of Sellafield (the public image)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, David.

1986-01-01

The advertising campaign planned to restore the public image of Sellafield is discussed. Two aspects of the Sellafield site are being promoted especially, the first is that the discharges of long life radioactivity are being reduced. The second is the 'site accessibility' of Sellafield -BNFL is trying to encourage visitors to see for themselves what goes on at Sellafield. There is evidence that this will allay the fears and suspicions of the public. It is suggested, however, that providing information about nuclear power may be counter-productive as the concept of nuclear disaster may receive greater attention. The Sellafield site is difficult to promote whilst it continues to suffer leaks and it is suggested that the only way to promote Sellafield successfully may be by appealing to nationalism as the French have done in their nuclear campaign. (U.K.)

Penney's Windscale thoughts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pearce, F

1988-01-07

The paper concerns the official file on the nuclear fire at Windscale in October 1957, which was written by Sir William Penney. The file was based on a 10-day investigation, and describes the physical causes and consequences of the fire. The events of the accident are described, along with the political events of the time concerning the U.S.A. and nuclear weapons, attempts to put out the fire, iodine fall-out in the milk, and polonium 210 contamination.

Some Windscale experience of the underwater examination of water reactor fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, D.A.; Prestwood, J.; Stuttard, A.

1981-01-01

Windscale Nuclear Laboratories have been involved in the underwater post irradiation examination of irradiated water reactor fuel since the early 1970's. Since the work of the laboratories covers a wide range of fuel types, the equipment has had to be capable of handling any design, long or short, circular or square. There has so far been no element of routine work in the tasks performed at Windscale, for in this period fuel assemblies from 9 LWR's and WSGHWR have been examined successfully. Individual jobs have ranged from visual examination which may be carried out at several magnifications, to the complete breakdown of a PWR assembly to its separate rods and grids. Between these limits rod bow and rod diameter have been measured, rod withdrawal forces determined, and eddy current test methods devised. Cutting equipment has been used for a variety of dismantling tasks, and underwater cameras have been employed for monochrome and colour photography, using standard and macro lenses. The equipment is described. (author)

Winning Public Confidence in Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preece, J. A.

1991-01-01

BNF operates the nuclear fuel reprocessing and waste management centre of Sellafield in North West England. It is the largest nuclear site in Britain and perhaps the most famous nuclear plant in Western Europe. It is famous largely because it has long been the target of anti-nuclear interests. Well organised, well funded and well informed anti-nuclear organisations, notably including Green peace and Friends of the Earth, have made propaganda capital based on a number of controversial claims: - that by importing spent nuclear fuel from overseas for reprocessing at Sellafield, BNFL was turning Britain into a nuclear dustbin for the world. That discharges of low level radioactivity from Sellafield cause unacceptable nuclear pollution and endanger health, that the radioactivity in store in various forms on site at Sellafield, for which no permanent disposal routes are yet available, are a danger to the public and constantly threaten a major nuclear accident

Sellafield - a nuclear licensed site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, Phillipa.

1987-01-01

The report is based on the experience gained when visiting the Exhibition Centre at the BNFL Sellafield site and joining the hour-long coach trip round the site. The sights are recorded and a description given of the processes undertaken at Sellafield to reprocess the Magnox fuel and store the spent fuel from AGR reactors. The purpose of the main plant building, and the passage of the spent fuel through the various processes is described. Criticism is made of the safety record at Sellafield and a full and open debate on nuclear power is called for. (UK)

Windscale Report: a nuclear apologia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, W.C.

1978-01-01

Government representatives have pointed repeatedly with pride to Britain's longest nuclear planning inquiry, The Windscale Inquiry, as a model of open examination of a sensitive nuclear proposal. The official Report of the Windscale Inquiry, published in March 1978, bears little relationship to the proceedings of the Inquiry, according to the author. Instead, the Report is a heavy-handed nuclear apologia, he says, so clumsily one-sided as to provoke unease even among many Britons previously unmoved by the issue which gave rise to the inquiry. Windscale, built following WW II to produce plutonium for Britain's nuclear weapons, is now operated by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. In 1973, BNFL began to plan construction of a new full-scale oxide-fuel reprocessing plant. Protests delayed construction until the inquiry was planned and the inquiry team was formulated in March 1977. When the Inquiry ended, the inspector closeted himself to write the Report. The Report recommended that the oxide fuel reprocessing plant be built immediately. BNFL had asserted that the proposed thermal oxide reprocessing plant, THORP, was necessary for the management of spent fuel from British and other nuclear plants; that it was desirable for ''energy conservation,'' by recovering uranium and plutonium for re-use; that radioactive emissions within and outside the plant would pose no hazard; and that the servicing of foreign customers would not increase the risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons, but would rather help to persuade other countries not to reprocess their own fuel. The inspector agreed without qualification and with emphasis. In doing so he made no attempt even to describe the detailed evidence on either side, or to discuss the cases advanced by objectors. The author discusses the principal conclusions of the report and cites its futility

Successful public relations for a better public acceptance - a case study on Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, C.; Prestwood, J.

1998-01-01

The Sellafield story is not unique but it can be used as one example of what can be achieved in a community close to a nuclear site. Over the past 12 years BNFL staff at Sellafield have worked diligently to win public acceptance in the local community around Sellafield. It has been an excellent example of teamwork, involving the workforce and the local community. It has taken a great deal of effort and finance and painstaking attention to even the most trivial issues to gain the publics' trust. Today, Sellafield and its activities underpin the economy of West Cumbria. The site employs just under 7000 people directly with a further 1500 in contracting roles

Successful public relations for a better public acceptance - a case study on Sellafield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duncan, C. [British Nuclear Fuels plc, Risley (United Kingdom); Prestwood, J. [British Nuclear Fuels plc, Sellafield (United Kingdom)

1998-12-31

The Sellafield story is not unique but it can be used as one example of what can be achieved in a community close to a nuclear site. Over the past 12 years BNFL staff at Sellafield have worked diligently to win public acceptance in the local community around Sellafield. It has been an excellent example of teamwork, involving the workforce and the local community. It has taken a great deal of effort and finance and painstaking attention to even the most trivial issues to gain the publics` trust. Today, Sellafield and its activities underpin the economy of West Cumbria. The site employs just under 7000 people directly with a further 1500 in contracting roles.

Practical decommissioning experience with nuclear installations in the European Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skupinski, E.

1992-01-01

Initiated by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), this seminar was jointly organized by the AEA, BNFL and the CEC at Windermere and the sites of Windscale/Sellafield, where the former Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor and the Windscale piles are currently being dismantled. The meeting aimed at gathering a limited number of European experts for the presentation and discussion of operations, results and conclusions on techniques and procedures currently applied in the dismantling of large scale nuclear installations in the European Community

Sellafield: boom or bombshell?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingham, J.

1988-01-01

Building work at the Sellafield reprocessing plant is reviewed. BNFL is about halfway through its programme to build new plants for reprocessing and storing spent nuclear fuels. Most money is being spent on THORP, the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, but vitrification and encapsulation plants are also being built. All the construction work has provided employment for many workers, many from outside the area but also local labour which has altered the local job market. However, problems are envisaged when the construction programme is complete in 1992 and the number of jobs greatly reduced. Unemployment and economic depression are forecast. (U.K.)

The role of advertising in promoting Sellafield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cartwright, Bob [BNFL (United Kingdom)

1989-07-01

During the last two and half years, British Nuclear Fuels havevspent approaching 9 million pounds on advertising, expenditure designed to increase the public's acceptance of nuclear power and BNFL's operations in particular. That money has been spent against a difficult background, the campaign having started just seven weeks after the Chernobyl disaster, although the strategy, was developed before Chernobyl changed so many people's attitude towards nuclear power. Sellafield was seen by many in the nuclear industry, and not only in Britain, as a major problem, and the public, judging by opinion research conducted at the time, shared that view. Research showed: Most people Saw BNFL as an environmental polluter and a danger to health; Sellafield was aeon as a dangerous place at which to work or near which to live; BNFL was seen as secretive and dishonest. One of the major argument for using advertising as the focal point of any major campaign is that, unlike press relations, it can be controlled. This was particularly important, as the press coverage was already bad, and something dramatic had to be done to change the situation. At first, we considered two fairly obvious strategies. To try and explain the benefits of nuclear power and BNFL's role, and secondly to explain the risks and put them into the context of other everyday risks. The campaign started in June 1986, with colour advertisements in magazines and newspaper supplements. Attached to the advertisement were invitation cards, with nine million printed. This was followed by a 50 second TV advertisement, broadcast nationally. Our aim to make the campaign newsworthy certainly worked. With the help of a public relations exercise, the TV ad was shown on a wide range of news programmes, and many newspaper articles were written about this new approach to selling nuclear power to the public. People started to visit Sellafield in ever increasing numbers. The biggest surprise was at the end of 1987, when Sellafield

The role of advertising in promoting Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, Bob

1989-01-01

During the last two and half years, British Nuclear Fuels havevspent approaching 9 million pounds on advertising, expenditure designed to increase the public's acceptance of nuclear power and BNFL's operations in particular. That money has been spent against a difficult background, the campaign having started just seven weeks after the Chernobyl disaster, although the strategy, was developed before Chernobyl changed so many people's attitude towards nuclear power. Sellafield was seen by many in the nuclear industry, and not only in Britain, as a major problem, and the public, judging by opinion research conducted at the time, shared that view. Research showed: Most people Saw BNFL as an environmental polluter and a danger to health; Sellafield was aeon as a dangerous place at which to work or near which to live; BNFL was seen as secretive and dishonest. One of the major argument for using advertising as the focal point of any major campaign is that, unlike press relations, it can be controlled. This was particularly important, as the press coverage was already bad, and something dramatic had to be done to change the situation. At first, we considered two fairly obvious strategies. To try and explain the benefits of nuclear power and BNFL's role, and secondly to explain the risks and put them into the context of other everyday risks. The campaign started in June 1986, with colour advertisements in magazines and newspaper supplements. Attached to the advertisement were invitation cards, with nine million printed. This was followed by a 50 second TV advertisement, broadcast nationally. Our aim to make the campaign newsworthy certainly worked. With the help of a public relations exercise, the TV ad was shown on a wide range of news programmes, and many newspaper articles were written about this new approach to selling nuclear power to the public. People started to visit Sellafield in ever increasing numbers. The biggest surprise was at the end of 1987, when Sellafield

Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preece, J.A.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses a highly publicized accident at Sellafield, involving radioactive pollution, after which a period of continuous adverse media coverage eroded public confidence in the plant and its operators. The author presents alternative recovery strategies attempted before identification of an open information, open door policy as the optimal route to a restored reputation. The success of the new policies is described

Windscale: tackling the core of the problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The decommissioning of the Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor requires the design of a robot or manipulator to enter the reactor core and cut up the core into pieces that can then be loaded into concrete-filled boxes and disposed of as nuclear waste. Existing equipment is not entirely suitable so the machine is being designed specifically for the job. A British firm has been chosen to supply the equipment, which will have joy stick control, and will be delivered by mid 1988. Six months development work, then a year of trials will follow, before the dismantling process will start. The machine, its operation and the remote viewing provision are discussed. (U.K.)

Future analytical provision - Relocation of Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newell, B.

2015-01-01

Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services provide an essential view on the environmental, safety, process and high hazard risk reduction performances by analysis of samples. It is the largest and most complex analytical services laboratory in Europe, with 150 laboratories (55 operational) and 350 staff (including 180 analysts). Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services Main Laboratory is in need of replacement. This is due to the age of the facility and changes to work streams. This relocation is an opportunity to -) design and commission bespoke MA (Medium-Active) cells, -) modify HA (High-Active) cell design to facilitate an in-cell laboratory, -) develop non-destructive techniques, -) open light building for better worker morale. The option chosen was to move the activities to the NNL Central laboratory (NNLCL) that is based at Sellafield and is the UK's flagship nuclear research and development facility. This poster gives a time schedule

After the fire: preparing the Windscale Piles for decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

The Windscale Piles in the UK were taken out of service in 1957 after a fire in Pile 1. They have remained essentially in the same state since that time and during this period there have been periodic inspections of the complete structures to ensure that there is no degradation taking place. The Piles are in a safe condition and would remain so for a considerable period (50 years or more) provided they were undisturbed. However, the Piles must be decommissioned at some time and clearly this will require preparatory work which is now being carried out. The work is scheduled for completion in 1994, at a cost of Pound 8 million at present day prices. (author)

Irish and Scandinavian objection to Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haaland, Leif

2001-01-01

The article deals with the objection of Ireland and the Scandinavian countries to the radioactive emissions from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. This contamination follows the sea currents northward and radioactive material from this plant has been found in seaweed and crustaceans along the coast of Norway. The concentration in lobster from the Irish Sea is much higher than in Norwegian crustaceans and above the action limit set by the EU for the radioactive isotope Technetium 99 in the event of a new atomic accident. British authorities have refused to stop the pollution and even plan to start production of MOX fuel at Sellafield. They say new purification techniques will be developed within three or five years. For Norway, the opposition against Sellafield is a priority

'Goody, goody, we're going to Sellafield'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Bob [British Nuclear Fuels pic, Warrington (United Kingdom)

1993-07-01

In the early eighties British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield plant was hit by two events. An unscheduled release of radioactivity onto the beaches near Sellafield attracted headline news, although it subsequently became clear that the risk of any resulting harm to the public was extremely remote. There was inevitably a great deal of adverse publicity. Local tourism levels were said to have fallen during the next twelve months, and there were many calls for Sellafield's operations to be restricted or stopped. Something clearly had to be done. And so much has been done that during the last seven years, Sellafield, Britain's largest nuclear fuel recycling plant and the country's largest nuclear facility, has become a major tourist attraction. This rather strange development began in 1984 with a major review of our PR strategy. Alternative strategies were researched as a result of which a strategy was developed to help build credibility through an open door/open information policy and inviting the public to visit Sellafield and see for themselves. As a part of the strategy a public relations programme, including a major national advertising campaign on television and in the press, began in 1986 and has played a major part in developing visitor numbers to Sellafield ever since. From 29,000 in 1985, to 65,000 in 1986, to 104,000 in 1987. In fact the number of visitors increased so dramatically in 1987 that the company decided to replace the overrun exhibition centre with a new 5 million pound Visitors Centre which, opened in 1988, has over the years become the flagship for our open door/open information strategy.

'Goody, goody, we're going to Sellafield'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Bob

1993-01-01

In the early eighties British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield plant was hit by two events. An unscheduled release of radioactivity onto the beaches near Sellafield attracted headline news, although it subsequently became clear that the risk of any resulting harm to the public was extremely remote. There was inevitably a great deal of adverse publicity. Local tourism levels were said to have fallen during the next twelve months, and there were many calls for Sellafield's operations to be restricted or stopped. Something clearly had to be done. And so much has been done that during the last seven years, Sellafield, Britain's largest nuclear fuel recycling plant and the country's largest nuclear facility, has become a major tourist attraction. This rather strange development began in 1984 with a major review of our PR strategy. Alternative strategies were researched as a result of which a strategy was developed to help build credibility through an open door/open information policy and inviting the public to visit Sellafield and see for themselves. As a part of the strategy a public relations programme, including a major national advertising campaign on television and in the press, began in 1986 and has played a major part in developing visitor numbers to Sellafield ever since. From 29,000 in 1985, to 65,000 in 1986, to 104,000 in 1987. In fact the number of visitors increased so dramatically in 1987 that the company decided to replace the overrun exhibition centre with a new 5 million pound Visitors Centre which, opened in 1988, has over the years become the flagship for our open door/open information strategy

Radiation and Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossman, David.

1986-01-01

Journalist's lay account of a visit to Sellafield's medical services department. Topics mentioned are personal air samplers, pre-employment scanning, preventative health assessment (smoking habits, coronary care haemoccult scanning, well woman clinics are included), whole body monitors, and cancer compensation schemes. (U.K.)

Management of overexposed individuals at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, A.W.; Tagg, B.; Binks, K.; Goodwin, V.R.

1991-01-01

Reviews of the health of Sellafield employees, including the mortality experience of 10,157 occupationally exposed workers and a cohort of 542 who have received cumulative whole body external doses greater than 500 mSv to the end of 1983 show that, to date, mortality due to cancer is generally lower than the average for England and Wale s. This shows that even at Sellafield, where the highest individual and total routine whole body external radiation exposures in the UK have occurred, there is unlikely to be enough data to ever define precisely the radiation risks associated with occupational whole body radiation exposure and implies that the radiological protection procedures and managerial practices employed at Sellafield may have been successful overall. The impact of a recent report on the effects of preconceptual parental occupational whole body radiation exposure on the health of their children is also discussed. (Author)

HSE investigation of leukaemia and other cancers in the children of male workers at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This report presents two findings of the U.K. Health and Safety Executive study group responsible for examining the conclusions of the Gardner Report that ''the raised incidence of leukaemia particularly, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, among children near Sellafield was associated with paternal employment and recorded external dose of whole body penetrating radiation during work at the plant before conception''. The HSE report is divided into three:- the Case-only study and the Radiation Dose study, concerned with the 11 case fathers who had worked at Sellafield. The third part, the Case-control study, is an epidemiological study which seeks to identify all cancer cases diagnosed before the age of 25, where the children concerned had been born in West Cumbria to fathers who were Sellafield employees. The search included the whole country from January 1980 to September 1989. (UK)

The Windscale inquiry and its impact on the national nuclear programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolter, H.E.

1978-01-01

This lecture by the Director of Information Services, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., endeavours to convey something of the flavour of the recent Windscale Inquiry that lasted for 100 days and the results of which encompassed about four million words. It is stated that in at least the short term nuclear power in this country will only expand at a rate that is acceptable to the general public, largely as influenced by members of parliament and the media, including the press. It probably will not expand at a rate acceptable to scientists or deemed necessary by them. The pressure that led to the inquiry will not lessen because the inquiry is over; if anything it will increase. Nevertheless, eventually the nuclear power industry must win and the public will be forced to learn to live with it since the alternative, a society short of energy, is intolerable. Unless the industry has a reasonably consistent work load and a reasonably consistent demand for its products it will become moribund. Comparisons are made with the history of the coal industry. It is believed that one of the main lessons to be learnt form the Windscale Inquiry is that the Nuclear Power Industry's immediate future lies largely in its own hands. An outline is included of the past and probable future work of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. with emphasis on the reprocessing of irradiated oxide fuel. (author)

Being open at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, Philippa.

1986-01-01

The reprocessing of spent fuel at Sellafield is explained briefly stage by stage. The origin of the spent fuels which are reprocessed there is given and the procedures for the different types of spent fuel are explained. The new fuel handling plant is described. Also the site ion-exchange effluent plant (SIXEP), which is designed to reduce the amount of radioactivity in water discharged into the Irish Sea, is mentioned. The work at BNFL on vitrification and the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) are also mentioned. The public are able to look round the exhibition centre and see for themselves the plant and operations as described in this article. (U.K.)

Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor (WAGR) decommissioning project overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pattinson, A.

2003-01-01

The current BNFL reactor decommissioning projects are presented. The projects concern power reactor sites at Berkely, Trawsfynydd, Hunterstone, Bradwell, Hinkley Point; UKAEA Windscale Pile 1; Research reactors within UK Scottish Universities at East Kilbride and ICI (both complete); WAGR. The BNFL environmental role include contract management; effective dismantling strategy development; implementation and operation; sentencing, encapsulation and transportation of waste. In addition for the own sites it includes strategy development; baseline decommissioning planning; site management and regulator interface. The project objectives for the Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (WAGR) are 1) Safe and efficient decommissioning; 2) Building of good relationships with customer; 3) Completion of reactor decommissioning in 2005. The completed WAGR decommissioning campaigns are: Operational Waste; Hot Box; Loop Tubes; Neutron Shield; Graphite Core and Restrain System; Thermal Shield. The current campaign is Lower Structures and the remaining are: Pressure vessel and Insulation; Thermal Columns and Outer Vault Membrane. An overview of each campaign is presented

Diverting activities at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

Remote technology is being used to divert a raffinate feed pipe at the Sellafield fuel reprocessing plant in the UK. Extensive use is being made by the contractor of computer graphics and a full-scale mock-up. (author)

Statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations: first quarter 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

As a requirement of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, the United Kingdom Health and Safety Inspectorate is required to publish reports of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations. This report covers the period 1st January to 31st March 1994. Two incidents are reported for Dungeness A Power Station, one at the Amersham International building on site at Harwell Laboratory, one at AEA Technology's Windscale Plant and one at British Nuclear Fuels Limited's Sellafield site. (UK)

Irish and Scandinavian objection to Sellafield; Norden protesterer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haaland, Leif

2001-07-01

The article deals with the objection of Ireland and the Scandinavian countries to the radioactive emissions from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. This contamination follows the sea currents northward and radioactive material from this plant has been found in seaweed and crustaceans along the coast of Norway. The concentration in lobster from the Irish Sea is much higher than in Norwegian crustaceans and above the action limit set by the EU for the radioactive isotope Technetium 99 in the event of a new atomic accident. British authorities have refused to stop the pollution and even plan to start production of MOX fuel at Sellafield. They say new purification techniques will be developed within three or five years. For Norway, the opposition against Sellafield is a priority.

Computer-based training at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartmell, A.; Evans, M.C.

1986-01-01

British Nuclear Fuel Limited (BNFL) operate the United Kingdom's spent-fuel receipt, storage, and reprocessing complex at Sellafield. Spent fuel from graphite-moderated CO 2 -cooled Magnox reactors has been reprocessed at Sellafield for 22 yr. Spent fuel from light water and advanced gas reactors is stored pending reprocessing in the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant currently being constructed. The range of knowledge and skills needed for plant operation, construction, and commissioning represents a formidable training requirement. In addition, employees need to be acquainted with company practices and procedures. Computer-based training (CBT) is expected to play a significant role in this process. In this paper, current applications of CBT to the filed of nuclear criticality safety are described and plans for the immediate future are outlined

Radioactive lobsters put squeeze on Sellafield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1996-11-01

British Nuclear Fuels is facing a new controversy over its Sellafield Works in Cumbria. Levels of the radioactive isotope technetium-99 in lobsters close to the works have risen 40-fold since 1993 -and now far exceed EC standards for contamination of food after a nuclear accident. Radioactive doses to local seafood consumers have been rising steeply since BNFL commissioned a new enhanced actinide removal plant (EARP) in 1994. The Environment Agency has now asked BNFL to consider ways of reducing technetium-99 discharges from the plant - but the company is also under pressure to maintain throughput to meet the safety concerns of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and avoid disrupting the reprocessing of spent Magnox reactor fuel. (UK).

Radioactive lobsters put squeeze on Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels is facing a new controversy over its Sellafield Works in Cumbria. Levels of the radioactive isotope technetium-99 in lobsters close to the works have risen 40-fold since 1993 -and now far exceed EC standards for contamination of food after a nuclear accident. Radioactive doses to local seafood consumers have been rising steeply since BNFL commissioned a new enhanced actinide removal plant (EARP) in 1994. The Environment Agency has now asked BNFL to consider ways of reducing technetium-99 discharges from the plant - but the company is also under pressure to maintain throughput to meet the safety concerns of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and avoid disrupting the reprocessing of spent Magnox reactor fuel. (UK)

Windscale pile core surveys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, R.F.; Mathews, R.F.

1996-01-01

The two Windscale Piles were closed down, defueled as far as possible and mothballed for thirty years following a fire in the core of Pile 1 in 1957 resulting from the spontaneous release of stored Wigner energy in the graphite moderator. Decommissioning of the reactors commenced in 1987 and has reached the stage where the condition of both cores needs to be determined. To this end, non-intrusive and intrusive surveys and sampling of the cores have been planned and partly implemented. The objectives for each Pile differ slightly. The location and quantity of fuel remaining in the damaged core of Pile 1 needed to be established, whereas the removal of all fuel from Pile 2 needed to be confirmed. In Pile 1, the possible existence of a void in the core is to be explored and in Pile 2, the level of Wigner energy remaining required to be quantified. Levels of radioactivity in both cores needed to be measured. The planning of the surveys is described including strategy, design, safety case preparation and the remote handling and viewing equipment required to carry out the inspection, sampling and monitoring work. The results from the completed non-intrusive survey of Pile 2 are summarised. They confirm that the core is empty and the graphite is in good condition. The survey of Pile 1 has just started. (UK)

BNFL Sellafield further public consultation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The main issues raised during the further public consultation on the draft Sellafield authorisations for the discharge of radioactive wastes from the British Nuclear Fuel (BNFL) Sellafield site are outlined. An analysis of the categories and numbers of the 42,500 responses is made. The public consultation was based on five documents; a letter to consultees from the Department of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF); the report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution and the Inspectorate of MAFF on their earlier consultation exercise; a paper by BNFL on the economic and commercial justification of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP); a statement of the Government's policy on reprocessing and THORP and a document prepared by BNFL on the environmental implication of THORP. (UK)

Sellafield visitor centre: techniques for bringing technology to the community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, D.

1993-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc undertakes a full range of fuel cycle services and is committed to an open-door policy in explaining its operations of the public; for which its Visitor's Centre at Sellafield is the flagship. The existing Centre was opened in 1988 and replaced an earlier, smaller, facility. In total, more than 1 000 000 visitors have been welcomed to Sellafield and the Site is now recognized as the largest tourist attraction in the region. This creates a high level of responsibility to the local area, to which Sellafield responds through its many community and education based projects. (author)

Factual biosphere database for Sellafield and the surrounding area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broderick, M A [ANS Consultants Ltd., Epsom (United Kingdom)

1991-12-01

This report documents from open published sources a factual database appropriate to the Sellafield region including the coastal marine environment for present day biosphere conditions. A detailed description of the present day environment in the Sellafield area is provided. This includes a description of the natural environment and climate. Site specific data required for biosphere modelling are also outlined. (author).

Factual biosphere database for Sellafield and the surrounding area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broderick, M.A.

1991-12-01

This report documents from open published sources a factual database appropriate to the Sellafield region including the coastal marine environment for present day biosphere conditions. A detailed description of the present day environment in the Sellafield area is provided. This includes a description of the natural environment and climate. Site specific data required for biosphere modelling are also outlined. (author)

Safeguards By Design - As applied to the Sellafield Product and Residue Store (SPRS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chare, Peter; Lahogue, Yves; Schwalbach, Peter; Smejkal, Andreas; Patel, Bharat [European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, Directorate E - Nuclear Safeguards, Euroforum, Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

2011-12-15

Sellafield Product and Residue Store (SPRS) is a new facility that has been constructed on the site of Sellafield. The design work started in early 2001 and active commissioning commenced with the introduction of the first nuclear material which arrived in the building early 2011. The store has been designed for the long term storage of Plutonium product (PuO2) from Thorp and Magnox, MOX residue powder from Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) as well as pellet, powder or granular PuO2 residues from the older stores on the Sellafield site. This paper describes the application of Safeguards By Design commencing at the early design stage based upon the Safeguards Approach to be applied by DG ENER at the Sellafield Product and Residue Store (SPRS). The approach had been developed based upon the requirements for implementing Commission Regulation 302(2005) and the technical measures to be implemented in order to meet Article 77(a) of the Euratom Treaty. In order to meet these requirements a close dialogue was established between the different interested parties and the design team for the installation of instrumentation with associated cabling in order to implement the agreed safeguards measures. Early contacts at the design stage facilitated the inclusion of installed safeguards supplied instrumentation into the overall design and facility construction. The equipment and cabling supplied by Euratom was incorporated into the planning and construction phases. This ensured that upon plant completion the safeguards tools were commissioned and ready for the verification of the first nuclear material to be introduced into SPRS. Detailed discussions at the early stages of the design phase raised the profile of nuclear material safeguards and made certain that the necessary instrumentation infrastructure was incorporated into the plant infrastructure.

The Sellafield contaminated land and groundwater management project: Characterisation of a complex nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruickshak, Julian

2012-01-01

The Sellafield site in North West England is one of the oldest and largest nuclear sites in the world, with a 70 year industrial history of processing and power generation. At certain points in time this industrial activity has affected the quality of land on parts of the site and one of the main tasks for Sellafield Ltd is to understand and control the legacy of ground contamination to ensure protection of the workforce, the public and the environment. Sellafield Ltd has recently completed a multi-million Pound investigation of the most complex part of the site in order to understand the impact of the various known and potential sources of contamination. The constraints of working in a challenging operational environment required both the use of tried and tested approaches and experimentation with innovative techniques. As experience was gained during implementation of the project, the characterisation plan was evolved and adapted to ensure a successful outcome. The presentation will outline the role and importance of characterising land and groundwater at Sellafield, explain how the site investigation strategy and techniques were designed to meet the challenge and describe the performance of the investigation in practice. It will conclude with a summary of how the results will be used to better support ongoing safety and environmental management and to aid the development of strategy and planning for the future. (author)

Hydrogeological testing in the Sellafield area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutton, J.S.

1996-01-01

A summary of the hydrogeological test methodologies employed in the Sellafield geological investigations is provided in order that an objective appraisal of the quality of the data can be formed. A brief presentation of some of these data illustrates the corroborative nature of different test and measurement methodologies and provides a preliminary view of the results obtained. The programme of hydrogeological testing is an evolving one and methodologies are developing as work proceeds and targets become more clearly defined. As the testing is focused on relatively low permeability rocks at depth, the approach to testing differs slightly from conventional hydrogeological well testing and makes extensive use of oilfield technology. (author)

Technical assessment of the significance of Wigner energy for disposal of graphite wastes from the Windscale Piles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guppy, R.M.; Wisbey, S.J.; McCarthy, J.

2001-01-01

issues raised by Wigner energy and a description of key points from the work undertaken by Nirex to model the release of residual stored energy from packaged irradiated graphite from the Windscale Piles. (author)

Sellafield (release of radioactivity)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunningham, J; Goodlad, A; Morris, M

1986-02-06

A government statement is reported, about the release of plutonium nitrate at the Sellafield site of British Nuclear Fuels plc on 5 February 1986. Matters raised included: details of accident; personnel monitoring; whether radioactive material was released from the site; need for public acceptance of BNFL activities; whether plant should be closed; need to reduce level of radioactive effluent; number of incidents at the plant.

Training of health physics services staff at the Sellafield Works of British Nuclear Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagg, B.

This paper describes the qualifications required and the training of health physics non-industrial and industrial staff who provide a radiological protection service to the Sellafield site. The training offered may consist of formal group instruction, programmed learning using written texts, videotape lectures, and on-the-job training by line management. Experience has shown that formal oral and practical instruction to small groups is the most effective form of training when supplemented by on-the-job training

From passive storage to daily waste retrieval; changing the working culture at Sellafield's pile fuel storage pond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlisle, Derek [Sellafield Ltd, Seascale, Cumbria (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

The Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) was built in 1948/50 to treat materials from the Windscale Piles. Multiple operational regimes over the intervening 60 years have resulted in a complex inventory of spent nuclear fuels, solid and liquid intermediate level wastes. A coordinated programme of work, designed to retrieve and safely dispose of the pond contents, has been implemented to enable the decommissioning of the facility. The long period of passive storage operations which preceded the implementation of the programme meant that the operator was faced with a dual challenge of providing new technical capability and changing a working culture that was inappropriate for the dynamic environment required to successfully deliver the programme. It was recognised that the nature of the programme meant that implementing a standard manufacturing approach to operations would not be appropriate. In order to create a dynamic retrievals focussed working culture, the operator has vigorously embraced change programmes aimed at improving a number of working practices including encouraging innovation, managing integrated but flexible production schedules, and encouraging work-face problem solving. The combined impact of beginning to resolve the technical challenges and focussing on the delivery culture has resulted in the facility making a step change towards becoming fully retrievals operations focussed. (authors)

From passive storage to daily waste retrieval; changing the working culture at Sellafield's pile fuel storage pond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlisle, Derek

2013-01-01

The Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) was built in 1948/50 to treat materials from the Windscale Piles. Multiple operational regimes over the intervening 60 years have resulted in a complex inventory of spent nuclear fuels, solid and liquid intermediate level wastes. A coordinated programme of work, designed to retrieve and safely dispose of the pond contents, has been implemented to enable the decommissioning of the facility. The long period of passive storage operations which preceded the implementation of the programme meant that the operator was faced with a dual challenge of providing new technical capability and changing a working culture that was inappropriate for the dynamic environment required to successfully deliver the programme. It was recognised that the nature of the programme meant that implementing a standard manufacturing approach to operations would not be appropriate. In order to create a dynamic retrievals focussed working culture, the operator has vigorously embraced change programmes aimed at improving a number of working practices including encouraging innovation, managing integrated but flexible production schedules, and encouraging work-face problem solving. The combined impact of beginning to resolve the technical challenges and focussing on the delivery culture has resulted in the facility making a step change towards becoming fully retrievals operations focussed. (authors)

The Sellafield repository project information programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curd, P J [United Kingdom Nirex Limited (United Kingdom)

1993-07-01

The Sellafield Repository Project Information programme has been guided by formal research and by feedback through members of the team. Progress has been made and a significant majority of local people support the project and feel it will benefit the area. (author)

The Sellafield repository project information programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curd, P.J.

1993-01-01

The Sellafield Repository Project Information programme has been guided by formal research and by feedback through members of the team. Progress has been made and a significant majority of local people support the project and feel it will benefit the area. (author)

Seismic technology of nuclear fuel cycle facilities: A view of BNFL's approach and methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, I.R.

2001-01-01

The approach BNFL employs in the seismic qualification of its nuclear fuel cycle facilities is described in this paper. The overall seismic qualification process from design to installation and commissioning is considered. The approach for new facilities, such as the Sellafield Mixed Oxide Fuel Plant and Windscale Vitrification Plant Line 3 currently under construction, is examined. (author)

A welcoming approach to winning support [public relations policy at the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harding, C.G.F.

1988-01-01

The public relations policy of British Nuclear Fuels with respect to the Sellafield reprocessing centre is described. Key factors in reassuring the public on the safety of the plant have been the opening of an exhibition centre and a widely advertised open invitation to visit Sellafield together with a commitment to an open information policy and the promotion of understanding through the use of less technical language. An improvement in public confidence in Sellafield is reported. (U.K.)

Nuclear power. The Windscale controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, G.

1978-01-01

The aims of this unit are: (1) to provide a basic understanding of nuclear technology and of the associated technical and environmental problems; (2) to provide an understanding of: (a) the historical growth of the nuclear industry; (b) the arguments for the continued development of nuclear power, and the institutions promoting that development; (3) to provide a basic understanding of the mechanisms and institutions which officially regulate the nuclear power programme in the UK; (4) to provide an understanding of the main issues - technical, economic, social and political - involved in the controversy over the proposed expansion of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd's reprocessing facilities at Windscale, and the events leading up to the Public Inquiry on the proposal which began in June 1977; and (5) to examine (a) the reason for the growth in opposition to nuclear power in various countries and the different approaches taken by the opposition groups; (b) the political impact and effectiveness of that opposition. (author)

The Safety Assessment of Long term Interim Storage at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchan, Andrew B.

2014-01-01

The Sellafield site comprises a wide range of nuclear facilities, including operating facilities associated with the Magnox reprocessing programme, the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) and a range of waste treatment plants. The operational life of some of the site facilities currently extends to 2120, requiring the retrieval, treatment, consolidation and safe extended storage of a variety of radioactive materials. Sellafield has utilised its existing safety assessment processes to inform and prioritise studies into beyond design basis events and resilience evaluation required following Fukushima by UK regulators and industry bodies such as WANO. There are significant differences between NPPs, for which the ENSREG 'stress tests' were originally intended, and the Sellafield site which is instead centered around two reprocessing facilities (Magnox and THORP), with a supporting infrastructure of waste processing and storage facilities, coupled with a legacy of high hazard older facilities. In the former case the consequences of a catastrophic failure are promptly realised, leading to significant problems such as fuel failure / meltdown in AGRs and LWRs respectively in the event of complete loss of cooling. At Sellafield, the processes are carried out at comparatively low temperatures and pressures with relatively low rates of change following any loss of cooling. Instead the consequences of catastrophic failure at Sellafield are more directly related to the very large inventories of radioactive materials, including high level liquid wastes and unprocessed fuels, present in specific plants and to the condition of the ageing assets, holding legacy wastes. The paper will consider how a number of analysis techniques have been used to establish a safety case for fault and accident conditions, i.e. design basis analysis (DBA), probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) and severe accident analysis (SAA) DBA is focused on the key safety measures for those initiating faults

Decontamination and Decommissioning Experience at a Sellafield Uranium Purification Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosser, J.L.

2006-01-01

Built in the 1950's, this plant was originally designed to purify depleted uranyl nitrate solution arising from reprocessing operations at the Primary Separation and Head End Plant (Fig. 1). The facility was used for various purposes throughout its life cycle such as research, development and trial based processes. Test rigs were operated in the building from the 1970's until 1984 to support development of the process and equipment now used at Sellafield's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP). The extensive decommissioning program for this facility began over 15 years ago. Many challenges have been overcome throughout this program such as decommissioning the four main process cells, which were very highly alpha contaminated. The cells contained vessels and pipeline systems that were contaminated to such levels that workers had to use pressurized suits to enter the cells. Since decommissioning at Sellafield was in its infancy, this project has trialed various decontamination/decommissioning methods and techniques in order to progress the project, and this has provided valuable learning for other decommissioning projects. The project has included characterization, decontamination, dismantling, waste handling, and is now ready for demolition during late 2005, early 2006. This will be the first major facility within the historic Separation Area at Sellafield to be demolished down to base slab level. The lessons learnt from this project will directly benefit numerous decommissioning projects as the cleanup at Sellafield continues. (authors)

Decommissioning in British Nuclear Fuels plc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colquhoun, A.

1988-01-01

Decommissioning projects at the BNFL Sellafield site have been selected taking the following into account; the need to gain experience in preparation for the decommissioning of the Magnox reactors and for the post Magnox stage; the need to develop larger scale projects; the need to be cost effective and to foster long term safety. The balance between prompt or delayed decommissioning has to consider operator dose uptake and radioactive waste management. The ten year plan for decommissioning at Sellafield is described briefly. Currently decommissioning is of the fuel pond and decanning plant, the Windscale Pile Chimneys, the coprecipitation plant and the uranium recovery plant. (author)

Windscale inquiry and policy-making procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Von Moltke, K

1978-07-01

Policy decisions on the development and installation of nuclear facilities often strain both the time and human resources of a country, some countries having taken steps to involve the national government in specific siting decisions and shifting the constitutional balance in response to popular dissent. Challenges to nuclear facilities could be met by limiting the scope of intervenors and the use of judicial review. The 100-day Windscale Inquiry in the United Kingdom represents the most costly review any country has had of a specific nuclear policy and has international implications. A chronology of the inquiry illustrates how the debate evolved into a vote on whether nuclear energy should be developed at all and effectively cut off other avenues of recourse. The traditional procedures for planning are shown to be inadequate for setting nuclear energy policy without the intervention of Parliament. 18 references.

Sellafield Site (including Drigg) emergency scheme manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-02-01

This Scheme defines the organisation and procedures available should there be an accident at the Sellafield Site which results in, or may result in, the release of radioactive material, or the generation of a high radiation field, which might present a hazard to employees and/or the general public. Several categories of emergencies on the Sellafield Site are mentioned; a building emergency which is confined to one building, a Site emergency standby when the effects of a building emergency go outside that building, a Site emergency alert (District Emergency Standby) when a release of activity affects Site operations and could have serious Site effects and a District Emergency Alert when a radioactivity release may interfere with the normal activity of the General Public. A Drigg Emergency Standby situation would operate similarly at the Drigg Site. The detailed arrangements and responsibilities of appointed personnel are set out in this manual. (UK)

Sellafield waste radionuclides in Irish sea intertidal and salt marsh sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackenzie, A B; Scott, R D

1993-09-01

Low level liquid radioactive waste discharges from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in north west England had generated environmental inventories of about 3 × 10(16) Bq of(137)Cs, 6.8 × 10(14) Bq of(239,240)Pu and 8.9 × 10(14) Bq of(241)Am by 1990. Most of the(239,240)Pu and(241)Am and about 10% of the(137)Cs has been retained in a deposit of fine marine sediment close to the discharge point. The quantities of radionuclides discharged annually from Sellafield decreased by two orders of magnitude from the mid-1970s to 1990 but estimated critical group internal and external exposure decreased by less than one order of magnitude over this period. This indicates that during the period of reduced discharges, radionuclides already in the environment from previous releases continued to contribute to the critical group exposure and highlights the need to understand processes controlling the environmental distribution of the radionuclides.Redistribution of the contaminated marine sediment is potentially of major significance in this context, in particular if it results in transport of radionuclides to intertidal areas, where contact with the human population is relatively likely.A review is presented of published work relating to Sellafield waste radionuclides in Irish Sea sediments. Data on temporal and spatial trends in radionuclide concentrations and activity ratios are collated from a number of sources to show that the dominant mechanism of radionuclide supply to intertidal areas is by redistribution of the contaminated marine sediment. The implications of this mechanism of supply for trends in critical group radiation exposure are considered.

Roll up, roll up and see a Sellafield exhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, Virginia.

1986-01-01

Since July 1986 a commercial advertising campaign has been encouraging people to visit the BNFL plant at Sellafield to find out for themselves what goes on there. As a result it is now a flourishing tourist attraction. Casual visitors can visit the Ehibition Centre and go on a bus tour of the site lasting an hour. Pre-booked visitors can go on a five hour tour which looks at the processes in detail. The object is to open up the site so that people can be better informed and can make up their minds about the merits or otherwise of Sellafield, and nuclear power in general, with a knowledge of the facts. (UK)

Radiological protection challenges at B.N.G. Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallard, R.; Anderson, B.; Hutton, E.

2006-01-01

The UK Nuclear Industry is in the midst of a period of intense change with the formation of a national body to manage the clean up of Nuclear facilities. Previous owners of nuclear sites have become contractors and the emphasis has switched from production facilities for power or reprocessing to decommissioning and clean up. Many of the older facilities were not designed for decommissioning and now require attention to reduce risks. Sellafield represents a microcosm of the industry with operating and production facilities, waste storage facilities and plants awaiting or undergoing decommissioning. The experience already gained in decommissioning of redundant facilities over the last decade is being used to develop an accelerated response to clean up of the past. The major challenge is to accommodate the changes whilst monitoring and improving Radiological standards and performance. This paper describes a number of issues to which the site must be managed to ensure that the current Radiological performance is maintained and improved. The dose control arrangements for some 6000 radiation workers on the site requires a change in approach as we move towards localised project based systems with an increasingly mobile workforce. Work is proceeding to introduce a new generation of short term dose control equipment with an emphasis on safety culture and management responsibilities for dose control. The achievement and demonstration of ALARP in these circumstances, is being reviewed in situations where timescale, overall risk to public and workforce and exposure to non radiological hazards are factors. Clean up requires more attention to clearance of materials and this aspect has an increasing profile to recognize the need to balance risk and expenditure. The paper will review the current Radiological Protection challenges to the changing Nuclear Industry using the Sellafield site as the prime example and will discuss achievements and areas where further work is necessary

BNFL Sellafield: post audit progress, December 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

The report of the safety audit at the Sellafield site was published in December 1986. In this, the Health and Safety Executive required British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) to make improvements to the site and safety cases have had to be produced. These have now to be assessed by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. BNFL has undertaken programmes of maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of equipment. Much of this work was done in the shut-down maintenance period in the spring and summer. However, more work is needed to bring plants up a condition suitable for operating for the next ten years. BNFL have also started to decontaminate and decommission disused, contaminated, plants. This will generate a large amount of radioactive waste. BNFL have to build plants to containerise and encapsulate the waste prior to disposal. Waste disposal sites to complete the clean-up process are needed. The improvements to the engineering plants, to written procedures and to training, are reported. Changed attitudes are also noted. (U.K.)

Radiation and stillbirths in Sellafield workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1999-01-01

Full text: In The Lancet (23 October 1999), Dr Louise Parker and colleagues from the Departments of Child Health and Statistics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, report the findings of a new study on stillbirths among offspring of male radiation workers at Sellafield. By linking the birth registration and stillbirth records in Cumbria from 1950 to 1989 to the database of workers at Sellafield, Dr Parker's team examined the stillbirth risk according to the father's exposure to radiation before conception of the child. From the birth documents of 248 097 livebirths and 3715 stillbirths, the team identified 130 stillbirths and 9078 livebirths to wives and partners of male radiation workers employed at Sellafield. Lifetime exposure, and that in the 90 days before conception, was derived from annual-exposure summaries for each worker. Exposures recorded on individual film badges for the fathers of each stillborn child and for four matched controls were also examined. The researchers found that although, as a group, babies of radiation workers were not more likely to be stillborn than babies of other Cumbrian fathers, there was an increased risk of stillbirth with increasing exposure of a father to external radiation. Although confounding factors also associated with stillbirth, such as whether the mother smoked, cannot be completely excluded, the researchers state that 'extensive checks confirmed that the statistical models were a good fit to the data and there was no statistical evidence of unmeasured factors'. However, the researchers are cautious in drawing any conclusions regarding causality. In the Commentary given in The Lancet, Hazel Inskip from the University of Southampton advises that the possible risk of stillbirth should be kept in perspective, and comments that 'there is no obvious mechanism for the association', but does concede that 'the greater increase in risk for stillbirths with neural-tube defects is at least focused on a more specific disorder

Radioactive discharges from Sellafield (UK)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pentreath, R.J.

1985-01-01

This study of low-level liquid radioactive discharges from the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Sellafield site into the eastern basin of the Irish Sea, prepared on the basis of existing publications and documents, reviews chemical forms and rate of discharges, physical oceanography, sediment distribution and fisheries of the Irish Sea, behaviour of radionuclides in seawater, association with sedimentary materials, accumulation of radionuclides by biological materials, environmental monitoring, surveillance and assessment of radiation exposure of the public and impact on the environment

Overview of the management of solid low level radioactive waste at Sellafield and Drigg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, Rob [British Nuclear Fuels, Cumbria (United Kingdom); Hagger, Richard C. [BNFL, Warrington (United Kingdom)

2003-07-01

Low level radioactive wastes have been disposed of in the United Kingdom in ner-surface facilities for over 40 years. This has mainly been at the Drigg disposal site on the Cumbrian coast, some six kilometres to the south of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site. The Drigg site also receives waste from a wide range of sources including nuclear power stations, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, isotope manufacturing sites, universities, general industry and cleanup of historically contaminated sites. Disposals until the late 1980s were solely by tipping essentially loose wastes into excavated trenches. More recently, trench disposals have been phased out in preference to emplacement of containerised, conditioned wastes in concrete vaults. This paper is principally from the perspective of a disposal facility operator. Firstly the regulatory framework to low level waste disposal is outlined. This is then followed by a review of practices and projects associated with the Sellafield and Drigg sits and also some of the supporting technical work.

Dose due to man-made radionuclides in terrestrial wild foods near Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulker, M.J.; Jackson, D.; McKay, K.; John, C.; Leonard, D.R.P.

1998-01-01

Radiological dose implications for consumers of wild foods around Sellafield have been assessed. Habits were surveyed from 72 households, mostly within a few kilometres of Sellafield. A few people were included who lived further away but collect wild foods close to Sellafield. Dose estimates were based on measured gamma emitters, as well as 239 Pu, 241 Am, 14 C and 129 I in selected samples. In all cases, doses were dominated by 137 Cs. One infant was identified who consumed wild food, giving an estimated effective dose of 0.3 μSv a -1 . In the age group 2 to 10 years a mean dose of 0.51 μSv a -1 , and a maximum of 2.8 μSv a -1 , were estimated. Intakes by adults were higher and resulted in more radiologically significant doses. The extreme individual received a dose of 32 μSv a -1 largely due to consumption of honey that included contributions from the Chernobyl accident, and hedgerow fruits. This is comparable to doses to the critical group for consumption of conventional agricultural produce close to the Sellafield site. The 97.5th percentile dose, for all age groups of consumers taken together, was 16.6 μSv a -1 , or 6.2 μSv a -1 if the contributions from Chernobyl are excluded. Considering the contributions from different foods to the whole group of 181 wild food consumers, the rank order is honey, blackberries and venison. (author)

The Windscale Inquiry - A U.K. Exercise in Nuclear Regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolter, Harold.

1978-01-01

This paper describes the Public Inquiry opened on 14 June 1977 concerning extenssion of the Windscale plant and the events preceding it. Four issues were considered: the implications of the proposed development for public safety; those for other aspects of the national interest; those of plant construction and operation for the environment: the measures that could be adopted under existing U.K. legislation, particularly under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 to control waste disposal, and under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to provide for the safety of operations, and finally, other implications for the locality. (NEA) [fr

Living with Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macgill, S.M.

1984-06-01

Initial findings are reported of a survey of the attitudes towards Sellafield (British Nuclear Fuels) of West Cumbrian people. Reasons for the survey are given. The following aspects were covered: attitude to BNF as a local company; attitudes about radiation levels in areas around BNF plant, as regards health risks to various classes of people; radiation levels in various environments (e.g. on the beaches, in house dust, etc.); comparison with other risks; amount of monitoring of radiation levels; interest in various sources of information about possible radiation risks; reliability of various sources of information; participation of the respondent in meetings, environmental groups, etc.; opportunity to express respondent's views; attitudes to various publicity activities. Variations between attitudes in different towns and villages in the area are discussed. (U.K.)

Current meter observations near the Sellafield pipeline, 1984-1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, S.R.; Norris, S.

1988-01-01

Low-level liquid radioactive wastes are discharged into the north-east Irish Sea, under authorization, from the Sellafield reprocessing plant run by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). The effluent contains a range of radionuclides including caesium-137. The discharges are monitored and assessed by the Aquatic Environment Protection Division which is part of the Ministry of agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The results from the Sellafield current meter mooring in the Irish Sea from December 1983 to December 1986 are presented. The aim was to assess long-term tidal and residual current conditions under a variety of wind and current combinations as part of the assessment of the distribution of discharged radionuclides. The instrumentation is described briefly. Periods of data loss (due to meter failure or loss) and the data processing are explained. The results of the current metering are presented. (U.K.)

The Windscale file. A lay-guide to living (and dying) with a nuclear neighbour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

Greenpeace have commissioned four reports from 'The Political Ecology Research Group' associated with the import of spent nuclear fuel to the UK and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods at Windscale. Since 1980 Greenpeace has campaigned against these activities. This booklet based on these four reports has been produced to translate their findings into a more popular and readable form. (U.K.)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria. Part 6. The chronology of discharges of caesium-137, plutonium and americium-241 from BNFL Sellafield, as recorded in lake sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eakins, J D; Cambray, R S

1985-04-01

A study has been made of the radionuclide content of lake sediments from Cumbria in order to determine the history of discharges of /sup 137/Cs and actinides from the Sellafield works of British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL). Sediment cores have been taken from Ullswater and Grasmere, which are remote from Sellafield, in order to establish the behaviour of nuclear weapon fallout nuclides. Cores have also been taken from Barfield Tarn, which is 19 km SE of Sellafield but close to the sea, and from Ponsonby and Harnsey Moss Tarns, close to Sellafield. All sediments were analysed for /sup 137/Cs and sup(239+240)Pu. Additional measurements of /sup 238/Pu and /sup 241/Am were made on samples from the closer tarns. The sediment cores were dated by the /sup 210/Pb method and, where appropriate, by the /sup 137/Cs technique also. The amounts of /sup 137/Cs and sup(239+240)Pu in sediments from Barfield Tarn could be accounted for by fallout from nuclear weapons, although the levels of /sup 241/Am were marginally greater. However in Harnsey Moss Tarn the levels of actinides indicated that they were derived mainly from material originally discharged to sea from Sellafield. Sediment from Ponsonby Tarn contained material derived mainly from discharges to atmosphere.

Thinking about Windscale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longhurst, A.R.

1977-10-01

In his editorial the author states that the public enquiry into the future of nuclear fuel reprocessing at Windscale raised the question of how the public is best served in such matters; in both Britain and the US, the format in which public interest is determined is usually fallacious. There is seldom sufficient distinction between questions of public interest and those of scientific fact. The complexity of ecology and how limited our understanding of it is are often obscured during public examination of environmental questions. If scientists fail to agree, why should agreement, or resolution of disagreement be expected within public enquiries which allow little chance for challenging expert statements or re-examining data. To help this situation, the US requires Environmental Impact Statements which permit rational challenging. In addition in the US, there is an attempt to formalize the challenge between scientific witnesses at hearings so that the adversary can be deemed to have proved a case. The proposal is, that for major issues, a Science Court should judge the merits of opposing arguments. Under discussion is a test of the concept to clarify and codify procedural rules. The importance of the principle inherent in the impact statement and Science Court must be recognized. Only by such radical departures from traditional ways of determining public interest can we come to grips with the gap between the ability of environmental science to give clear decisions and the ability assumed (by public and administrators) to exist within environmental science. Those in Europe, because of the rapidity with which the world is changing, should be receptive to new and perhaps difficult ways of meeting the challenges of the environmental crisis.

Design aspects of water usage in the Windscale nuclear fuel reprocessing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wharton, J.; Bullock, M.J.

1982-01-01

The safeguard requirements of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant place unique constraints on a designer which, in turn, affect the scope for the exercise of water economy. These constraints are examined within the context of the British Nuclear Fuels Limited reprocessing plants at Windscale and indicate the scope for water conservation. The plants and their design principles are described with particular reference to water services and usage. Progressive design development is discussed to illustrate the increasing importance of water economy. (author)

The regulation of technetium-99 discharges at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayall, A.

2002-01-01

The reprocessing of spent Magnox fuel at BNFL Sellafield produces a liquid waste concentrate containing technetium-99 and other, more radiotoxic, radionuclides such as plutonium and americium. The concentrate is known as medium active concentrate (MAC). Prior to 1981, MAC was discharged to sea untreated after several years' storage, during which short-lived radionuclides underwent radioactive decay. In the early 1980s, discharges of MAC were suspended and it was retained in storage tanks, pending the construction of a plant to remove the radionuclides of greatest radiological concern (these did not include technetium- 99). The Enhanced Actinide Removal Plant started operation in 1994 and began to clear the backlog of stored waste MAC, as well as current arisings from Magnox reprocessing. As a consequence technetium-99 was once more discharged to sea. Subsequently, concentrations of this radionuclide in the marine environment increased. In particular, there was a significant increase in the concentration of technetium-99 in lobster in the Irish Sea. An increase in technetium-99 has also been detected at locations far distant from Sellafield, e.g. in Scandinavian coastal waters, albeit at very low concentrations. This dispersal of technetium- 99 throughout the Irish Sea and further afield has therefore caused concern, although the radiological impact is low. This paper examines the nature and source of the technetium-99 in sea discharges at Sellafield and the levels of past and current discharges as well as their impact. It goes on to describe the Environment Agency's recent proposals on the future regulation of technetium-99 discharges and how these should lead to substantial reductions in not only technetium-99 discharges, but also of other radionuclides such as caesium-137 and strontium-90. (author)

The Storage of Power Development and Research Reactor Fuel at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Standring, P.N.; Callaghan, A.H.C.

2009-01-01

Sellafield Limited has extensive experience of building and operating spent nuclear fuel storage facilities on the Sellafield site. Since the first operation in 1952, a total of six storage facilities have been built in support of reprocessing spent fuel. Currently, four of these facilities are operational and two are undergoing decommissioning activities. Whilst the routine spent fuel operations are primarily associated with managing Magnox, Advanced Gas Reactor and LWR fuel from power generation reactors, management services to other fuel types are offered. Examples of these services include the storage of British naval training reactor fuel; the reprocessing of two skips of aluminium clad uranium metal fuel from Swedish AB SVAFO and the management of fuel from the UK Power Development Programme. The current paper provides an account of the management of the UK's Power Development Programme fuel stored on the Sellafield site. The fuel has been pond stored for up to 42 years and periodic inspection during this time has revealed no significant deterioration of the fuel, particularly that which has been containerised during its storage period. The paper also outlines some of the issues associated with the recovery and transfer of long stored fuel and assessment of the fuel storage can longevity if the material is not reprocessed. (author)

Remote Decommissioning Experiences at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownridge, M.

2006-01-01

British Nuclear Group has demonstrated through delivery of significant decommissioning projects the ability to effectively deploy innovative remote decommissioning technologies and deliver cost effective solutions. This has been achieved through deployment and development of off-the-shelf technologies and design of bespoke equipment. For example, the worlds first fully remotely operated Brokk was successfully deployed to enable fully remote dismantling, packaging and export of waste during the decommissioning of a pilot reprocessing facility. British Nuclear Group has also successfully implemented remote decommissioning systems to enable the decommissioning of significant challenges, including dismantling of a Caesium Extraction Facility, Windscale Pile Chimney and retrieval of Plutonium Contaminated Material (PCM) from storage cells. The challenge for the future is to continue to innovate through utilization of the supply chain and deploy off-the-shelf technologies which have been demonstrated in other industry sectors, thus reducing implementation schedules, cost and maintenance. (authors)

Measurement of sulphur-35 in the coolant gas of the Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandalls, F.J.

1978-03-01

Sulphur is an important element in some food chains and the release of radioactive sulphur to the environment must be closely controlled if the chemical form is such that it is available or potentially available for entering food chains. The presence of sulphur-35 in the coolant gas of the Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor warranted a study to assess the quantity and chemical form of the radioactive sulphur in order to estimate the magnitude of the potential environmental hazard which might arise from the release of coolant gas from Civil Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors. A combination of gas chromatographic and radiochemical analyses revealed carbonyl sulphide to be the only sulphur-35 compound present in the coolant gas of the Windscale Reactor. The concentration of carbonyl sulphide was found to lie in the range 40 to 100 x 10 -9 parts by volume and the sulphur-35 specific activity was about 20 mCi per gramme. The analytical techniques are described in detail. The sulphur-35 appears to be derived from the sulphur and chlorine impurities in the graphite. A method for the preparation of carbonyl sulphide labelled with sulphur-35 is described. (author)

Sellafield site (including Drigg) emergency scheme manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-02-01

This Emergency Scheme defines the organisation and procedures available should there be an accident at the Sellafield Site which results in, or may result in, the release of radioactive material, or the generation of a high radiation field, which might present a hazard to employees and/or the general public. This manual covers the general principles of the total emergency scheme and those detailed procedures which are not specific to any single department. (U.K.)

BNFL Sellafield assessment of public radiation exposure due to liquid effluents from fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.J.

1982-01-01

Individual (critical group) doses resulting from liquid discharges from the British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) Sellafield Works have been derived in a form normalised to unit radionuclide discharge rates. This has been done for the purpose of providing a basis for predicting doses in the event of nuclear fuel from a future Sizewell 'B' power station being reprocessed. These doses would have to be reviewed in the light of prevailing circumstances at the time when the actual discharges are known. (author)

The discharges from Sellafield how big a risk for the Irish population?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O` Flaherty, T [Radiological Protection Inst. of Ireland (Ireland)

1996-10-01

The site operated by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) at Sellafield in Cumbria was established just after World War II to produce plutonium for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Plutonium was obtained by extracting it from nuclear fuel which had been irradiated in an early type of nuclear reactor. This procedure was the forerunner of what ultimately became the main commercial activity at Sellafield, the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel to recover re-usable uranium and plutonium An unavoidable consequence of nuclear fuel reprocessing is the necessity to discharge from the site very large volumes of low-level radioactive waste in liquid form. In the case of Sellafield this waste is discharged into the Irish Sea. Due to a plant malfunction the rates of discharge greatly increased in the mid-1970s, and became a matter of serious concern to the people of Ireland and to successive Irish Governments. In more recent years the rates of discharge have fallen again to lower levels, but this has not diminished concern in Ireland to any significant degree. This paper summarises the results of Irish monitoring of radioactivity levels in the Irish Sea which has been in progress since the late 1970s. From these results it quantifies the radiation doses received by people in Ireland in consequence of the discharges from Sellafield, and estimates the degree of risk of increased cancer levels in the Irish population as a result. The RPII`s monitoring programme has been expanded since 1993 in the light of the bringing into operation of the new Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp) and now includes the monitoring of gaseous discharges to the atmosphere. The paper includes some initial results of this expanded programme.

Development of a Hydrogeological Model of the Borrowdale Volcanics at Sellafield

Science.gov (United States)

Lunn, R. J.; Lunn, A. D.; Mackay, R.

This work has arisen out of recent developments within the radioactive waste research programme managed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution, UK (HMIP)*, to develop an integrated flow and transport model for the potential deep radioactive waste repository at Sellafield. One of the largest sources of uncertainty in model predictions, is the characterisation of the hydrogeological properties of the underlying strata, in particular, of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group (BVG) within which the repository is to be located. Analysis of the available borehole data (that released by the proponent company, Nirex, by December 1995) for the BVG formation has indicated a dual regime consisting of flow within faults and flow within the matrix (or an equivalent porous medium containing micro-fractures). Significant relationships between permeability, depth and the presence and orientation of faults have been identified; they account for a variation of up to 6 orders of magnitude in mean permeability measurements. This can be explained in part by the effect of the orientation of the current maximum principal stress directions within the BVG: however, it is likely that permeability is also dependent on the existence of fracture families, which cannot be effectively identified from the data currently available. These analyses have enabled considerable insight to be gained into the dominant features of flow within the BVG. The conceptual hydrogeological model derived here will have a significant effect on the outcome and reliability of future radionuclide transport predictions in the Sellafield area.

Windscale inquiry. A selected list of material based on the DOE/DTp library

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, C M [comp.

1981-01-01

The nuclear debate, far from being concluded by the Windscale decision, was in fact opened up and its scope widened to take into account the political, international, environmental and social issues involved. This debate continues and the selection of literature presented here aims to illustrate all aspects of the Inquiry and its implications. The material is presented in two main sections. Section A is concerned with the Inquiry itself: the proceedings, the report and the government's decision. Section B presents a selection of the literature and debate that resulted.

Science design for two shafts in phase 1a of the proposed rock characterisation facility at Sellafield, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledingham, P.; Proughten, A.J.; Saulnier, G.J. Jr.

1998-01-01

In 1997, United Kingdom Nirex planned to begin construction of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Sellafield as part of it's ongoing assessment of the suitability of the site as a host for a deep radioactive waste repository. The RCF was to have addressed issues relating to the geology, hydrogeology and geomechanical behaviour of the site by collecting data for testing predictive models and acquiring information only available from an underground situation. In March 1997, the UK Government refused permission for Nirex to begin construction and work at Sellafield was wound down. However, the science design for Phase 1a of the RCF, two vertical access shafts, was completed to provide a set of conceptual designs which address the issues identified by Nirex. By using Sellafield as an example, the designs contribute to a series of reports which demonstrate an approach to validation using an underground facility. This paper describes the Science Design for data collection during shaft construction, which began with the information requirements specified by Nirex on the basis of it's conceptual models and predictive work. It describes the scientific measurements designed to acquire this information and the process of combining the individual measurements into test plans for each shaft. Measurements were planned in the shafts themselves and in boreholes drilled from the shafts. They were designed to provide data on formation porosity and permeability, the geochemistry of formation water and the nature of the fresh-water salt-water interface, shaft inflow, the influence of geological structures on performance, and geomechanical responses to shaft excavation. A key element of the design process was the development of test plans, requiring the co-ordination and integration of the construction and science activities so that both could be carried out in a timely and cost-effective manner

The reduction of radioactive discharges from Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsley, D.M.C.

1990-01-01

This paper outlines the continuing efforts of British Nuclear Fuels to reduce the levels of discharges from the Sellafield site. Emphasis is placed on two plants: the Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant (SIXEP), commissioned in 1985 and the Enhanced Actinide Removal Plant (EARP), programmed to be commissioned in 1991. The content matter deals with process and engineering concepts developed to solve problems peculiar to the nuclear industry but will be of interest to any organization faced with the processing, control and containment of hazardous media. (author)

Windscale: a case history in the political art of muddling through

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wynne, B.

1980-01-01

This chapter concentrates mainly upon those factors which preceded and eventually led to the Windscale Inquiry (into the BNFL proposal to construct a plant to reprocess spent nuclear fuel from reactors using oxide fuels). This will help to illustrate some of the many covert themes which permeated the Inquiry as an exercise in conflict-management, and hopefully should assist in the understanding of the limitations of this form of decision-making process. The chapter will conclude with a comment upon the role of the Inquiry in the wider political context of the British energy 'debate' and upon the likely implications of the Inquiry for future decision-making ventures on similar technological developments. (author)

Experience with a servo-hydraulic mechanical testing machine installed in a new shielded active facility at Windscale Nuclear Power Development Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garlick, A.; Hindmarch, P.; Gravenor, J.G.; Rhodes, D.

1982-03-01

An Instron model 1273 servo-hydraulic machine has been installed within a lead-shielded cell at Windscale in order to provide a facility capable of performing a wide range of mechanical tests on nuclear reactor structural materials and fuel assembly components. This particular type of machine was chosen because it has design features associated with the load frame, location of the actuator and adjustment and clamping of the cross-head that are especially well suited to remote operation within a shielded cell. The design of the testing facility is described and the programmes of work that have been completed over the past 11/2 years of operation are reviewed. (author)

Robotics take heat out of reactor. [Windscale AGR decommissioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rufford, N

1986-12-04

The Windscale prototype reactor is being decommissioned and dismantled. The stages are outlined. The first phase began in 1985 and included construction of a waste packaging plant annexed to the steel dome. The boilers will be cut up and, once decontaminated, probably sold for scrap. The second phase involves dismantling the reactor itself. Much of this will be done by a semi-automatic robot which is being specially built and tested. The robot will have an extendable arm with a manipulator which will be equipped with bolt croppers, shears, a saw and oxypropane cutter. This robot will cut up the pressure vessel in sections ready for encasing in concrete. Lessons learnt from the dismantling will be used in future reactor designs and specifications (eg the need to use steels with fewer impurities, especially cobalt). Ultimate disposal of the concrete waste blocks is undecided. (U.K.).

Disaggregation of collective dose-a worked example based on future discharges from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing site, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, S R; Lambers, B; Stevens, A

2004-01-01

Collective dose has long been advocated as an important measure of the detriment associated with practices that involve the use of radioactivity. Application of collective dose in the context of worker protection is relatively straightforward, whereas its application in the context of discharges to the environment can yield radically different conclusions depending upon the population groups and integration times that are considered. The computer program PC-CREAM98 has been used to provide an indicative disaggregation into individual dose bands of the collective dose due to potential future radioactive discharges from the nuclear fuel reprocessing site at Sellafield in the UK. Two alternative discharge scenarios are considered, which represent a 'stop reprocessing early, minimum discharge' scenario and a 'reprocessing beyond current contracts' scenario. For aerial discharges, collective dose at individual effective dose rates exceeding 0.015 μSv y -1 is only incurred within the UK, and at effective dose rates exceeding 1.5 μSv y -1 is only incurred within about 20 km of Sellafield. The geographical distribution of collective dose from liquid discharges is harder to assess, but it appears that collective dose incurred outside the UK is at levels of individual effective dose rate below 1.5 μSv y -1 , with the majority being incurred at rates of 0.002 μSv y -1 or less. In multi-attribute utility analyses, the view taken on the radiological detriment to be attributed to the two discharge scenarios will depend critically on the weight or monetary value ascribed to collective doses incurred within the differing bands of individual dose rate

Occupational exposure at the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyle, A.; Partington, C.

1991-01-01

The nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield employs approximately 6500 people in a wide range of activities involving radioactive materials. The exposure to personnel over the period 1978-1989 is reviewed. Information is presented on collective and average dose exposure which both show significant downward trends. The current annual collective dose for reprocessing operations is 21.4 man Sv and the average whole body exposure 3.7 mSv.y -1 , taking account of both internal and external exposure. The introduction of radiological design targets for new plants and the use of formal ALARP assessments on projects has contributed substantially to the observed reduction in dose uptake. Experience also indicates that significant dose reduction can be achieved by heightening the awareness of both managers and workers of the dose implications of their work and working methods. (author)

Assessment of prospective foodchain doses from radioactive discharges from BNFL Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ould-Dada, Z.; Tucker, S.; Webbe-Wood, D.; Mondon, K.; Hunt, J.

2002-01-01

This paper presents the method used by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) to assess the potential impact of proposed radioactive discharges from the Sellafield nuclear site on food and determine their acceptability. It explains aspects of a cautious method that has been adopted to reflect the UK government policy and uncertainties related to people's habits with regard to food production and consumption. Two types of ingestion doses are considered in this method: 'possible' and 'probable' doses. The method is specifically applied to Sellafield discharge limits and calculated possible and probable ingestion doses are presented and discussed. Estimated critical group ingestion doses are below the dose limit and constraint set for members of the public. The method may be subject to future amendments to take account of changes in government policy and the outcome of a recent Consultative Exercise on Dose Assessments carried out by FSA. Uncertainties inherent in dose assessments are discussed and quantified wherever possible

Reactor accidents and the actions of fire brigades. Plea for nuclear phaseout. An analytic report on Leipzig, Windscale, Chernobyl and Fukushima; Reaktorunfaelle und die Handlungen der Feuerwehr. Plaedoyer fuer den Atomausstieg. Ein Analysebericht zu Leipzig, Windscale, Tschernobyl und Fukushima

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steffler, Reinhard

2016-11-01

The report covers the historically first fire brigade action at the ''uranium machine'' on June 23th 1942 in Leipzig, and the fire brigade actions in Windscale (October 11, 1957), Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi. Further issues are the behavior of the media, selected features of the fire brigade actions, and a discussion of questions concerning the preparedness of the fire brigades.

Reconstructing the history of 14C discharges from Sellafield. Part 2. Aquatic discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, G.T.; MacKenzie, A.B.; Naysmith, F.H.; Anderson, R.; Naysmith, P.; Kershaw, P.J.

2004-01-01

Prior to 1984, the reported marine 14 C discharges from Sellafield were estimates: 0.2 TBq per annum from 1952 to 1969 and 1 TBq per annum until 1984 when measurements commenced. The relationship between the net excess 14 C activity in annually collected Nori (Porphyra umbilicalis) seaweed samples and the annual discharges (estimated and measured) implies that the discharges were not as constant as the estimates. Based on the relationship between post-1984 measured discharges and the excess 14 C in the seaweed, two simple empirical models were used to re-calculate the discharges between 1967 and 1984. Gamma-spectrometry measurements on the seaweed also indicate that Porphyra is a sensitive indicator of changes in discharge of other radionuclides, brought about by the introduction of new waste clean-up technologies within Sellafield. (author)

Results of case-control study of leukaemia and lymphoma among young people near Sellafield nuclear plant in West Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardner, M.J.; Snee, M.P.; Hall, A.J.; Powell, C.A.; Downes, S.

1990-01-01

The raised incidence of leukaemia, particularly, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among children near Sellafield was associated with paternal employment and recorded external dose of whole body penetrating radiation during work at the plant before conception. The association can explain statistically the observed geographical excess. This result suggests an effect of ionising radiation on fathers that may be leukaemogenic in their offspring, though other, less likely, explanations are possible. (author)

Alpha-emitting nuclides in commercial fish species caught in the vicinity of Windscale, United Kingdom, and their radiological significance to man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pentreath, R.J.; Lovett, M.B.; Harvey, B.R.; Ibbett, R.D.

1979-01-01

The concentrations of a number of alpha-emitting nuclides have been determined in the tissues of several commercial fish species caught in the vicinity of the fuel reprocessing plant at Windscale. All tissues analysed were found to contain 238 Pu, sup(239+240)Pu and 241 Am, but 242 Cm and 244 Cm could only be reliably detected in the liver samples of some fish. Fish of the same species, but taken from the North Sea, have also been analysed for some naturally occurring alpha-emitting nuclides. Whereas uranium ( 238 U) and thorium ( 232 Th) could be detected in bone samples of fish, neither could be reliably detected in samples of muscle: in contrast, 210 Po was readily detected in samples of liver, muscle and bone. Commercial fish fillets from the Irish Sea, including the Windscale area, are also routinely monitored for alpha-emitting nuclides, and their radiological significance to man is briefly discussed. Comments are also made on the significance of the naturally occurring nuclides. (author)

Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuras, Oliver; Wilkinson, Paul B; Meldrum, Philip I; Oxby, Lucy S; Uhlemann, Sebastian; Chambers, Jonathan E; Binley, Andrew; Graham, James; Smith, Nicholas T; Atherton, Nick

2016-10-01

A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites. Copyright © 2016 British Geological Survey, NERC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emission of fission products and other activities during the accident to Windscale Pile no. 1 in October 1957

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamberlain, A.C.

1981-07-01

Information on the release of activity from Windscale during the accident of October 1957 is reviewed, and some previously unpublished data are given. The activities of 131 I released to atmosphere, retained on the pile filters and washed out of the pile are compared with the activity in the channels involved in the fire. The information on the physical form of the released activity is summarised. (author)

The pros and cons of safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huerzler, P.

1988-01-01

The author discusses three cases in relation to confidence in nuclear energy: the fire at Windscale, the leaks at Sellafield reprocessing plant; and the Transnuklear/Nukem scandal. The first involved a reactor used for purely military purposes and it has been shown that there has been no verifiable damage to public health as a result of radiation leaks following the fire. Concerning the Sellafield radiation leaks it is stated that the assertion that there is a link between them and an increasing occurrence of leukemia is false. On the other hand, the offences verified in the Transnuklear scandal (bribery and false declarations) are to be severely condemned, although the safety of the population and the environment was never at risk. The author concludes that these events do not alter the fact that the nuclear power plants in the western world have an excellent safety record

Radioactive waste disposal at Sellafield, UK: site selection, geological and engineering problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haszeldine, R.S.; Smythe, D.K.

1996-01-01

UK Nirex is the company charged with finding a suitable site for the underground disposal of radioactive waste in the United Kingdom. Since 1991, Nirex has concentrated its investigation work at a site owned by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd near Sellafield. Planning permission was sought in 1994 for the development of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility at the site. A public Planning Inquiry began in September 1995. A wide range of scientific and technical objections were put by expert witnesses against the Nirex proposal. These witnesses were co-ordinated by three Objecting Organisations - Cumbria County Council, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Their written evidence is presented in the 34 chapters of this book and separate abstracts have been written for each contribution. (UK)

Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuras, Oliver, E-mail: oku@bgs.ac.uk [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Wilkinson, Paul B.; Meldrum, Philip I.; Oxby, Lucy S. [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Uhlemann, Sebastian [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); ETH-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute of Geophysics, Sonneggstr. 5, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Chambers, Jonathan E. [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom); Binley, Andrew [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Graham, James [National Nuclear Laboratory, Central Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); Smith, Nicholas T. [National Nuclear Laboratory, Central Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Williamson Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Atherton, Nick [Sellafield Ltd, Albion Square, Swingpump Lane, Whitehaven CA28 7NE (United Kingdom)

2016-10-01

A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites. - Graphical abstract: 3D fractional resistivity change (resistivity change Δρ divided by baseline resistivity ρ{sub 0}) image showing results of Stage 1 silo liquor simulant injection. The black line delineates the preferential flow path; green cylinders show regions of historic contamination found in sediment cores from ERT boreholes. - Highlights: • 4D geoelectrical monitoring at Sellafield detected and tracked simulated silo leaks. • ERT revealed likely pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the subsurface. • The method can reduce uncertainty in subsurface process models at nuclear sites. • Has been applied in this form at a UK nuclear licensed site for the first time • Study demonstrates value of 4D geophysics for nuclear decommissioning.

Allen diesel standby sets at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruff, G.

1982-01-01

As part of the extension and improvement plans for the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd reprocessing facilities at Sellafield, three Allen diesel engines have been installed for essential standby duty. They are 16-cylinder V-form engines with a continuous rating of 2,832 bhp and drive a 2000kW 11,000 volt 3 phase 50Hz salient pole synchronous alternator at 750r/min. They are arranged for running in parallel and with the public electricity mains supply and are also controlled to operate as standby in the event of mains failure. To prevent radioactive contamination from the atmosphere, primary and secondary air filtration has been supplied for each engine. Other operational facilities and safeguards are mentioned and the cooling system described. (U.K.)

Microscopical examination of carbon deposits formed in the Windscale advanced gas cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livesey, D.J.; Chatwin, W.H.; Pearce, J.H.

1980-12-01

Methods are described of sampling and examining carbon deposits on fuel cladding in the Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor. Deposition is observed on fuel cladding in both the reactor core and experimental loops in carbon dioxide coolants containing various amounts of carbon monoxide and methane. Deposit distribution over the cladding surface indicated that nucleation is dependent on local surface conditions. Microscopical examination showed that deposit thickness increases by carbon filament growth into the coolant gas stream and that the process can be markedly influenced by metallic impurities. There is evidence that nickel can play a particularly significant role in deposition in loop experiments but similar effects have not been observed in the reactor core. (author)

A comparison between the risks of childhood leukaemia from parental exposure to radiation in the Sellafield workforce and those displayed among the Japanese bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.

1990-01-01

The cases of childhood leukaemia found near the Sellafield plant and those observed in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using a relative risk model. The leukaemia relative risk coefficients for total paternal (whole-body) pre-conception exposure for the Sellafield children are found to be about 50 to 80 times higher than the (gonadal) coefficients applying to the offspring of the bomb survivors. This difference is statistically significant, and in particular the risk coefficients for the Sellafield cohort are significantly positive, unlike those for the Japanese. If the assumption is made that the excess relative risk estimated from the Sellafield data lasts for the whole of the life of the offspring, the apparent population leukaemia risk to the first-generation offspring (for an England and Wales population) would be between 4% Sv -1 and 5% Sv -1 . (author)

The geology and hydrogeology of Sellafield: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaplow, Robert

1996-01-01

Nirex is responsible for providing and managing a national facility for solid intermediate-level and low-level radioactive waste. Geological and hydrogeological investigations have been in progress at Sellafield in west Cumbria since 1989 aimed at determining whether or not the site is suitable for such a deep repository. Geological investigations have included the drilling of 20 deep boreholes with over 20 000 metres of drilling, together with almost 2000 line kilometres of seismic surveys and over 8000 line kilometres of airborne geophysical surveys. Hydrogeological testing and groundwater sampling and testing have provided additional information on the ground conditions at the site. (author)

A glacial model for TIME4 applicable to the Sellafield and Dounreay areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulton, G.S.; Broadgate, M.

1992-12-01

This report provides input data for TIME4 Version 2.0 which has been developed for use at Sellafield and Dounreay. This report presents a review of the available data on the disposition of tills and other glacial deposits and landforms in the regions around Sellafield and Dounreay. This information is supplemented by the use of satellite imagery which has allowed the delineation of glacial flowlines on a regional basis. The glacial data is used as a constraint for the modelling of ice sheet behaviour. The physical basis of the model used has been developed previously but is presented for reference in this report. Modifications, notably the use of a nested topographic grid to improve resolution around the site, are described. Output from the model includes ice-front position, relative sea-level, erosion and deposition and sub-glacial discharge as a function of time and position along a transect. Additional information relating to the surface slope of the ice sheet is also included. (Author)

Child leukaemia around Sellafield: local community attitudes and the Black Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macgill, S M; Berhout, F G

1985-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relevance of the Black Report to the communities whose situation it was primarily addressing - the communities of the towns and villages around Sellafield in West Cumbria. The authors are concerned (1) with examining in what ways and to what extent the Black Report was received by these communities, (2) with examining the extent to which these communities were reassured by the report's message (and, prior to that, in need of reassurance); and, (3) with revealing and examining the terms in which local people themselves speak about the report and related issues. Through a comprehensive linguistic analysis of these aspects the authors are concerned, inter alia, to recast the research priorities and methodology of work on risk 'perception'. The analysis and evaluation draws on an original local attitude survey and is set against a number of contextual points.

Child leukaemia around Sellafield: local community attitudes and the Black Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macgill, S.M.; Berhout, F.G.

1985-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relevance of the Black Report to the communities whose situation it was primarily addressing - the communities of the towns and villages around Sellafield in West Cumbria. The authors are concerned (1) with examining in what ways and to what extent the Black Report was received by these communities, (2) with examining the extent to which these communities were reassured by the report's message (and, prior to that, in need of reassurance); and, (3) with revealing and examining the terms in which local people themselves speak about the report and related issues. Through a comprehensive linguistic analysis of these aspects the authors are concerned, inter alia, to recast the research priorities and methodology of work on risk 'perception'. The analysis and evaluation below draws on an original local attitude survey and is set against a number of contextual points. (author)

Development of techniques to dispose of the Windscale AGR heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crossley, H.; Wakefield, J.R.

1991-01-01

In a gas-cooled nuclear power plant the gas side of the heat exchanger tubes becomes contaminated with radioactive deposits carried from the reactor in the coolant stream. In order to dispose of the heat exchangers in the safest and most cost-effective way during plant decommissioning, the deposits have to be removed. In situ chemical decontamination is considered to be the only viable method. This paper describes the research and development of chemical decontamination methods for the Windscale AGR heat exchangers, and the testing of a selected method on an in situ superheater. The research involved characterization of tube corrosion and radioactivity deposits, laboratory testing of chemical reagents on actual tube samples, and the provision and operation of a plant to apply the selected reagent. Disposal of radioactive effluent is an important consideration in chemical decontamination and in the present case was the major factor in determining the process

Incineration of contaminated oil from Sellafield - 16246

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadbent, Craig; Cassidy, Helen; Stenmark, Anders

2009-01-01

Studsvik have been incinerating Low Level Waste (LLW) at its licensed facility in Sweden since the mid-1970's. This process not only enables the volume of waste to be significantly reduced but also produces an inert residue suitable for final disposal. The facility has historically incinerated only solid dry LLW, however in 2008 an authorisation was obtained to permit the routine incineration of LLW contaminated oil at the facility. Prior to obtaining the authorisation to incinerate oils and other organic liquids - both from clean-up activities on the Studsvik site and on a commercial basis - a development program was established. The primary aims of this were to identify the optimum process set-up for the incinerator and also to demonstrate to the regulatory authorities that the appropriate environmental and radiological parameters would be maintained throughout the new process. The final phase of the development program was to incinerate a larger campaign of contaminated oil from the nuclear industry. A suitable accumulation of oil was identified on the Sellafield site in Cumbria and a commercial contract was established to incinerate approximately 40 tonnes of oil from the site. The inventory of oil chosen for the trial incineration represented a significant challenge to the incineration facility as it had been generated from various facilities on-site and had degraded significantly following years of storage. In order to transport the contaminated oil from the Sellafield site in the UK to the Studsvik facility in Sweden several challenges had to be overcome. These included characterisation, packaging and international transportation (under a Transfrontier Shipment (TFS) authorisation) for one of the first transports of liquid radioactive wastes outside the UK. The incineration commenced in late 2007 and was successfully completed in early 2008. The total volume reduction achieved was greater than 97%, with the resultant ash packaged and returned to the UK (for

Seminar on Comparative assessment of the environmental impact of radionuclides released during three major nuclear accidents: Kyshtym, Windscale, Chernobyl. Vol. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

These proceedings of seminar on comparative assessment of the environmental impact of radionuclides released during three major nuclear accidents (Kyshtym, Windscale, Chernobyl) are divided into 5 parts bearing on: part 1: accident source terms; part 2: atmospheric dispersion, resuspension, chemical and physical forms of contamination; part 3: environmental contamination and transfer; part 4: radiological implications for man and his environment; part 5: countermeasures

Possible toxic effects from the nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield and Cap de la Hague

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, M.; Coeytaux, X.; Faid, Y.B.; Marignac, Y.; Rouy, E. [Wise, 75 - Paris (France); Thompson, G. [IRSS, Cambridge (United States); Fairlie, I.; Lowry, D.; Sumner, D

2001-11-15

The principal aim of this report is to assist the Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament in its consideration of Petition 393/95 brought by Dr. W. Nachtwey. The Petition expresses concerns about radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants at Sellafield in the UK and La Hague in France, and their possible adverse health effects. Six years after the Petition was introduced, the Petitioner main concerns remain relevant. This report concludes that reprocessing discharges are a valid matter for the Committee consideration. It also concludes that, on balance, the Petitioner's concerns over radioactive discharges from Sellafield and La Hague are justified. The report presents evidence and data on: 1) radioactive discharges from the Sellafield and La Hague sites; 2) resulting nuclide concentrations in environmental media including foodstuffs; 3) radiation doses from nuclide discharges to critical groups near the sites; 4) adverse health effects near the two sites; and 5) resulting collective doses from nuclide discharges. The report also examines a number of current issues in radiobiology concerning health effects from exposure to ionising radiation, in particular genetic and in utero effects. In addition, in accordance with contract specifications, the report examines other major factors that might influence future decision-making on reprocessing. It provides information on the legal framework, the operational history of the plants and the economic case for reprocessing compared with available alternatives for spent nuclear fuel management. The report also makes policy-related recommendations that take into account current knowledge and uncertainties in risk assessment and the availability of alternatives to reprocessing in spent fuel management. (authors)

Possible toxic effects from the nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield and Cap de la Hague

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, M.; Coeytaux, X.; Faid, Y.B.; Marignac, Y.; Rouy, E.; Thompson, G.; Fairlie, I.; Lowry, D.; Sumner, D.

2001-11-01

The principal aim of this report is to assist the Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament in its consideration of Petition 393/95 brought by Dr. W. Nachtwey. The Petition expresses concerns about radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants at Sellafield in the UK and La Hague in France, and their possible adverse health effects. Six years after the Petition was introduced, the Petitioner main concerns remain relevant. This report concludes that reprocessing discharges are a valid matter for the Committee consideration. It also concludes that, on balance, the Petitioner's concerns over radioactive discharges from Sellafield and La Hague are justified. The report presents evidence and data on: 1) radioactive discharges from the Sellafield and La Hague sites; 2) resulting nuclide concentrations in environmental media including foodstuffs; 3) radiation doses from nuclide discharges to critical groups near the sites; 4) adverse health effects near the two sites; and 5) resulting collective doses from nuclide discharges. The report also examines a number of current issues in radiobiology concerning health effects from exposure to ionising radiation, in particular genetic and in utero effects. In addition, in accordance with contract specifications, the report examines other major factors that might influence future decision-making on reprocessing. It provides information on the legal framework, the operational history of the plants and the economic case for reprocessing compared with available alternatives for spent nuclear fuel management. The report also makes policy-related recommendations that take into account current knowledge and uncertainties in risk assessment and the availability of alternatives to reprocessing in spent fuel management. (authors)

The nuclear reactor accident at Windscale - October, 1957: Environmental aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loutit, J F; Marley, W G; Russell, R S

1960-12-01

The nature and cause of the nuclear reactor accident at Windscale in October, 1957, have been described in the summary report of the Committee of Inquiry set up by the Atomic Energy Authority. This report was published in a Command Paper Atomic Energy Office, 1957). The events leading up to the accident occurred on the 8th October, during a routine release of the energy which had become stored in the graphite moderator as a result of the normal operation of the reactor. The Committee concluded that the accident had been caused by local overheating of the uranium fuel elements, the canning of which then failed exposing the uranium and allowing it to oxidize. The temperatures in the affected channels continued to rise, leading to the combustion of the graphite. The amount of radioactivity released during the accident is not known precisely, but approximate estimates were made from the measurements of the radioactive iodine deposited on the ground in this country, and from measurements on air filters obtained both in the United Kingdom and on the continent of Europe.

The nuclear reactor accident at Windscale - October, 1957: Environmental aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loutit, J.F.; Marley, W.G.; Russell, R.S.

1960-01-01

The nature and cause of the nuclear reactor accident at Windscale in October, 1957, have been described in the summary report of the Committee of Inquiry set up by the Atomic Energy Authority. This report was published in a Command Paper Atomic Energy Office, 1957). The events leading up to the accident occurred on the 8th October, during a routine release of the energy which had become stored in the graphite moderator as a result of the normal operation of the reactor. The Committee concluded that the accident had been caused by local overheating of the uranium fuel elements, the canning of which then failed exposing the uranium and allowing it to oxidize. The temperatures in the affected channels continued to rise, leading to the combustion of the graphite. The amount of radioactivity released during the accident is not known precisely, but approximate estimates were made from the measurements of the radioactive iodine deposited on the ground in this country, and from measurements on air filters obtained both in the United Kingdom and on the continent of Europe

The wide range in-core neutron measurement system used in the Windscale AGR concluding experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodings, A.; Budd, J.; Wilson, I.

1982-06-01

The Windscale AGR Concluding Experiments included a comparison of theoretical and experimental power transients and required measurements of neutron flux as a function of position and time within the reactor core. These measurements were specified to cover as wide as possible working range and had to be made against the in-core gamma background of up to 4 x 10 7 R(hr) - 1 . The detectors were required to operate in special, channels cooled by reactor inlet carbon dioxide and the overall system needed a response time such that it could follow transients with doubling times down to 2s with an accuracy of 2 or 3%. These problems were solved by the use of gas ion fission chambers operating in the current fluctuation or Campbelling mode with unusually low filling pressures and fitted with special trilaminax mineral insulated cables. Ten detectors were built and nine were installed in the reactor, three in each of three special stringers at different radial positions. The paper describes the specification against which this system was built, the design process for the detectors, and commissioning experiments together with some of the problems which were encountered. (U.K.)

Scoping studies on the effect of quaternary climate change on the hydrogeology in the Sellafield potential repository zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heathcote, J.A. [Entec UK Ltd., Shrewsbury (United Kingdom)

1997-04-01

The present investigations in the vicinity of the Sellafield potential repository zone have provided data on groundwater pressure and salinity to a depth of some 2000 m, for a section extending from the hills to the east of the zone, to the coast. As part of the process of demonstrating the suitability of the site for a deep repository, work has been undertaken to reconcile these observations of pressure and salinity with an understanding of the hydrogeology of the site. It is considered possible that the long glacial history of the site may in part be responsible for present observations. This work documents some preliminary studies to determine the possible magnitude of such glacial effects. 4 refs, 2 figs.

Scoping studies on the effect of quaternary climate change on the hydrogeology in the Sellafield potential repository zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heathcote, J.A.

1997-01-01

The present investigations in the vicinity of the Sellafield potential repository zone have provided data on groundwater pressure and salinity to a depth of some 2000 m, for a section extending from the hills to the east of the zone, to the coast. As part of the process of demonstrating the suitability of the site for a deep repository, work has been undertaken to reconcile these observations of pressure and salinity with an understanding of the hydrogeology of the site. It is considered possible that the long glacial history of the site may in part be responsible for present observations. This work documents some preliminary studies to determine the possible magnitude of such glacial effects. 4 refs, 2 figs

Childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma near large rural construction sites, with a comparison with Sellafield nuclear site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinlen, L.J.; Dickson, M.; Stiller, C.A.

1995-01-01

The objective was to determine whether population mixing produced by large, non-nuclear construction projects in rural areas is associated with an increase in childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A study was undertaken of the incidence of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among children living near large construction projects in Britain since 1945, situated more than 20 km from a population centre, involving a workforce of more than 1000, and built over three or more calendar years. A 37% excess of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 0-14 years of age was recorded during construction and the following calendar year. The excesses were greater at times when construction workers and operating staff overlapped (72%), particularly in areas of relatively high social class. For several sites the excesses were similar to or greater than that near the nuclear site of Sellafield (67%), which is distinctive in its large workforce with many construction workers. Seascale, near Sellafield, with a ninefold increase had an unusually high proportion of residents in social class I. The findings support the infection hypothesis and reinforce the view that the excess of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma near Sellafield has a similar explanation. (author)

Magnox Swarf Storage Silo Liquor Effluent Management -Sellafield Site, Cumbria, UK - Legacy radioactive waste storage - 59271

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Clere, Stephen

2012-01-01

The Sellafield Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) was constructed to provide an underwater storage facility for irradiated magnox cladding metal Swarf, as well as miscellaneous beta-gamma waste from several sources. Liquid effluent arisings from hazard reduction activities at this facility represent the toughest effluent treatment challenge within the company's Legacy Ponds and Silos portfolio. The key requirement for hazard reduction has generated many substantial challenges as the facility is readied for decommissioning. This has demanded the production of carefully thought out strategies for managing, and overcoming, the key difficulties to be encountered as hazard reduction progresses. The complexity associated with preparing for waste retrievals from the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, has also generated the demand for a mix of creativity and perseverance to meet the challenges and make progress. Challenging the status quo and willingness to accept change is not easy and the road to overall hazard reduction for the high hazard MSSS facility will demand the skills and investment of individuals, teams, and entire facility work-forces. The first steps on this road have been taken with the successful introduction of liquor management operations, however much more is yet to be achieved. Clear communication, investing in stakeholder management, perseverance in the face of difficulty and a structured yet flexible programme delivery approach, will ensure the continued success of tackling the complex challenges of treating liquid effluent from a legacy fuel storage silo at the Sellafield Site. (authors)

Actinide discharges from Sellafield - a summary of behaviour in the environment and the radiological implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coughtrey, P.J.; Jackson, D.; Martin, A.; Thorne, M.C.

1985-05-01

This report provides a summary of: information on the quantities of actinides discharged from Sellafield, their distribution in the environment and the radiological implications; potential long-term trends and exposure pathways that may require investigation; and research in progress and requirements for further research. (author)

The radiological impact of Sellafield on coastal communities around the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, H.M.; Howorth, J.M.

1993-11-01

The inhabitants of coastal regions bordering the Irish Sea may be exposed to radionuclides, of Sellafield origin, through a variety of pathways. An assessment of the magnitude of these doses and the regional differences is presented in this report. The assessment has considered exposures arising from the seafood, beach, intertidal and sea-spray transfer pathways. The spatial differences in the doses received through each pathway and the future evolution of the doses are determined by the predicted difference in the behaviour of individual radionuclides in the Irish Sea. Difference in the degree to which radionuclides adsorb onto sediments give rise to characteristic patterns in which 137 Cs is more uniformly distributed than the actinides and in which 137 Cs responds to the decreasing discharge rate from Sellafield more readily than the actinides. Thus, pathways in which the dose depends on the concentrations of 137 Cs, such as external irradiation over beaches, show smaller regional differences than do pathways whose dose depends on the concentrations of actinides, such as the ingestion of molluscs. The 137 Cs-controlled pathways are predicted to decline in the future in response to discharge rates much more rapidly than the actinide-controlled pathways which are subject to the influence of remobilisation processes. (Author)

Consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield - Predicted impacts on the environment.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thoerring, H.; Liland, A.

2010-12-15

This report deals with the environmental consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield. The investigation is limited to the terrestrial environment, and focus on animals grazing natural pastures, plus wild berries and fungi. Only 137Cs is considered. The predicted consequences are severe, in particular for mutton and goat milk production. (Author)

Consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield - Predicted impacts on the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoerring, H.; Liland, A.

2010-12-01

This report deals with the environmental consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield. The investigation is limited to the terrestrial environment, and focus on animals grazing natural pastures, plus wild berries and fungi. Only 137Cs is considered. The predicted consequences are severe - in particular for mutton and goat milk production. (Author)

Developing ceramic based technology for the immobilisation of waste on the Sellafield site - 16049

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scales, C.R.; Maddrell, E.R.; Dowson, Mark

2009-01-01

National Nuclear Laboratory, in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, is developing hot isostatic press (HIP) based ceramic technology for the immobilisation of a diverse range of wastes arising from nuclear fuel processing activities on the Sellafield site. Wasteform compositions have been identified and validated for the immobilisation of these plutonium containing wastes and residues in glass-ceramic and ceramic forms. A full scale inactive facility has been constructed at NNL's Workington Laboratory to support the demonstration of the technology. Validation of the inactive wasteform development using plutonium has been carried out at ANSTO's Lucas Heights facility. A feasibility study has been conducted to evaluate the construction and operation of a plutonium active pilot facility which would demonstrate the immobilisation of actual residues in the NNL Central Lab. This could form the basis of a facility to treat the plutonium wastes and residues in their entirety. The technology is being explored for the immobilisation of additional wastes arising on the Sellafield site taking advantage of the investment already made in skills and facilities. (authors)

An assessment of the radiological significance of consuming wild foods collected near the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulker, M.J.; McKay, K.; Jackson, D.; Leonard, D.R.P.

1996-01-01

Extensive monitoring of conventional agricultural produce in the vicinity of the BNFL Sellafield plant is undertaken, by both the operator and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to determine levels of radioactivity and douses arising to the consumer Monitoring is also undertaken, albeit less extensively, for market garden and domestic produce. By contrast, few data exist with respect to levels of radioactivity in 'wild foods' (e.g. hedgerow fruits, field mushrooms etc.) or associated consumption habits. It has been postulated that such foodstuffs could contribute an appreciable radiation exposure dose to groups of high level consumers, potentially including members of the existing identified critical group for local agricultural produce. This paper assess the actual radiological significance of wild foods collected near Sellafield. (author)

Scoping assessment of groundwater doses to biota at the Sellafield site, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, P.; Gleizon, P.; Coleman, I.A.; Watts, S.J.; Batlle, L.V.; Smith, A.D.

2008-01-01

In the current climate of investigating the impact of discharges from the nuclear industry on non-human biota, much attention has been given to biota in marine and terrestrial environments in receipt of authorised discharges of liquid and gaseous effluent. Relatively little attention to date has been given to the exposure of biota to groundwater containing man-made radio-nuclides. This area of interest is growing especially in the field of nuclear waste repositories. A scoping assessment has been performed here to determine the impacts due to radiological contamination on organisms living within or coming into contact with groundwater at the Sellafield site, UK. The following potential exposure routes to biota were identified: 1) Organisms living within groundwater; 2) Groundwater discharges to the surface at beach springs (i.e. emerging above the low water line; 3) Groundwater discharges to nearby surface water bodies (e.g. rivers); 4) Groundwater discharges directly to the Irish Sea.. In order to evaluate impacts on organisms living within, contacting or ingesting groundwater, it was necessary to determine the activity concentration of radio-nuclides in the groundwater. For time periods up to 2120, modeling of contaminant release from in-ground inventories and transport in groundwater was carried out for this scoping study using a relatively simple assessment methodology with the MONDRIAN modeling suite. Screening assessments of radiological impacts upon wildlife have been performed for liquid discharges to groundwater from the Sellafield Ltd reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria. Impacts have been considered for biota at sites within reach of the groundwater flow network. Most calculated total weighted absorbed doses appear to be of no radiological significance whatsoever in relation to the new Environment Agency freshwater ecosystem trigger level (40 microGy h -1 ), thereby obviating the need to conduct further investigations. The one exception to this is

Application of the ALARP principle to a major refurbishment project at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendrickson, W.R.; Coates, R.

1989-01-01

A formalised structured approach to the ALARP principle has been developed and is being applied to occupational radiation exposure on a major refurbishment project at Sellafield. The processes consider the conceptual and subsequent detailed design stages, planning and operational control and incorporates a dose feedback and review system. The approach has led to significant dose savings so far on the project, with recorded doses being significantly less than the doses estimated at the preliminary assessment stage. (author)

Developing a Step Wise Approach to Waste Management and Decommissioning at Sellafield Ltd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weston, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Developing a Step Wise Approach to Waste Management and Decommissioning at Sellafield Ltd: • Understand the challenge; • Understand preferred direction of travel; • Characterisation - enabling waste led decommissioning; • Engaging stakeholders; • Focus on the true drivers - alternative ILW approach; • Alternative ILW approach - simplification of waste handling process; • Manage future challenges; • Fit for purpose transport package for decommissioning wastes; • Risk based management framework

The radiological impact of Sellafield on coastal communities around the Irish Sea: a summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, H.M.; Howorth, J.M.

1994-05-01

The inhabitants of coastal regions bordering the Irish Sea are exposed to radionuclides, of Sellafield origin, through a variety of pathways. An assessment of the magnitude of the resulting radiation doses and the regional differences is presented in this report. The assessment has considered exposures arising from the seafood, beach and sea-spray transfer pathways. The spatial differences in the doses received through each pathway and the future evolution of the doses are determined by the predicted difference in the behaviour of individual radionuclides in the Irish Sea. Differences in the degree to which radionuclides adsorb onto sediments give rise to characteristic patterns in which 137 Cs is more uniformly distributed than the actinides and in which 137 Cs responds to the decreasing discharge rate from Sellafield more readily than the actinides. In the future, the contributions of 137 Cs to the radiological dose are predicted to decline, in response to discharge rates, much more rapidly than the contribution of the actinides which are subject to the influence of remobilisation processes. (author)

The development of quality assurance systems for radioactive waste at BNFL Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lake, M.W.

1989-01-01

BNFL reprocesses spent fuel as Sellafield, in West Cumbria, where it is a site licence requirement for formal QA arrangements to be established in respect of nuclear safety related plant. The forms of radioactive waste which are generated on site: HLW, ILW and LLW are made up of arisings which can be solid, liquid or gaseous. This paper discusses how implementation of the company's QA policy has been achieved by formally documenting and establishing the controls needed to manage plant, processes and people

The application of research and technology in the Highly Active Liquor storage and treatment facilities at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nixon, C.R.

2004-01-01

At the Sellafield nuclear site, Highly Active Liquor (HAL) produced from Magnox and Oxide reprocessing operations is evaporated and interim stored in the Highly Active Liquor Evaporation and Storage (HALES) complex prior to vitrification in one of three Waste Vitrification Plant (WVP) processing lines. These plants are integral to the current commercial activities at Sellafield and also in safely discharging liabilities in the future. The management and operation of HALES and WVP are subject to significant regulatory and public scrutiny and there is the requirement to deliver a reduction in the HAL volumes stored in HALES in accordance with a regulator imposed HAL stock reduction specification. In delivering the required reduction BNFL has faced a number of technical and operational challenges which have resulted in the development and execution of significant programmes of research and development and technical and engineering projects. The key challenges faced are briefly presented. (author)

Nuclear-reactor accidents: Chernobyl, TMI, and Windscale. January 1974-September 1988 (Citations from Pollution Abstracts). Report for January 1974-September 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-11-01

This bibliography contains citations concerning studies and measurements of the radiological consequences of nuclear-reactor accidents. The citations cover specifically the Chernobyl reactor in the USSR, the Three Mile Island (TMI) reactor in the US, and the Windscale reactor in the UK. Included are detection and monitoring of the fallout, the resultant runoff into rivers, lakes, and the sea, the radiation effects on people, and the transfrontier radioactive contamination of the environment. (Contains 105 citations fully indexed and including a title list.)

Unjustifiable exposures: Sellafield radioactive contamination of the rivers Lune and Wyre, Lancashire, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watts, Paul; Green Patrick.

1994-01-01

Measurements of radioactive contamination along the banks of the rivers Lune and Wyre in Lancashire, due to legally permitted discharges from Sellafield Reprocessing Plant, demonstrate that communities, such as houseboat dwellers living in the area are receiving over half the recommended site specific dose limit. Exposures are based on gamma dose rates and it is recommended that the limit is reduced from 500 uSv per year to 200 uSv per year. (UK)

Remote handling equipment for the decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barker, A.; Birss, I.R.; Fish, G.

1984-01-01

A decision to decommission the Windscale Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor was taken shortly after reactor shutdown in 1981. The fuel has now been discharged and the decommissioning programme will last about 10-12 years. The paper describes the programme and objectives and deals with methods of handling and disposing of the radioactive waste material. The main new facility required is a Waste Packaging Building adjacent to the existing reactor in which the waste boxes will be filled, active waste encapsulated in concrete and the boxes cleaned, swabbed and monitored to comply with IAEA transport regulations. The handling machine concept and features are described. The assaying and packaging of the waste material, the control of box movement and the process of concrete encapsulation is described. The paper concludes with a description of the development programme to support the Project. The tasks include a study of cutting techniques, production and control of dust and smoke, viewing and lighting methods, filtration, decontamination and fixing of contamination

Applicability of Learning From Experience to Sellafield Post-Operation Clean Out and Decommissioning Programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ytournel, Bertrand; Clement, Gilles; Macpherson, Ian; Dunlop, Alister

2016-01-01

Nuclear cycle facilities, such as recycling plants, over the world differ in their design and operation history. Transferability of Learning From Experience (LFE), Best Practices and Decommissioning tools and techniques may not appear as relevant as it would be for a fleet of reactors. Moreover Regulatory, Economic and Social Drivers may differ from one country to another. Technical Drivers being comparable, AREVA and Sellafield Ltd (SL) have conducted various benchmarks and technical peer reviews to consider LFE from AREVA's Post-Operation Clean Out (POCO) and Decommissioning projects (such as UP2-400 on the La Hague site) and those performed for customers (such as CEA's UP1 on the Marcoule site). The intention is that Sellafield can benefit from AREVA experience and incorporate some recommendations in their own programmes. These reviews highlighted not only that investigation tools and methods as well as Decommissioning techniques are fully transferable, but also that strategic, technical and organizational key recommendations are applicable. 1. End-state definition (for each programme step) has a strong impact on POCO and Decommissioning scenarios. 2. A waste-driven strategy is essential for the overall programme cost and schedule management, and it avoids detrimental activities and short-term decisions made under pressure that may have negative impacts on the Programme. 3. Safety issues associated with POCO and decommissioning programmes are different from the commercial operations environment. 4. An extensive characterization plan (with physical and radiological surveys and active sampling) is essential to underpin the final POCO / decommissioning scenario and build a plant configuration baseline that will be updated as the decommissioning progresses. 5. Transition from operations to decommissioning requires a major change in culture; the organization must adapt to the new decommissioning environment. 6. Securing specific competencies, resources and

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ("1"4C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tierney, Kieran M.; Muir, Graham K.P.; Cook, Gordon T.; MacKinnon, Gillian; Howe, John A.; Heymans, Johanna J.; Xu, Sheng

2016-01-01

The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ("1"4C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This "1"4C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate "1"4C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in "1"4C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine "1"4C-enriched material close to Sellafield. - Highlights: • We measure "1"4C activity in shells and sediment at sites on the UK west coast. • Mussel shell activity varies in response to average "1"4C discharges from Sellafield. • Shell activities reflect species feeding habits and ecological niche. • NE Irish Sea inorganic sediment activity will gradually increase. • Increases in sediment activity will occur at remote sites on the Scottish west coast.

Alpha-emitting 'hot particles' in the vicinity of BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whittall, A.J.; Tossell, P.J.

2000-01-01

In a survey of environmental samples in the vicinity of BNFL Sellafield, two alpha-emitting radioactive particles were found in samples of grass. One particle appears to be of mineral origin, the other was not definitively identified, but may be a fragment of fuel cladding. Conservative estimates of the activities of these particles are very low. The abundance of radioactive particles in the terrestrial food chain appears to be low, with no evidence for any alpha-emitting hot particles in foodstuffs for consumption by humans. Results suggest that there is no significant dose to man through inhalation or ingestion pathways. (author)

Hydrogeochemical evidence supporting models for groundwater flow around Sellafield, U.K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, R.; Milodowski, A.E.; Noy, D.J.

1999-01-01

Recently, United Kingdom Nirex Limited has investigated a site near Sellafield, north-west England to assess its suitability as the potential location for a deep underground repository for the disposal of intermediate- level, and some low-level, solid radioactive waste. Groundwater flow at the site was simulated using a variety of computer codes, based upon conceptual models of the hydrogeological system. Chemical data for groundwaters aided the development of these conceptual models, and also provided a check upon the computer models' validity. Mineralogical information can be accommodated within the conceptual and theoretical framework. The results of the investigation are presented. (author)

UK public attitudes to the nuclear industry: the effect of the Sellafield visitor centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, D.; Rogers, J.

1993-01-01

Public support for the nuclear industry appears to be growing in the UK at a time when environmental awareness is also prominent. Perceived advantages from nuclear power range from conservation of scare fossil reserves through to maintaining a worldwide technical competitiveness. Within the UK, the Sellafield Visitors Centre has proved to be a large tourist attraction, as well as successfully presenting information in a form that is easy to understand. (author)

How an integrated change programme has accelerated the reduction in high hazard nuclear facilities at Sellafield - 59014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackintosh, Angela

2012-01-01

For over five decades the Sellafield Site has been central to the UK's nuclear programme. Sellafield Ltd is managed by NMP (Nuclear Management Partners), a consortium of URS, AMEC and AREVA and is focussed on the decommissioning of historical facilities. When the activity of Decommissioning commenced in the late 1980's the site focus at that time was on commercial reprocessing and waste management. Now through the implementation of an integrated company change programme, emphasis has shifted towards accelerated risk and hazard reduction of degraded legacy plants with nuclear inventory whilst ensuring value for money for the customer, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). This paper will describe the management approach that is being taken and the planning tools that are being applied by the Site owners in delivering an integrated change programme across the Decommissioning Directorate. The paper will explain how the management approach to change uses Peer Assist, Rapid Improvement Events, Organisational Review Self Evaluation, Value Stream Analysis and Accelerated Improvement Events as improvement tools. Use of these has enabled down-sizing of the organisation, driven out hundreds of man day efficiencies within the maintenance and asset management areas, improved the management of spares reducing annual costs by Pounds 1000's, improved Commercial practices by fast tracking the preparation of invitations to tender for critical contracts, rolled back radiological control areas and enabled quicker access to the work-face at a reduced cost. This paper will explain in detail how the Decommissioning Directorate Programme Office has implemented planning tools such as governance, identification of opportunities, benefit evaluation and prioritisation and sanction of the optimum improvements and how through the use of a balanced scorecard, delivery of the improvements has been measured ensuring that the targets are met. Finally, the paper will discuss how the

Accumulation of Sellafield-derived radiocarbon ((14)C) in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal shells and sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, Kieran M; Muir, Graham K P; Cook, Gordon T; MacKinnon, Gillian; Howe, John A; Heymans, Johanna J; Xu, Sheng

2016-01-01

The nuclear energy industry produces radioactive waste at various stages of the fuel cycle. In the United Kingdom, spent fuel is reprocessed at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria on the North West coast of England. Waste generated at the site comprises a wide range of radionuclides including radiocarbon ((14)C) which is disposed of in various forms including highly soluble inorganic carbon within the low level liquid radioactive effluent, via pipelines into the Irish Sea. This (14)C is rapidly incorporated into the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir and marine calcifying organisms, e.g. molluscs, readily utilise DIC for shell formation. This study investigated a number of sites located in Irish Sea and West of Scotland intertidal zones. Results indicate (14)C enrichment above ambient background levels in shell material at least as far as Port Appin, 265 km north of Sellafield. Of the commonly found species (blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), common cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)), mussels were found to be the most highly enriched in (14)C due to the surface environment they inhabit and their feeding behaviour. Whole mussel shell activities appear to have been decreasing in response to reduced discharge activities since the early 2000s but in contrast, there is evidence of continuing enrichment of the carbonate sediment component due to in-situ shell erosion, as well as indications of particle transport of fine (14)C-enriched material close to Sellafield. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Analysis and radiological assessment of survey results and samples from the beaches around Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webb, G.A.M.; Fry, F.A.

1983-12-01

After radioactive sea debris had been found on beaches near the BNFL, Sellafield, plant, NRPB was asked by the Department of the Environment to analyse some of the samples collected and to assess the radiological hazard to members of the public. A report is presented containing an analysis of survey reports for the period 19 November - 4 December 1983 and preliminary results of the analysis of all samples received, together with the Board's recommendations. (author)

The precaution principle in the human affairs management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godard, O.; Bourdeaux, I.; Dab, W.; Ewald, F.; Fabiani, J.L.; Gilbert, C.; Hermitte, M.A.; Hourcade, J.Ch.; Huber, G.; Laverie, M.; Martin, G.J.; Megie, G.; Pelegrin, J.; Reveret, J.P.; Weber, J.; Wynne, B.

1997-01-01

The precaution principle is applied in the example of The nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom, Windscale reactor and the Sellafield reprocessing plant. In the first case, an interpretation mistake in the behaviour of sediments in Irish Sea leads to a pollution by plutonium 239, and finally the admissible contamination of sediments became a possible ingestion of plutonium in atmosphere because of transport of this radioisotope from the sediments to the surface waters and then to atmosphere with this possibility of ingestion by man and ingestion is a more severe pollution than contamination. The second example is the difference of behaviour of Cesium 137 in front of acid soils or clayey soils, difference that the researchers did not see in United Kingdom around Sellafield plant but the Chernobyl accident brought to the fore this difference of behaviour. These examples proved if it was needed that scientific knowledge is uncomplete and consequently the precaution principle is highly required. Furthermore, the cases of the blood transfusion and the Aids virus, the impact on health of power lines and the ozone layer are also reviewed to enlight this precaution principle. (N.C.)

Consequences of Windscale accident (October 1957) and study of the validity of the Sutton's mathematical model of atmospheric diffusion (1960); Etude des consequences de l'accident de Windscale (Octobre 1957) et de la validite du modele mathematique de diffusion atmospherique de Sutton (1960)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doury, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique (S.C.R.G.R.) Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Martin, J J [Electricite de France (EDF)(S.L.P.R.), 37 - Chinon (France)

1960-07-01

The reactor accident that happens at the number 1 pile of Windscale in 1957 was followed by a discharge of radioactive products into the atmosphere from the 1.X.1957 at 4.30 PM to the 12.X.1957 at 3.10 PM. On october the 11{sup th} it was possible to say that there was no more risk either of external irradiation or inhalation. But in adopting a M.A.C. of 0,1 {mu}curie of iodine 131 per litre of milk, the Authority had to control the milk delivery till november 23{sup rd} on a 500 km{sup 2} area. On the other hand, this exceptional accident permit to verify that Sutton's atmospheric diffusion model could give an easy means to foresee, with a sufficient approximation, the consequences of a dispersion of radioactive products into the atmosphere. (author) [French] L'accident survenu a la pile numero 1 de Windscale en 1957 a entraine l'emission de matieres radioactives dans l'atmosphere du 10 octobre a 16h30 au 12 octobre a 15h10. Le 11 octobre, on pouvait dire qu'il n'y avait plus de risque d'irradiation externe ni de danger par inhalation. Mais en adoptant une C.M.A. de 0,1 {mu}curie d'iode 131 par litre de lait, les autorites ont du reglementer la consommation du lait jusqu'au 23 novembre sur une etendue d'environ 500 km{sup 2}. D'autre part, cet accident exceptionnel a permis de verifier que le modele de diffusion atmospherique de Sutton pouvait fournir un moyen commode de prevoir avec une approximation suffisante les consequences d'une dispersion de produits radioactifs dans l'atmosphere. (auteur)

Safety audit of BNFL Sellafield 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The BNFL Sellafield site involved is the complex of buildings concerned with reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from the UK Magnox reactors. It includes facilities for the receipt and storage underwater of spent fuel from the power stations, the subsequent chemical separation of re-usable elements of uranium and plutonium from the radioactive waste, storage of the more radioactive of these wastes on the site and discharge to sea or atmosphere, or disposal at the nearby Drigg site of those wastes which are of very low-radioactive content. The audit (conducted in 1986) was undertaken to establish the physical state of the plant, to investigate the management policies and priorities and the supporting advisory structure and to determine the cause and severity of incidents (eg leaks) by a comprehensive study of those occuring since 1979. Some buildings have been studied in more detail than others. Volume 1 of the audit report covers details of how the audit was planned and carried out, the engineering audit, a review of procedures, an analysis of incidents, the findings as to the actions that need to be taken by BNFL, a general summary and the conclusions. Volume 2 contains more technical and detailed papers relating to the inspection on which the judgements presented in Volume 1 are based. (U.K.)

The MOX Demonstration Facility - the stepping stone to commercial MOX production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macdonald, A.G.

1994-01-01

The paper provides an insight into MOX fuel and the economic benefits of its use in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). BNFL and AEA are collaborating in the design, construction and operation of a thermal MOX Demonstration Facility (MDF) on the AEA Windscale site in Cumbria. The process flowsheet and equipment employed in MDF are discussed and the special precautions required to handle plutonium bearing materials are highlighted. The process flowsheet includes the short binderless route which has been specially developed for use in MDF and results in fuel pellets with an homogeneous structure. MDF is the forerunner to the design and construction of a larger scale Sellafield MOX Plant and hence is the stepping-stone to commercial MOX production. (author)

Communicating risk: news media reportage of a significant nuclear contamination incident in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, G.P.; Macgill, S.M.

1988-02-01

The way the mass media reported a controversial discharge incident at British Nuclear Fuel's reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria in November 1983 is discussed. Apart from the Windscale fire in 1957 this was the most serious radiation incident at any nuclear installation in the United Kingdom. The aim of the study was to use that incident to develop a more complete understanding of the way information about risk is communicated through the news media. Two issues, in particular, are assessed. First, the accuracy of the reports of events and how factual, technical or scientific aspects of risk are portrayed through the news media. Secondly, risk evaluation is studied: what value judgements are made, what sentiments of alarm, danger and hazard are presented. (author)

Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. Overcoming Environmental Monitoring Inertia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, T.G.; Desmond, J.A.; Stevens, A.K.

2006-01-01

The first nuclear reactors at Sellafield went critical in 1951 and fuel reprocessing commenced shortly afterwards. As the nuclear programme expanded, reprocessing increased and there was an associated increase in discharges to the environment. An initial environmental monitoring programme was formulated on the basis of research and assessment of the likely behaviour of radionuclides. In addition to the routine process sources there were also incidents that gave rise to acute releases of radioactivity to the environment. Of key significance were: the Windscale fire, 1957; short-cooled fuel reprocessing, 1981; and discharge of contaminated solvent, 1983. All of these incidents added to the requirements for environments for environmental monitoring. The monitoring programme has evolved over a period of more than 50 years. (N.C.)

Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. Overcoming Environmental Monitoring Inertia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parker, T.G.; Desmond, J.A. [British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd. (United Kingdom); Stevens, A.K. [Westlakes Scientific Consulting (United Kingdom)

2006-07-01

The first nuclear reactors at Sellafield went critical in 1951 and fuel reprocessing commenced shortly afterwards. As the nuclear programme expanded, reprocessing increased and there was an associated increase in discharges to the environment. An initial environmental monitoring programme was formulated on the basis of research and assessment of the likely behaviour of radionuclides. In addition to the routine process sources there were also incidents that gave rise to acute releases of radioactivity to the environment. Of key significance were: the Windscale fire, 1957; short-cooled fuel reprocessing, 1981; and discharge of contaminated solvent, 1983. All of these incidents added to the requirements for environments for environmental monitoring. The monitoring programme has evolved over a period of more than 50 years. (N.C.)

The Nirex Sellafield site investigation: the role of geophysical interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muir Wood, R.; Woo, G.; MacMillan, G.

1992-01-01

This report reviews the methods by which geophysical data are interpreted, and used to characterize the 3-D geology of a site for potential storage of radioactive waste. The report focuses on the NIREX site investigation at Sellafield, for which geophysical observations provide a significant component of the structural geological understanding. In outlining the basic technical principles of seismic data processing and interpretation, and borehole logging, an attempt has been made to identify errors, uncertainties, and the implicit use of expert judgement. To enhance the reliability of a radiological probabilistic risk assessment, recommendations are proposed for independent use of the primary NIREX geophysical site investigation data in characterizing the site geology. These recommendations include quantitative procedures for undertaking an uncertainty audit using a combination of statistical analysis and expert judgement. (author)

Consequences in Norway of a hypothetical accident at Sellafield: Potential release - transport and fallout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ytre-Eide, M. A.; Standring, W.J.F.; Amundsen, I.; Sickel, M.; Liland, A.; Saltbones, J.; Bartnicki, J.; Haakenstad, H.; Salbu, B.

2009-03-01

This report focuses on transport and fallout from 'worst-case' scenarios based on a hypothetical accident at the B215 facility for storing Highly Active Liquors (HAL) at Sellafield. The scenarios involve an atmospheric release of between 0.1-10 % of the total HAL inventory; only transport and fallout of 137 Cs is considered in this case study. Simulations resulted in between 0.1-50 times the maximum 137 Cs fallout experienced in the most contaminated areas in Norway after the Chernobyl accident. (Author)

A survey of habits of people living close to the Sellafield nuclear processing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, T.H.; Fulker, M.J.; Jones, S.R.

1990-01-01

A survey has been carried out of the habits of people living within 3 km of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant. The survey included estimates of consumption rates of foodstuffs for a range of ages and of time spent indoors, outdoors and away from home. A high proportion of those interviewed were farmers and they provided additional data on time spent in the various farming activities. A comparison is made of the food consumption rates and generalised values recommended for critical groups by the NRPB and MAFF. (author)

BNFL's progress in addressing the findings of the ''Safety audit of BNFL Sellafield 1986''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

An audit of the British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) Sellafield site, and in particular the reprocessing plant, was carried out by the United Kingdom Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in the first half of 1986 following a series of incidents. The outcome was a set of requirements on BNFL to bring about significant improvements in many procedural and engineering aspects. Details of BNFL's response are given in this report. Areas where BNFL needs to continue to focus attention in the future are identified, but an overall satisfactory response to the audit findings is recorded. (UK)

Ventilation design for containment and the effects on energy consumption at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doig, R.; Scattergood, B.; Standring, T.

1997-01-01

Nuclear reprocessing plants are designed to contain some radioactive process, minimise the risk of loss of containment and to limit the discharge of material to the environment. The physical containment systems, provided by the building and process vessels, are generally insufficient measures on their own to safeguard against release of contamination. This passive' containment must be enhanced by an active' containment - the ventilation system. The ventilation system is designed to provide a depression gradient so that air flows from areas of lesser to greater contamination potential and thereby limit the possibility of migration of contamination. The ventilation design is dominated by the extract system, which is used to create the differential pressures required to obtain the desired depression gradient. The resultant, contaminated, exhaust air requires considerable clean-up equipment to treat it prior to discharge to atmosphere. Within the nuclear industry, safety has always been paramount and will continue to be so, however, in recent years additional requirements have grown in importance and one of these has been energy conservation. At the same time, pressure has increased from the industry regulators to reduce discharges to atmosphere. A case study has been carried out on an existing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, to review energy consumption and potential savings. This review was based on operational experience and evolution in containment and ventilation design which have occurred in intervening years. Completed in 1984, at a capital cost in excess of Pound 300m, the Fuel Handling Plant (FHP) at Sellafield, has one of the largest heating and ventilation systems in Europe. Costing approximately Pound 11m, the various ventilation systems comprise some 27 individual sub-systems using 58 fans, some 1,000 dampers and approximately 10 miles of ductwork spread over three buildings (integrated to form one whole). (UK)

The management of solid radioactive waste at Sellafield and Drigg. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Waste management at British Nuclear Fuel's (BNFL) Sellafield and Drigg sites has been assessed using an audit of solid low level and intermediate level radioactive waste, undertaken by a joint inspection team from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and the Inspectorate of Pollution. The conditions of waste storage and record keeping observed by the team are reported for each solid waste facility. Radioactive waste management was found to be variable, with a number of storage facilities less than satisfactory. BNFL were shown to be making strenuous efforts to rectify this. Record keeping was found to be satisfactory for all current and recent waste storage. Historic waste accumulations, however, have yet to be quantified and characterised. (UK)

A comparison of the risk of stillbirth associated with paternal pre-conception irradiation in the Sellafield workforce with that of stillbirth and untoward pregnancy outcome among Japanese atomic bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.

1999-01-01

A comparison is made of the relative risks associated with paternal pre-conception irradiation of stillbirth and untoward pregnancy outcome (stillbirths, congenital malformations, neonatal deaths) in the offspring of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and of stillbirth in the offspring of Sellafield workers. It is concluded that the pre-conception exposure risks of stillbirth in the offspring of Sellafield workers are statistically incompatible with the Japanese data at the 5% level. Other human and experimental data relating to the induction of congenital abnormalities are briefly reviewed. (author)

The storage of liquid high level waste at BNFL, Sellafield. Addendum to February 2000 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-08-01

On 18 February 2000 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published a report on the work of its Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NIl) in regulating the storage of liquid high level waste at the BNFL Sellafield site. Within the report NIl gave two undertakings. One was to publish an addendum around 1 year later covering its assessment of the new safety case for the storage plant and the second was to publish a further addendum when progress had been made with options studies for reducing the stocks of liquid high level waste (HLW), also referred to as highly active liquor (HAL), to a buffer level. A progress report was published in February 2001 which included a summary of the assessment of the new safety case and NIl's regulatory action to enforce liquid HLW stock reductions. This addendum provides a more detailed update on the position reached based on consideration of BNFL's responses to the recommendations from the February 2000 HLW report since its publication. It embodies the two addenda referred to above integrated into a single document for publication

Thermal treatment of simulant plutonium contaminated materials from the Sellafield site by vitrification in a blast-furnace slag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyatt, N.C., E-mail: n.c.hyatt@sheffield.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom); Schwarz, R.R.; Bingham, P.A.; Stennett, M.C.; Corkhill, C.L.; Heath, P.G.; Hand, R.J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom); James, M.; Pearson, A. [Sellafield Ltd., Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); Morgan, S. [Sellafield Ltd., Hinton House, Risley, Warrington WA3 6GR (United Kingdom)

2014-01-15

Graphical abstract: Storage of 200 L drums of PCM waste at the Sellafield site, UK. Abstract: Four waste simulants, representative of Plutonium Contaminated Materials (PCMs) at the Sellafield site, were vitrified through additions of Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS). Ce (as a Pu surrogate) was effectively partitioned into the slag product, enriched in an amorphous CaO–Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–SiO{sub 2} phase when other crystalline phases were also present. Ce L{sub 3} edge XANES data demonstrated Ce to be present as trivalent species in the slag fraction, irrespective of the waste type. Estimated volume reductions of ca. 80–95% were demonstrated, against a baseline of uncompacted 200 L PCM waste drums. The dissolution behaviour of PCM slag wasteforms was investigated at 50 °C in saturated Ca(OH){sub 2} solution under N{sub 2} atmosphere, to simulate the hyperalkaline anoxic environment of a cementitious UK Geological Disposal Facility for Intermediate Level Waste (ILW). These experiments demonstrated the performance of the slag wasteforms to be comparable to that of other vitrified ILW materials considered potentially suitable for geological disposal.

The radiation exposure of the UK population from liquid effluents discharged from civil nuclear installations in the UK in 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camplin, W.C.; Clark, M.J.; Delow, C.E.

1982-04-01

The collective effective dose equivalent commitment to the UK population from routine liquid discharges by civil nuclear establishments during 1978 has been estimated at 134 man Sv. The major pathway considered in the assessment was the consumption of seafoods, because most discharges were made directly to sea. Over 90% of this collective dose commitment will be delivered within a few years of the discharges, and caesium-137 from the nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at Windscale (now known as Sellafield) will have made the main contribution to this commitment. These discharges were primarily due to corrosion of nuclear fuel during storage at the reprocessing plant, and there is no simple relationship between the level of collective dose commitment and the amount of energy generated by nuclear means during 1978. (author)

Child leukaemia around Sellafield: what Seascale said about the Black Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macgill, S M

1986-07-01

The paper investigates reaction to the Black Report by the inhabitants of Seascale, the community whose situation - in terms of leukaemia incidence and proximity to Sellafield - was the focus of interest of that Report. The paper draws on an original interview-based social survey among the inhabitants of Seascale. As well as routine examination of response frequencies, a new methodological tool for reconstructing aggregate patterns of a large number of multiple character responses (from the Galois connections between response categories) is used as primary basis for interpretative analysis. It is found that the Black Report was received in Seascale with a mixture of confusion, satisfaction, deferred judgement and sharp criticism, and implications of this finding for the risk perception research field, as well as for policy makers, are brought out.

Child leukaemia around Sellafield: what Seascale said about the Black Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macgill, S.M.

1986-07-01

The paper investigates reaction to the Black Report by the inhabitants of Seascale, the community whose situation - in terms of leukaemia incidence and proximity to Sellafield - was the focus of interest of that Report. The paper draws on an original interview-based social survey among the inhabitants of Seascale. As well as routine examination of response frequencies, a new methodological tool for reconstructing aggregate patterns of a large number of multiple character responses (from the Galois connections between response categories) is used as primary basis for interpretative analysis. It is found that the Black Report was received in Seascale with a mixture of confusion, satisfaction, deferred judgement and sharp criticism, and implications of this finding for the risk perception research field, as well as for policy makers, are brought out. (author)

The Sellafield controversy: The state of local attitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macgill, S.; Phipps, S.

1987-01-01

The authors have presented some of the key findings of a local survey, attempted to provide plausible interpretations of them, and illustrated some of their relevance in a contemporary policy context. The authors recognize that they have touched upon only the surface of the complex of factors which generate people's attitudes and opinions. BNFL may be assured of a bedrock of local support; its position is under no serious threat or overwhelming pressure from local communities. As the authors see it, the need now is to improve the basis on which a more thorough assessment of local attitudes might be made. A priority in a more thorough assessment would be to adopt a different structure to the questionnaire - one which would allow respondents greater freedom of expression and, in turn, provide data from which it would be possible to gain deeper insight into the more complex issues of attitudes and opinion formation. A more rigorous sampling method might also be adopted, as well as pursuing a longitudinal approach to research in order to achieve a fuller understanding - studying the Sellafield case as it develops and the effect of related events

Nirex 97 an assessment of the post-closure performance of a deep waste repository at Sellafield. Volume 1: hydrogeological model development - conceptual basis and data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degnan, P.; Littleboy, A.

1997-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited ('Nirex') is responsible for providing and managing facilities for the safe disposal of intermediate and certain low-level radioactive waste (ILW and LLW respectively). Government policy is that the preferred disposal route for such wastes is a deep geological repository. The repository concept aims to use a combination of natural and engineered barriers to achieve the necessary degree of long-term isolation and containment of the radioactive wastes. Since 1987, Nirex has carried out an extensive technical programme directed at the science of safe disposal. The work comprises a research programme into the long-term performance of waste forms and the engineered and natural barriers, including the characterisation of candidate geological settings to assess their suitability to host a deep waste repository ('DWR'). Between mid-1991 and March 1997 the geological characterisation programme was concentrated on establishing the suitability, or otherwise, of a candidate site at Sellafield, West Cumbria. In July 1994, as part of a detailed site investigation programme, Nirex applied for planning permission to develop an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Longlands Farm near Sellafield. This application was rejected by the planning authority and Nirex's appeal against that decision led to a local planning inquiry which ran from September 1995 until February 1996. In line with the Inspector's Report, in March 1997 the Nirex appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Company's response to that decision, and its readiness to contribute to the new government's review of the way forward, are described in the Nirex Annual Report for 1996-97. This report - Nirex 97 - is founded on the understanding developed through the Nirex technical programme. It reports the outcome of an assessment of the post-closure safety performance, over hundreds of thousands of years, of a repository system located in a potential

Causality of relationship between paternal radiation exposure and leukaemia incidence in the children of Sellafield workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheldon, T.E.; Mairs, R.J.; Barrett, A.

1992-01-01

In this letter the author comments on K.E. Baverstock's case (1991) against the likelihood of a causal relationship between reported leukemia incidence and paternal radiation dose in the children of Sellafield workers, and emphasizes the desirability of devising experimental tests of the germ-cell line damage hypothesis as well as the evaluation of its plausibility. Particular reference is made to the role played by dose-rates and by the two-hit model for childhood acute leukemia. (Letter to the Editor)

The Specification of Cement Powders for Waste Encapsulation Processes at Sellafield site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angus, M.; Borwick, J.; Cann, G.; Hayes, M.; McLuckie, B.; Jowsey, J.

2012-01-01

Requirements are described for Portland Cement (CEM I), Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) and Fly Ash (FA) powders used for the encapsulation of Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste (ILW) in UK, with particular reference to Sellafield site encapsulation processes. Differences between the powders used by the UK nuclear industry and the equivalent British and European cement standards are explained. Research over the last 20 years to respond to changes in the performance of these powders is summarised and options for dealing with potential future changes are discussed. These include the use of special blends of GGBS to achieve the desired flow properties or alternatively poly-carboxylate super-plasticizers to produce grouts with consistent performance using cement powders with a wide range of composition. (authors)

Progress in the development of tooling and dismantling methodologies for the Windscale advanced gas cooled reactor (WAGR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cross, M.T.; Wareing, M.I.; Dixon, C.

1998-01-01

Decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (WAGR) is a major UK reactor decommissioning project co-funded by the UK Government, the European Commission and Magnox Electric. WAGR was a CO 2 cooled, graphite moderated reactor which served as a test bed for the development of Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor technology in the UK. It operated from 1963 until shutdown in 1981. AEA Technology plc are currently the Managing Agents on behalf of UKAEA for the WAGR decommissioning project and are responsible for the co-ordination of the project up to the point when the contents of the reactor core and associated radioactive materials are removed and either disposed of or packaged for disposal at some time in the future. Decommissioning has progressed to the point where the reactor has been dismantled down to the level of the hot gas collection manifold with the removal of the top biological shield, the refuelling standpipes and the top section of the reactor pressure vessel. The 4 heat exchangers have also been removed and committed to shallow land burial. This paper describes the work carried out by AEA Technology under separate contracts of UKAEA in developing some of the equipment and deployment methods for the next phase of active operations required in preparation for the dismantling of the core structure. Most recent work has concentrated on the development of specialist tooling for removal of items of operational waste stored within the reactor core, equipment for cutting and removal of the highly radioactive stainless steel 'loop' pressure tubes, diamond wire cutting equipment for sectioning large diameter pipework, and equipment for dismantling the reactor neutron shield. The paper emphasises the process of adaptation and extension of existing technologies for cost-effective application in the decommissioning environment, the need for adequate forward planning of decommissioning methodologies together with large-scale 'mock-up' testing of equipment to

Development of a Systematic Approach to Post-Operation Clean Out at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macpherson, Ian; Dunlop, Alister

2016-01-01

Post Operational Clean Out (POCO) relates to the activities undertaken directly after commercial operations cease to remove residual activity and facilitate decommissioning of a nuclear facility. Historically the transition of Sellafield facilities has proved sub-optimal resulting in loss of critical plant knowledge, additional cost and protracted delivery timelines. The move from reprocessing in Magnox and Thorp to POCO is a significant transition facing the site, with a large number of diverse facilities scheduled to cease operations over the next 15 years. In order to ensure that the facilities are dealt with in a consistent manner, that supports both Site and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) strategies, the POCO programme has been established across the Sellafield Operations Division. Primary aims of the POCO programme are: - Risk and Hazard Reduction; - Enabling redeployment of resource and capability; - Life-cycle cost reduction; - Enhanced Reputation. Transition preparations will cover process, organisation, technology and information. Knowledge is a key output of POCO: the creation of records of the plant configuration and status to enable and support the safe and effective eventual decommissioning of the plant. The consistent approach that has been developed will: - Ensure the smooth transition from operations into POCO, and then into surveillance and maintenance. - Maximise the potential of facilities to support other site activities prior to POCO. - Optimise the facility schedules within the overall POCO programme, to ensure timely decoupling. - Define and manage the resource demands and capabilities prior to and during POCO. - Provide a baseline configuration for each facility at the end of the POCO phase. - Encourage and enable knowledge management to ensure that subsequent decommissioning activities are informed and supported. - Look for opportunities to progress housekeeping and co-processing activities so as to reduce inventory and make best

Working for the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This video looks at the work of the UKAEA which is concerned with environmental protection and covers 4 projects, the routine monitoring which ensures a constant check on the safe operation of nuclear plant, research into the ways radioactivity released routinely into the Irish Sea from Sellafield returns to land. Computer modelling of the large scale behaviour of radioactive releases to the environment and research into the behaviour of released chemicals and heavy metals into the food chain. (author)

The wide range in-core neutron measurement system used in the Windscale AGR concluding experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodings, A.; Budd, J.; Wilson, I.

1982-06-01

The Windscale AGR concluding experiments included a comparison of theoretical and experimental power transients and required measurements of neutron flux as a function of position and time within the reactor core. These measurements were specified to cover a working range as wide as possible and had to be made against the in-core gamma background of up to 4 x 10 7 R(hr) - 1 . The detectors were required to operate in special channels cooled by reactor inlet CO 2 and the overall system needed a response time such that it could follow transients with doubling times down to 2s with an accuracy of 2 or 3%. These problems were solved by the use of gas ion fission chambers operating in the current fluctuation or ''Campbelling'' mode. Their neutron to gamma sensitivity ratio was optimised by the use of unusually low filling pressures and they were fitted with special ''trilaminax'' mineral insulated cables to minimise the effects of electrical interference at the 100 kHz channel centre frequency. Ten detectors were built and nine were installed in the reactor, three in each of three special stringers at different radial positions. All were processed and tested for operation at 350 deg. C and their fissile coatings (430 μg cm - 1 of natural uranium) were matched to give individual neutron sensitivities with a population spread better than +- 6% about the mean. The mean absolute sensitivities were determined to about +- 5% against manganese foils in the NESTOR reactor at AEE Winfrith. The detectors were complemented by special signal processing channels which provided current fluctuation sensitivity and appropriate output signals to the experiment data acquisition system. These channels also permitted dc measurement of chamber current for more precise flux determination near reactor full power

Criticality safety philosophy for the Sellafield MOX plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edge, Jane; Gulliford, Jim

2003-01-01

The Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) has been operational since 2001, blending plutonium dioxide from THORP reprocessing operations, with uranium dioxide to produce Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel elements. In handling the quantities of fuel associated with a commercial fuel fabrication plant, it is necessary to impose criticality controls. Plutonium dioxide (PuO 2 ), uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) and recycled MOX are mixed together in batches. An Engineered Protection System (EPS) prevents the production of MOX powder in excess of 20w/o Pu(fissile)/(Pu+U), achieved through the combination of a weight-based' system and a diverse 'neutron monitoring' radiometric system. The 'neutron monitoring' component of the EPS determines the fissile enrichment of the batch of MOX powder, based on pessimistic isotopic requirements of the PuO 2 feedstock powder. Guaranteeing the maximum MOX enrichment of 20w/o Pu(fissile)/(Pu + U) at an early stage of the fuel manufacturing process enables the criticality safety assessor to demonstrate that normal operations are deterministically safe. This paper describes in detail the EPS at the front end of plant and the engineered and operational protection in downstream areas. In addition plant operational experience in producing the first fuel assemblies is discussed. (author)

An assessment of the radiological impact of the Windscale reactor fire, October 1957

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crick, M.J.; Linsley, G.S.

1983-09-01

The assessment described has involved a review of previously unpublished data, in order to establish the quantities of nuclides released from materials undergoing irradiation in the pile at the time of the fire. Of these additional nuclides, only polonium-210 has been shown to make a significant contribution to the estimate of the collective effective dose equivalent to the population from the Windscale fire. The previous estimate of 1.2 x 10 3 man Sv for the collective effective dose equivalent commitment to the population of the UK and Northern Europe has been increased by 67% to 2.0 x 10 3 man Sv. This change is within the range of uncertainty of the original estimate. The influence of the addition on the theoretical estimate of the upper limit of possible health effects is discussed in this addendum and its foreword. With the inclusion of the additional nuclides, the inhalation pathway has become the overall largest contributor to this population dose, followed by the milk ingestion pathway; the largest nuclide contribution comes from iodine-131, followed by polonium-210. Some perspective may be provided on the contribution due to polonium-210 by noting that it is approximately one-tenth of that arising annually due to naturally occurring polonium-210, and less than one-hundredth of that due annually to the total natural background radiation. (author)

A comparison of the risks of leukaemia in the offspring of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and those born elsewhere in West Cumbria with the risks in the offspring of the Ontario and Scottish workforces and the Japanese bomb survivors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Little, M.P. (National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton (United Kingdom)); Wakeford, R. (British Nuclear Fuels plc, Risley (United Kingdom)); Charles, M.W. (Nuclear Electric plc, Berkeley (United Kingdom). Berkeley Technology Centre)

1994-09-01

The cases of childhood leukaemia found among children of the Sellafield (West Cumbria), Ontario and Scottish radiation workers and in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using linear and exponential forms of a relative risk model with total preconception external radiation dose estimates. In particular, the risks among children of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and among those born elsewhere in West Cumbria are compared with the risks derived from the other datasets. There is a highly significant inconsistency between the raised paternal preconception exposure excess relative risk coefficients for leukaemia in those children of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and the coefficients for children born elsewhere in West Cumbria, those for the offspring of the Ontario or Scottish workforces as well as those for the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors. These incompatabilities are independent of the models used. In contrast to this, the leukaemia excess relative risk coefficients for paternal preconception exposure of those children of the Sellafield workforce born elsewhere in West Cumbria are not significantly elevated and do not differ significantly from those observed in the Japanese, Ontario and Scottish datasets. (author).

A comparison of the risks of leukaemia in the offspring of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and those born elsewhere in West Cumbria with the risks in the offspring of the Ontario and Scottish workforces and the Japanese bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.; Wakeford, R.; Charles, M.W.

1994-01-01

The cases of childhood leukaemia found among children of the Sellafield (West Cumbria), Ontario and Scottish radiation workers and in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using linear and exponential forms of a relative risk model with total preconception external radiation dose estimates. In particular, the risks among children of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and among those born elsewhere in West Cumbria are compared with the risks derived from the other datasets. There is a highly significant inconsistency between the raised paternal preconception exposure excess relative risk coefficients for leukaemia in those children of the Sellafield workforce born in Seascale and the coefficients for children born elsewhere in West Cumbria, those for the offspring of the Ontario or Scottish workforces as well as those for the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors. These incompatabilities are independent of the models used. In contrast to this, the leukaemia excess relative risk coefficients for paternal preconception exposure of those children of the Sellafield workforce born elsewhere in West Cumbria are not significantly elevated and do not differ significantly from those observed in the Japanese, Ontario and Scottish datasets. (author)

Consequences of Windscale accident (October 1957) and study of the validity of the Sutton's mathematical model of atmospheric diffusion (1960)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doury, A.

1960-01-01

The reactor accident that happens at the number 1 pile of Windscale in 1957 was followed by a discharge of radioactive products into the atmosphere from the 1.X.1957 at 4.30 PM to the 12.X.1957 at 3.10 PM. On october the 11 th it was possible to say that there was no more risk either of external irradiation or inhalation. But in adopting a M.A.C. of 0,1 μcurie of iodine 131 per litre of milk, the Authority had to control the milk delivery till november 23 rd on a 500 km 2 area. On the other hand, this exceptional accident permit to verify that Sutton's atmospheric diffusion model could give an easy means to foresee, with a sufficient approximation, the consequences of a dispersion of radioactive products into the atmosphere. (author) [fr

Changing the Rules on Fuel Export at Sellafield's First Fuel Storage Pond - 12065

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlisle, Derek [Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Cumbria (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) was built in 1949/50 to receive, store and de-can fuel and isotopes from the Windscale Piles. Following closure of the Piles in 1957, plant operations were scaled down until fuel processing eventually ceased in 1962. The facility has held an inventory of metal fuel both from the Piles and from other programmes since that time. The pond is currently undergoing remediation and removal of the fuel is a key step in that process, unfortunately the fuel export infrastructure on the plant is no longer functional and due to the size and limited lifting capability, the plant is not compatible with today's large volume heavy export flasks. The baseline scheme for the plant is to package fuel into a small capacity flask and transfer it to another facility for treatment and repackaging into a flask compatible with other facilities on site. Due to programme priorities the repackaging facility is not available to do this work for several years causing a delay to the work. In an effort accelerate the programme the Metal Fuel Pilot Project (MFPP) was initiated to challenge the norms for fuel transfer and develop a new methodology for transferring the fuel. In developing a transfer scheme the team had to overcome challenges associated with unknown fuel condition, transfers outside of bulk containment, pyro-phoricity and oxidisation hazards as well as developing remote control and recovery systems for equipment not designed for this purpose. A combination of novel engineering and enhanced operational controls were developed which resulted in the successful export of the first fuel to leave the Pile Fuel Storage Pond in over 40 years. The learning from the pilot project is now being considered by the main project team to see how the new methodology can be applied to the full inventory of the pond. (author)

DNA instability, paternal irradiation and leukaemia in children around Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baverstock, K.F.

1991-01-01

The chemical instability of DNA under physiological conditions requires that cells have highly developed processes for repairing stochastic single-strand damage. It is proposed here that provided ionising-radiation-induced single-strand damage does not occur at a rate sufficient to perturb the dynamic steady state between degradation and repair, it can be regarded as 'irrelevant' to biological effect, leaving double-strand damage and DNA-protein crosslinks as 'relevant' damage to biological effect. At dose rates of ∼ 0.05 Gy/min low-LET radiation the rate of induced single-strand damage equals that of the spontaneous damage, and in this region a transition, with increasing dose-rate, from constant effect to increasing effect, will be expected. This is observed in studies of specific locus mutation by radiation in the male mouse. The application of this biophysical principle governing the influence of radiation dose-rate, to the association observed between paternal preconceptional dose to Sellafield workers and childhood leukaemia in their offspring, shows that the likelihood of a casual relationship is extremely remote. (author)

How an integrated change programme has accelerated the reduction in high hazard nuclear facilities at Sellafield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackintosh, Angela [Change Manager, Decommissioning, Sellafield Ltd, Seascale, Cumbria (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

For over five decades the Sellafield Site has been central to the UK's nuclear programme. Now operated by Sellafield Ltd, under the management of Parent Body Organisation Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), a consortium of URS Washington Division, AMEC and AREVA is focussed on the decommissioning of historical facilities. When Decommissioning commenced in the late 1980's the site focus at that time was on commercial reprocessing and waste management. Now through the implementation of a company change programme, emphasis has shifted towards accelerated risk and hazard reduction of degraded legacy plants with nuclear inventory whilst ensuring value for money for the customer, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. This paper will describe the management success by the Site owners in delivering a successful change programme. The paper will explain how the site has transitioned to the INPO Standard Nuclear Performance Model (SNPM) and how through the use of a change maturity matrix has contributed to the accelerated reduction in high risk high hazard nuclear facilities. The paper will explain in detail how the Decommissioning Programme Office has facilitated and coordinated the Governance and assured delivery of the change plan and how successful application of visual management has aided the communication of its progress. Finally, the paper will discuss how the Delivery Schedules have proved critical for presenting the change plan to Key Stakeholders, Government Owners and Powerful Regulators. Overall, this paper provides an insight into how a massive change programme is being managed within one of the world's highest regulated industries. (authors)

How an integrated change programme has accelerated the reduction in high hazard nuclear facilities at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackintosh, Angela

2013-01-01

For over five decades the Sellafield Site has been central to the UK's nuclear programme. Now operated by Sellafield Ltd, under the management of Parent Body Organisation Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), a consortium of URS Washington Division, AMEC and AREVA is focussed on the decommissioning of historical facilities. When Decommissioning commenced in the late 1980's the site focus at that time was on commercial reprocessing and waste management. Now through the implementation of a company change programme, emphasis has shifted towards accelerated risk and hazard reduction of degraded legacy plants with nuclear inventory whilst ensuring value for money for the customer, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. This paper will describe the management success by the Site owners in delivering a successful change programme. The paper will explain how the site has transitioned to the INPO Standard Nuclear Performance Model (SNPM) and how through the use of a change maturity matrix has contributed to the accelerated reduction in high risk high hazard nuclear facilities. The paper will explain in detail how the Decommissioning Programme Office has facilitated and coordinated the Governance and assured delivery of the change plan and how successful application of visual management has aided the communication of its progress. Finally, the paper will discuss how the Delivery Schedules have proved critical for presenting the change plan to Key Stakeholders, Government Owners and Powerful Regulators. Overall, this paper provides an insight into how a massive change programme is being managed within one of the world's highest regulated industries. (authors)

Consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield - Predicted impacts on the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoerring, H.; Ytre-Eide, M.A.; Liland, A.

2010-12-01

distribution of species. For instance, the density of moose is very low in the most contaminated western parts of Norway, whereas a considerable fraction of red deer is found in these areas. Consumption restrictions will probably be needed for moose, red deer and roe deer in many areas. As part of the report 'Nasjonalt risikobilde' (national threat assessment), the described Sellafield scenario is used to exemplify a nuclear threat scenario for Norway. It will look at wider consequences of such an accident, such as the impact on health, economy and society. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) is leading the work on the national threat assessment and the report is due in 2011. (Author)

Consequences in Norway after a hypothetical accident at Sellafield - Predicted impacts on the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thoerring, H.; Ytre-Eide, M.A.; Liland, A.

2010-12-15

regional distribution of species. For instance, the density of moose is very low in the most contaminated western parts of Norway, whereas a considerable fraction of red deer is found in these areas. Consumption restrictions will probably be needed for moose, red deer and roe deer in many areas. As part of the report 'Nasjonalt risikobilde' (national threat assessment), the described Sellafield scenario is used to exemplify a nuclear threat scenario for Norway. It will look at wider consequences of such an accident, such as the impact on health, economy and society. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) is leading the work on the national threat assessment and the report is due in 2011. (Author)

Overview of the site selection, geological and engineering problems facing radioactive waste disposal at Sellafield, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haszeldine, R.S.; Smythe, D.K.

1996-01-01

UK Nirex Ltd is the company charged with finding a suitable site for the disposal of radioactive waste in the United Kingdom. Since 1991, Nirex has concentrated its site investigation work at Longlands Farm which is owned by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and is near their Sellafield site. Planning permission was sought for the development of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at the site in 1994. A public Planning Inquiry began in September 1995. A wide range of scientific and technical objections were put by expert witnesses against the Nirex Proposal. These witnesses were co-ordinated by three Objecting Organisations - Cumbria County Council, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Their written evidence is presented in this book. The grounds of the objections include: the inadequacy of the methodology adopted by Nirex for site selection and investigation; The unsuitability of the site geology, hydrology and geochemistry; that construction of the RCF would destroy the data essential to deciding site suitability; that the RCF would provide a conduit for the release of radioactivity; a number of features in the Nirex risk assessment that would lead to an underestimation of the potential risks of a repository at this site. (UK)

GeoMelt{sup R} ICV{sup TM} Treatment of Sellafield Pond Solids Waste - 13414

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witwer, Keith; Woosley, Steve; Campbell, Brett [Kurion, Inc., GeoMelt Division, 3015 Horn Rapids Road, Richland, Washington (United States); Wong, Martin; Hill, Joanne [AMEC Inc., Birchwood Park, 601 Faraday Street, Birchwood, Warrington, WA3 6GN (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

Kurion, Inc., in partnership with AMEC Ltd., is demonstrating its GeoMelt{sup R} In-Container Vitrification (ICV){sup TM} Technology to Sellafield Ltd. (SL). SL is evaluating the proposition of directly converting a container (skip/box/drum) of raw solid ILW into an immobilized waste form using thermal treatment, such that the resulting product is suitable for interim storage at Sellafield and subsequent disposal at a future Geological Disposal Facility. Potential SL feed streams include sludges, ion-exchange media, sand, plutonium contaminated material, concrete, uranium, fuel cladding, soils, metals, and decommissioning wastes. The solid wastes have significant proportions of metallic constituents in the form of containers, plant equipment, structural material and swarf arising from the nuclear operations at Sellafield. GeoMelt's proprietary ICV process was selected for demonstration, with the focus being high and reactive metal wastes arising from solid ILW material. A composite surrogate recipe was used to demonstrate the technology towards treating waste forms of diverse types and shapes, as well as those considered difficult to process; all the while requiring few (if any) pre-treatment activities. Key strategic objectives, along with their success criterion, were established by SL for this testing, namely: 1. Passivate and stabilize the raw waste simulant, as demonstrated by the entire quantity of material being vitrified, 2. Immobilize the radiological and chemo-toxic species, as demonstrated via indicative mass balance using elemental analyses from an array of samples, 3. Production of an inert and durable product as evidenced by transformation of reactive metals to their inert oxide forms and satisfactory leachability results using PCT testing. Two tests were performed using the GeoMelt Demonstration Unit located at AMEC's Birchwood Park Facilities in the UK. Post-melt examination of the first test indicated some of the waste simulant had not

The thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield: three years of active operation in the chemical separation plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philips, C.

1998-01-01

The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant at British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield site started operating in March 1994 with the shearing of its first irradiated fuel. In January 1995 the Chemical Separation part of the plant commenced processing the irradiated fuel feed solution that had been produced in the previous year by the Head End plant. By the Spring of 1998 over 1400 t of irradiated fuel has been reprocessed in Thorp, and the plant is being steadily and successfully ramped up to its normal operating throughput. The performance of the Thorp Chemical Separation Plant has been excellent, with the solvent extraction contactors performing as predicted by the extensive development programme. In particular the uranium-plutonium separation stage, which received intensive development to deal with the effects of the fission product technetium, has given an overall separation performance well in excess of the minimum flowsheet requirement. Decontamination of the uranium and plutonium products from fission products has in general been better than flowsheet requirements and the solvent extraction equipment has operated stably under the automatic controls developed during the R and D programme. Discharges of contaminants to waste streams have generally been in line with, or better than, expectation. This paper compares with flowsheet predictions a range of the key fission product and transuranic decontamination factors achieved in Thorp, shows how waste stream discharges are a small fraction of Sellafield Site discharge limits, demonstrates how uranium - plutonium separation performance has compared with expectation and summarises the overall performance of the Chemical Separation Plant. (author)

Dose reduction and the application of the ALARP principle to occupational exposure at the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.W.; Coates, R.

1991-01-01

This paper presents information on the application of the ALARP principle to Dose Reduction at the British Nuclear Fuels plc site at Sellafield in Cumbria. The development of the Operational methods employed to effect dose reductions on existing plants and the impact of stringent targets for new plants is described in addition to discussion of the factors initiating the change and the success of the initiatives. (Author)

A comparison of the risks of childhood leukaemia from parental pre-conception exposure to radiation in the Sellafield and Dounreay workforces and the Japanese bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.

1991-01-01

The cases of childhood leukemia found among children of the Sellafield (West Cumbria) and Dounreay (Caithness) workforces and those observed in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using exponential and linear forms of a relative risk model and employing dose estimates both for the period 6 months pre-conception and also for total pre-conception doses. The leukemia relative risk coefficients for paternal (whole-body) exposure in these pre-conception periods for children in Caithness are found to be statistically compatible with those of the children of Sellafield workers but also with the (gonadal dose) coefficients applying to the offspring of the bomb survivors. There remains the need to explain adequately the absence of a discernibly raised risk of childhood leukaemia in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors if the statistical association between paternal pre-conception radiation and the raised incidence of childhood leukaemia found in the West Cumbria study represents a causal relationship. (author)

Is the excess risk of childhood leukemia at Sellafield consistent with the experiences of A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimoto, Yasuhiko

1991-01-01

The purpose of this communication is to summarize briefly selected studies relevant to the difference between the apparent pre-conception radiation-associated leukemia risks in the offspring born in the area near the Sellafield plant and to the atomic bomb survivors. Although no doubt exists about the hypothesis that radiation damages the genetic material in reproductive cells, it is important to recognize how small the effect in the first generation would be based on the various genetic endpoints. Generally only a small fraction of leukemia cases are inherited -- the proportion among all spontaneous cases does not exceed 10 %. Because there is still uncertainty and controversy about the genetic effects of radiation, the possible complex confounding factors are also briefly mentioned. It is clear that the studies of the atomic bomb survivors are pertinent to the possible genetic effect due to radiation-induced mutations in the spermatogonia and oocytes while the observations in Sellafield are, as suggested by Gardner et al. pertinent to the in post-meiotic stages of spermatogenesis. No significant effect of atomic bomb radiation can be shown on the risk of leukemia as well as other genetic effect endpoints, such as the frequency of mutations associated with specific proteins, cytogenetic abnormalities, survival, and so on. (author)

CHEMVAL project. Critical evaluation of the CHEMVAL thermodynamic database with respect to its contents and relevance to radioactive waste disposal at Sellafield and Dounreay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falck, W.E.

1992-01-01

This report is concerned with assessing the applicability of the CHEMVAL Thermodynamic Database (Version 3.0) to studies of radioactive waste disposal at Sellafield and Dounreay. Comparisons are drawn with similar listings produced elsewhere and suggestions made for database enhancement. The feasibility of extending the database to take into account simulations at elevated temperatures is also addressed. (author)

A comparison of the apparent risks of childhood leukaemia from parental exposure to radiation in the six months prior to conception in the Sellafield workforce and the Japanese bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.

1991-01-01

The cases of childhood leukaemia found among children of the Sellafield workforce and those observed in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using both exponential and linear forms of a relative risk model and employing dose estimates for the period 6 months pre-conception. The leukaemia relative risk coefficients for paternal (whole-body) exposure in this pre-conception period for children of Sellafield workers are found to be statistically incompatible with the (gonadal dose) coefficients applying to the offspring of the bomb survivors born in the period May 1946 to December 1946, i.e. born 9 to 16 months after the bombings. The incompatibility does not depend on whether the risks in the Japanese children are assumed to be a function simply of paternal gonadal dose or of combined paternal and maternal gonadal dose. (author)

Approach to customer qualification of the BNFL Sellafield Mox Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, P.

2003-01-01

BNFL started plutonium commissioning of its Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) in December 2001, with the first MOX pellets being produced in May 2002. SMP was designed to manufacture a range of both PWR and BWR fuel types for a number of different customers. During commissioning and early MOX fuel manufacturing BNFL has been demonstrating its ability to both automatically manufacture and inspect MOX fuel to meet the requirements of different customers' specifications and fuel types. The qualification project consisted of common and project specific qualification. Common qualification was carried out to demonstrate BNFL could meet several customers' requirements during the same qualification test. Project specific qualification was carried out for one customer only as the fabrication or inspection equipment was specific to their fuel type. An example is the fuel assembly process. The reasons for BNFL carrying out common qualification were: - Develop a common qualified process to meet different customer specifications. - Minimise future qualifications prior to starting future fuel campaigns. - Ensure BNFL understands and effectively manages different customer requirements in SMP. BNFL has approached qualification of SMP systematically. Firstly the inspection system was qualified, and once completed the inspection system was then used in the qualification of the manufacturing process. (orig.)

Radiation: cost or benefit?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crouch, D.

1988-01-01

In a previous issue of SCRAM it was argued that the apparent increased incidence of child leukaemia around nuclear power stations could have been caused by radioactive discharges into the environment. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) claim that the known levels of contamination could not be responsible for the observed cancer rates. NRPB estimates of radiation risk are, however, considered to be underestimates. The NRPB is criticised for its study of the Sellafield workforce which excluded ex-employees and which revealed, when a statistical mistake was put right, a significant excess of myeloma amongst the Windscale workforce. The radiation protection philosophy of the NRPB is based on a cost benefit analysis which balances the cost of protection against the benefits of power generation. Criticism is made of NRPB, not only for ignoring long-term risks and costs but also for suggesting that some levels of radiation exposure are acceptable. The Board is also accused of not being independent of the nuclear industry. (UK)

Collective dose to the European Community from nuclear industry effluents discharge in 1978

CERN Document Server

Camplin, W C

1983-01-01

The results are presented of a study to evaluate the collective dose commitment to the population of the European Community from effluents released by the nuclear industry within the EC in 1978. Airborne and liquid effluent discharge data have been taken from published sources, and computer modelling techniques have been used to predict the transfer of radioactivity through the environment to man. The collective dose commitments due to discharges from each nuclear installation have been evaluated and the comparative significance of individual radionuclides and their pathways to man have been considered. Airborne releases resulted in an estimated collective effective dose equivalent commitment of 95 man Sv, the major part of which is due to carbon-14 from both power stations and reprocessing plants. The collective effective dose equivalent commitment from liquid effluents is estimated to be 408 man Sv, mostly due to caesium-137 and other radionuclides from the Sellafield (formerly Windscale) reprocessing plant...

Technocrats and nuclear politics. The influence of professional experts in policy-making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massey, Andrew

1988-01-01

The role of technical experts, especially scientists and engineers, in the development of Britain's civil nuclear energy policy is analysed. It is proposed that civil initiatives came from the integration of technical professions within the bureaucracy of government and quasi-governmental organisations involved in the formulation and implementation of policy. Organisational logic and professional motivation encouraged policies which would lead to occupational autonomy. The first three chapters develop the concept of technical professionalism, Chapters 4-7 then focus on the technocrat's role in providing a spur from their positions within the policy community's bureaucracies that drives top-level policy decisions. These functions are examined in more detail using two case studies, the first concerned with the evolution of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., the second with the Inquiry (in 1977) into the proposal by BNFL to extend its Windscale site (now known as Sellafield) to build the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant. (U.K.)

The safeguards on-site laboratory at Sellafield. Five years operational experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duinslaeger, L.; Belle, P. van; Mayer, K.; Casteleyn, K.; Abousahl, S.; Daures, P.; Eberle, H.; Enright, T.; Guiot, A.; Hild, M.; Horta Domenech, J.; Lajarge, P.; Laurent, P.; Le Terrier, A.; Lynch, B.; Marucci, M.; Millet, S.; Ottmar, H.; Richir, P.; Street, S.; Vallet, P.; Zuleger, E. [European Commission, Karlsruhe (Germany). Inst. for Transuranium Elements

2004-06-01

The start of operation of the large reprocessing facilities led Euratom Safeguards to a new approach for verification analysis of samples taken at the facility: the installation of on-site laboratories. The availability of analytical capabilities for independent verification measurements at the site of these facilities offers obvious advantages in view of timeliness of results. The 'On-Site Laboratory' (OSL) at the BNFL Sellafield site was the first ever and entered into operation in 1999. For almost five years, the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU) has been operating the laboratory under routine conditions. During this period, more than one thousand safeguards samples were analysed. The experience gained in the management, logistics and operation of the OSL allow a critical review based on a significant period in time. This includes also aspects of training of staff, maintenance of equipment, flow of information, and improvements in the efficiency. The analytical issues are of key importance: based on the operational experience, the measurement methods were adapted (changing boundary conditions), the distribution of samples according to material type changed (start up of MOS fabrication plant), and the cutback in resources triggered a further streamlining of the analytical efforts. (orig.)

The risks of leukaemia and non-cancer mortality in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors and a comparison of leukaemia risks with those in the offspring of the Sellafield workforce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M.P.

1992-01-01

The incidence of leukaemia and mortality from various causes other than cancer observed in offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using linear and exponential forms of a relative risk model. Relative risk coefficients for leukaemia as a function of total pre-conception dose in the offspring of the Japanese and those for children of the Sellafield workforce are compared, and statistically significant differences are found. The statistical significance of these differences is no less marked if attention is restricted to those born before the end of 1950 in the Japanese cohort; therefore it is unlikely that the differences between the preconception irradiation leukamia risks in the Japanese and Sellafield datasets are a result of different distributions of parental ages at exposure in the two groups, or of different lengths of time between exposures of spermatogonia and conception. (Author)

The risks of leukaemia and non-cancer mortality in the offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors and a comparison of leukaemia risks with those in the offspring of the Sellafield workforce

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Little, M.P. (National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton (United Kingdom))

1992-12-01

The incidence of leukaemia and mortality from various causes other than cancer observed in offspring of the Japanese bomb survivors are analysed using linear and exponential forms of a relative risk model. Relative risk coefficients for leukaemia as a function of total pre-conception dose in the offspring of the Japanese and those for children of the Sellafield workforce are compared, and statistically significant differences are found. The statistical significance of these differences is no less marked if attention is restricted to those born before the end of 1950 in the Japanese cohort; therefore it is unlikely that the differences between the preconception irradiation leukamia risks in the Japanese and Sellafield datasets are a result of different distributions of parental ages at exposure in the two groups, or of different lengths of time between exposures of spermatogonia and conception. (Author).

Methods and basic data of case-control study of leukaemia and lymphona among young people near Sellafield nuclear plant in West Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardner, M.J.; Hall, A.J.; Snee, M.P.; Downes, S.; Powell, C.A.

1990-01-01

The methods and basic data of a case-control study of leukaemia and lymphoma among young people near Sellafield are examined for reliability. Fifty-two cases of leukaemia, 22 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 23 of Hodgkins disease occurring in people born in the area and diagnosed there in 1950-85 under the age of 25, and 1001 controls matched for sex and date of birth taken from the same birth registers were used in the study. (author)

Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) 4. report. The incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site, West Cumbria: Further studies and an update of the situation since the publication of the report of the Black Advisory Group in 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bridges, B.A.

1996-01-01

The Fourth Report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) updates the information on the incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site since the publication of the Black Advisory Group report in 1984. Data are reviewed on radiation exposure and the risk of radiation-induced leukaemia and cancer in young people living in Seascale; possible effects of paternal preconception irradiation in cancer; exposure to chemicals used at and discharged from the Sellafield site and the risk to the general population and offspring of site workers; and the infectious aetiology of childhood cancer. The history of the Royal Ordnance Factories sited at Sellafield and Drigg in the 1940s and a historical review of childhood cancer in Seascale is also given. (UK)

Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) 4. report. The incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site, West Cumbria: Further studies and an update of the situation since the publication of the report of the Black Advisory Group in 1984

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bridges, B.A.

1996-12-31

The Fourth Report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) updates the information on the incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site since the publication of the Black Advisory Group report in 1984. Data are reviewed on radiation exposure and the risk of radiation-induced leukaemia and cancer in young people living in Seascale; possible effects of paternal preconception irradiation in cancer; exposure to chemicals used at and discharged from the Sellafield site and the risk to the general population and offspring of site workers; and the infectious aetiology of childhood cancer. The history of the Royal Ordnance Factories sited at Sellafield and Drigg in the 1940s and a historical review of childhood cancer in Seascale is also given. (UK).

Doses to Terrestrial Biota in the Vicinity of BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria, UK (invited paper)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copplestone, D.; Johnson, M.S.; Jackson, D.; Jones, S.R

2000-07-01

Source terms and corresponding radionuclide activity concentrations in biota for {sup 134}Cs, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am have been assessed for three semi-natural ecosystems in the vicinity of BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria, UK. Estimates of absorbed doses (mGy.d{sup -1}) have been calculated. Doses to key indicator species, Oniscus asellus (detritivorous invertebrate), Carabus violaceous (predatory invertebrate) and Apodemus sylvaticus (granivorous wood mouse) are discussed with reference to the 1 mGy.d{sup -1} level, below which it is postulated that no observable effects on populations in a terrestrial ecosystem occur. Implications for the 'critical group' and 'reference model' approaches for a framework of radiological environmental protection are discussed. The need to assess the most highly exposed species is advanced. New research focused on the application of biomarker techniques as a mechanism for determining the interactions and effects of environmental contaminants on ecosystem structure and functioning is presented. (author)

The evaluation, design and implementation of an automated storage and retrieval system for uranium trioxide powder (UO3) at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitt, C.R.; Mather, K.

1993-01-01

The paper initially sets out the methods used to evaluate the requirements for an automated system to store and retrieve drums of radioactive Uranium Trioxide (UO3) power arising from the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield Cumbria. This is followed by a description of the configuration of storage vaults used and of the development of a Self Guided Vehicle (SGV) to operate remotely within these vaults. The system evolved is based on a combination of well proven mechanical equipment and control techniques and the implementation of the design together with testing and control procedures are described. (author)

Subsurface geology, geochemistry, and water flow at a Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Sellafield. Supplementary proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haszeldine, R.S.

1996-01-01

Detailed comments are made on behalf of Greenpeace Ltd in a Supplementary Proof of Evidence presented to a Planning Inquiry in 1995 in support of their objections to an application by UK Nirex Ltd for permission to construct an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site near Sellafield. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for the disposal of radioactive waste. The principal points of disagreement with Nirex concern: the promise of the site; the oxidation state of the natural groundwater and uranium solubility; effects of possible future earthquakes; the interpretation of flow potential; the application of fluid flow modelling and the parameters used in it. (1 figure; 21 references). (UK)

A study of fish and shellfish consumers near Sellafield: assessment of the critical groups including consideration of children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, D.R.P.; Hunt, G.J.

1985-01-01

A survey of people's consumption rates in 1981 and 1982, of fish and shellfish caught near the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) Sellafield site is described. Particular emphasis has been given to mollusc eaters and consumption rates of children because of the potentially higher radiation doses they may receive. Appropriate critical groups have been selected for dose assessment purposes using principles recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Methods for consideration of children in critical groups are suggested and a comparison of these methods using the present data shows similar results. Combination of seafood consumption pathways is also considered, and it is shown that a simple additive approach is not excessively conservative. (author)

The identification of an homogenous critical group using statistical extreme-value theory: application to laverbread consumers and the Windscale effluent discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beach, S.

1974-04-01

The International Commission of Radiological Protection states that a critical group should be representative of those individuals in the population expected to receive the highest dose. The appropriate dose limit should then be applied to the mean dose of this group. The edible seaweed Porphyra (laverbread) has been identified as the link in the critical exposure pathway limiting discharges of controlled low-level radioactive liquid waste from Windscale. The frequency distributions of the largest values of samples of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 male and female, child and adult consumers of laverbread are determined from the parent distributions by Monte Carlo sampling methods. From these results the extreme-value distribution of adult males of samples of 30 is taken to be a good estimate of the critical group, from which the median consumption rate of laverbread consumed per day is 55 g. The annual collective organ dose delivered to the lower large intestine of the total laverbread consumer group is estimated to be 266 man-rem. (author)

Nuclear installations and childhood cancer in the U.K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldsmith, J.R.

1990-01-01

The report in November 1983 of a cluster of childhood leukemia cases in the vicinity of the Sellafield (Windscale) nuclear facility on the west coast of England has led to a substantial effort to study possible excess cancer in the vicinity of British nuclear installations. Although some additional excesses were found, the causal relationship with radionuclides was thought unlikely because the estimated doses were below those established as causal of increase in human leukemia. Since 1956, we have known that diagnostic x-rays during pregnancy are associated with increased risks from childhood cancer, especially leukemia. Gardner et al. showed that excess cases near Sellafield were in children born there, and no excess occurred among in-migrants. Roman et al. showed that significant elevations in leukemia among children living near three nuclear installations in the Midlands were only at 0-5 y, suggesting that the relevant exposure was prenatal. We identify and discuss a set of epidemiological, dosage estimation, and modeling problems relevant to interpretation of such data. We conclude that: (1) a red bone marrow-based model for brief, high-level exposures of adults associated with myelogenous leukemia is inappropriate for evaluating the impact of internal emitters, relatively continuous exposures in perinatal periods in association with acute lymphatic leukemia; (2) incidence of mortality rates of childhood leukemia should be evaluated in the vicinity of nuclear installations in many countries; and (3) in contrast to nuclear reprocessing and nuclear weapons installations, there is little evidence of excess childhood leukemia among residents in areas adjacent to nuclear power installations in the U.K

Nirex 97 an assessment of the post-closure performance of a deep waste repository at Sellafield. Volume 3; the groundwater pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, A.; Chambers, A.; Jackson, C.

1997-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited ('Nirex') is responsible for providing and managing facilities for the safe disposal of intermediate and certain low-level radioactive waste (ILW and LLW respectively). Government policy is that the preferred disposal route for such wastes is a deep geological repository. The repository concept aims to use a combination of natural and engineered barriers to achieve the necessary degree of long-term isolation and containment of the radioactive wastes. Since 1987, Nirex has carried out an extensive technical programme directed at the science of safe disposal. The work comprises a research programme into the long-term performance of waste forms and the engineered and natural barriers, including the characterisation of candidate geological settings to assess their suitability to host a deep waste repository ('DWR'). Between mid-1991 and March 1997 the geological characterisation programme was concentrated on establishing the suitability, or otherwise, of a candidate site at Sellafield, West Cumbria. In July 1994, as part of a detailed site investigation programme, Nirex applied for planning permission to develop an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Longlands Farm near Sellafield. This application was rejected by the planning authority and Nirex's appeal against that decision led to a local planning inquiry which ran from September 1995 until February 1996. In line with the Inspector's Report, in March 1997 the Nirex appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Company's response to that decision, and its readiness to contribute to the new government's review of the way forward, are described in the Nirex Annual Report for 1996-97. This report - Nirex 97 - is founded on the understanding developed through the Nirex technical programme. It reports the outcome of an assessment of the post-closure safety performance, over hundreds of thousands of years, of a repository system located in a potential

Acoustic monitoring to support plant life extension at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wit, M. de; Hovhanessian, G.

2015-01-01

Tensioned steel wires are widely used in civil engineering structures. They can, however, be vulnerable to corrosion. To reduce the probability of corrosion, sophisticated protection systems are used. Extensive inspection and maintenance regimes are also able to be implemented to confirm that the design strength is available over the lifetime of the wires. These regimes include tests to confirm the condition of post-tensioning cables or stay cables, which can verify the overall performance of the structure. This paper presents a technology to detect and locate wire failures in tensioned cables for use on a wide variety of pre-stressed or post tensioned structures, where they have increased confidence in the structures and reduced maintenance costs. This methodology is the continuous acoustic monitoring technology which uses distinctive acoustic characteristics of wire breaks to separate them from other acoustic activity on the structure. With a combination of instrumentation, data acquisition and data management, it is possible to identify a wire break event, as well as to locate the position and time of the failure. Over 10 years' experience of acoustic monitoring for this application with several independent and blind tests, shows that even in noisy environments the acoustic monitoring method is able to identify and locate wire breaks in fully grouted and partially grouted tendons, stay cables and suspension cables. The design (number of sensors and location) is very important to be sure to cover all wires in the structure. This paper explains the principles of the systems and shows them in practice on a case study of a project in a pre-stressed roof structure of an active tank farm at Sellafield site

Assessment of the radiological impact of the Windscale reactor fire, October 1957. Addendum to report NRPB R135

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crick, M J; Linsley, G S

1983-01-01

The assessment described has involved a review of previously unpublished data, in order to establish the quantities of nuclides released from materials undergoing irradiation in the pile at the time of the fire. Of these additional nuclides, only polonium-210 has been shown to make a significant contribution to the estimate of the collective effective dose equivalent to the population from the Windscale fire. The previous estimate of 1.2 x 10/sup 3/ man Sv for the collective effective dose equivalent commitment to the population of the UK and Northern Europe has been increased by 67% to 2.0 x 10/sup 3/ man Sv. This change is within the range of uncertainty of the original estimate. The influence of the addition on the theoretical estimate of the upper limit of possible health effects is discussed in this addendum and its foreword. With the inclusion of the additional nuclides, the inhalation pathway has become the overall largest contributor to this population dose, followed by the milk ingestion pathway; the largest nuclide contribution comes from iodine-131, followed by polonium-210. Some perspective may be provided on the contribution due to polonium-210 by noting that it is approximately one-tenth of that arising annually due to naturally occurring polonium-210, and less than one-hundredth of that due annually to the total natural background radiation.

A new approach to the criticality safety assessment of PCM at BNFL Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darby, Sam; Kirkwood, Dave

2003-01-01

Plutonium Contaminated Material (PCM) arises as a solid waste on the Sellafield Site and is packaged into 200 litre drums which are placed into interim surface storage arrays. These wastes may also contain 235 U. The traditional approach to criticality safety has been based on ''worst-case'' reactivity modelling. This has recently led to a number of difficulties by implying that the 230 g (Pu + 235 U) drum limit is very important for criticality safety and the assay instruments used to demonstrate compliance with the limit need a high level of safety reliability. Also, the reliability and accuracy of the assay results of historical or legacy PCM became an issue. The new focus on substantiation of safety related equipment in BNFL has highlighted reliability shortfalls for the assay instruments. To overcome these shortfalls, additional operational practices on the PCM handling regimes were introduced to give increased confidence in the fissile assay results. These practices significantly delayed processing PCM waste stocks and resulted in significant additional operator dose uptake. Thus there were strong reasons to improve the existing approach. This paper describes a new approach to the criticality modelling of PCM. (author)

Measurement of artificial radionuclides in whole diets around the BNF plc reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondon, K.J.; Walters, B.

1993-01-01

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has conducted a duplicate diet study around the BNF reprocessing plant of Sellafield in Cumbria. Samples were collected from adults and children. The results of analyses for a number of artificial radionuclides are reported; dose calculations using actual food intakes have also been made. Samples were obtained in both winter (phase 1) and summer (phase 11), between which times the Chernobyl accident occurred, making site-specific dose assessment from caesium isotopes difficult in summer samples. Control diets were collected from a coastal area in Lancashire. Average annual doses based on pre-Chernobyl sampling ranged from 2 μSv in control children to 14 μSv in study adults. This range increased to 9-50 μSv in the second phase of the study. Maximum individual doses were 86 μSv in phase 1 and 102 μ in phase 11, these being well within the government's target dose for members of the public. (author)

A comparison of predicted and measured graphite moderator behaviour during 16 years' operation of the Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prince, N.

1980-01-01

The Windscale AGR has operated since January 1963 at a cumulative load factor of nearly 70% during which time the peak irradiation damage dose has built up to more than 5x10 n/cm 2 (equivalent DIDO nickel), well beyond its original design life. This paper recounts the findings of monitoring measurements on the moderator at high exposure levels with regard to radiolytic oxidation and various aspects of dimensional change behaviour. It is shown that the measured dimensional changes are in good agreement with predictions based on small specimens irradiated in MTR's, thus confirming the absence of any size effect and adding confidence to predictive methods. However, recent measurements of channel straightness show that the observed distortions are only about 10% of the maximum predictions, perhaps due to localised creep at the brick ends creating flats which impart some stability to the columns of moderator bricks. The magnitude of radiolytic oxidation determined by trepanning specimens from the core in 1976 was found to be only about 5%, whereas it was thought possible that peak weight losses would conceivably be as high as 11% due to the depleted concentration of methane inhibitor reaching the brick interior by diffusion processes. It has subsequently been shown by calculation that this result is consistent with the existence of radial pressure drops across the moderator brick walls giving greater penetration of methane inhibitor. (author)

137Cs uptake by sheep grazing tidally-inundated and inland pastures near the Sellafield reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, B.J.

1987-01-01

Field investigations into the transfer of 137 Cs from pasture to sheep tissues have been made at two contrasting sites in west Cumbria, close to the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield. These were a saltmarsh bordering on the Esk estuary in 1982 and inland pastures close to the perimeter of the works in 1984. 137 Cs concentrations of sampled vegetation from the saltmarsh were generally two orders of magnitude greater than from the inland pasture due to its inundation with 137 Cs associated with silt. The relatively high 137 Cs content of soil/silt compared to that of vegetation at each site meant that soil contamination of vegetation sometimes accounted for a substantial proportion of its 137 Cs activity (up to 99% on the saltmarsh and 67% on the inland pastures). Considerable seasonal changes occurred in the extent of 137 Cs contamination on the inland pastures, with late winter and early spring levels being up to 20-fold higher than those of the summer. 137 Cs concentrations in tissues of lambs from the saltmarsh were consistently higher than for ewes; this was not true for sheep from the inland pastures. 137 Cs concentrations in kidney were found to be higher than in all other tissues, both in the study flocks and in one of the controls. Transfer coefficients (calculated by dividing the 137 Cs concentration of fresh tissue by the daily intake of 137 Cs) were significantly (P 137 Cs activity due to soil/silt contamination was removed from the estimates of daily intake leaving 137 Cs associated with the vegetation only to contribute to the transfer coefficients. Further studies are required to determine the availability of 137 Cs associated with soil/silt particles which are ingested by animals. (author)

Environmental impact of THORP - the philosophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaty, S.E.

1996-01-01

BNFL's strategy for the management of aerial and marine radioactive effluents arising from THORP was first formally stated at the Windscale Inquiry in 1977. In summary, the design intent was that: radiation exposure of members of the general public, arising from discharges from THORP and associated facilities, should be 'As Low as is Reasonably Practicable' (ALARP); no member of the most highly exposed (critical) group(s) should receive an annual committed effective dose equivalent in excess of 50μSv from either aerial or marine discharge routes; that by the time THORP was operational, the sum total of annual exposure (CEDE) arising from operations on the whole of the Sellafield site (including those arising from the continuing effect of historical discharges) should not exceed 500μSv p.a. This paper examines the discharges predicted and their projected impact against the originally broad design intent, and specifically explores whether any further effluent discharge (and therefore dose) reduction, was practicable and indeed justifiable. As background, a brief summary of the THORP process is given, together with detail of the aerial effluent treatment and ventilation systems. (author)

Nirex 97 an assessment of the post-closure performance of a deep waste repository at Sellafield. Volume 2; hydrogeological conceptual model development - effective parameters and calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, C.; Watson, S.

1997-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited ('Nirex') is responsible for providing and managing facilities for the safe disposal of intermediate and certain low-level radioactive waste (ILW and LLW respectively). Government policy is that the preferred disposal route for such wastes is a deep geological repository. The repository concept aims to use a combination of natural and engineered barriers to achieve the necessary degree of long-term isolation and containment of the radioactive wastes. Since 1987, Nirex has carried out an extensive technical programme directed at the science of safe disposal. The work comprises a research programme into the long-term performance of waste forms and the engineered and natural barriers, including the characterisation of candidate geological settings to assess their suitability to host a deep waste repository ('DWR'). Between mid-1991 and March 1997 the geological characterisation programme was concentrated on establishing the suitability, or otherwise, of a candidate site at Sellafield, West Cumbria. In July 1994, as part of a detailed site investigation programme, Nirex applied for planning permission to develop an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Longlands Farm near Sellafield. This application was rejected by the planning authority and Nirex's appeal against that decision led to a local planning inquiry which ran from September 1995 until February 1996. In line with the Inspector's Report, in March 1997 the Nirex appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Company's response to that decision, and its readiness to contribute to the new government's review of the way forward, are described in the Nirex Annual Report for 1996-97. This report - Nirex 97 - is founded on the understanding developed through the Nirex technical programme. It reports the outcome of an assessment of the post-closure safety performance, over hundreds of thousands of years, of a repository system located in a potential

The incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site, West Cumbria. Further studies and an update of the situation since the publication of the report of the Black Advisory Group in 1984

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

The report discusses the incidence of cancer and leukaemia among young people living in the vicinity of Sellafield. Possible radiation effects of paternal preconception irradiation in cancer development as well as the risk involved by the general population is considered. Recommendations are provided to improve occupational safety and public health

Radiation doses to members of the public near to Sellafield, Cumbria, from liquid discharges 1952-98.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, D; Lambers, B; Gray, J

2000-06-01

Liquid wastes containing low levels of radioactivity have been discharged to the Irish Sea from the nuclear fuel reprocessing site at Sellafield since operations began in the early 1950s, and monitoring of radioactivity in foodstuffs has been undertaken over many years. Based on the best available monitoring data, supplemented by modelled values where necessary, doses to local critical groups have been reassessed using the most recent dosimetry. Contemporary habits data have been used where available, again supplemented by assumed habits where necessary. During the 1950s and 1960s the highest doses were received by individuals consuming Cumbrian Porphyra as laverbread, and peak doses around 0.8 to 1.0 mSv year(-1) have been estimated. During the 1970s and 1980s the critical exposure group switched to consumers of local fish and shellfish, with peak doses possibly reaching 2.5 to 3.0 mSv year(-1). Latterly, doses to all marine-related groups have declined to less than 150 to 200 microSv year(-1). At all times, doses have been within the appropriate limits set for members of the public.

Model validation and the role of the proposed Rock Characterisation Facility at Sellafield. Proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, H.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence is given by an expert witness on behalf of Greenpeace Ltd as part of their submission to a Planning Inquiry in 1995 hearing the application of UK Nirex Ltd for permission to construct an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site near Sellafield. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for the disposal of radioactive waste. An examination of the groundwater flow models used by Nirex and the procedure for their validation have led to the following conclusions: no evidence has been presented by Nirex to show that the construction of the RCF will improve the confidence they claim to have in the site; the prospects are slim for validating the models of present groundwater flow so that they satisfy the criteria to meet the risk target; it is extremely unlikely that results from the RCF will increase confidence in a safety assessment of this site; all the evidence available to date suggests that the risk assessment is not, and will not become, robust to variations in flux through the repository. (1 figure; 8 references). (UK)

Nirex 97 an assessment of the post-closure performance of a deep waste repository at Sellafield. Volume 2; hydrogeological conceptual model development - effective parameters and calibration appendix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, C.; Watson, S.

1997-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited ('Nirex') is responsible for providing and managing facilities for the safe disposal of intermediate and certain low-level radioactive waste (ILW and LLW respectively). Government policy is that the preferred disposal route for such wastes is a deep geological repository. The repository concept aims to use a combination of natural and engineered barriers to achieve the necessary degree of long-term isolation and containment of the radioactive wastes. Since 1987, Nirex has carried out an extensive technical programme directed at the science of safe disposal. The work comprises a research programme into the long-term performance of waste forms and the engineered and natural barriers, including the characterisation of candidate geological settings to assess their suitability to host a deep waste repository ('DWR'). Between mid-1991 and March 1997 the geological characterisation programme was concentrated on establishing the suitability, or otherwise, of a candidate site at Sellafield, West Cumbria. In July 1994, as part of a detailed site investigation programme, Nirex applied for planning permission to develop an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at Longlands Farm near Sellafield. This application was rejected by the planning authority and Nirex's appeal against that decision led to a local planning inquiry which ran from September 1995 until February 1996. In line with the Inspector's Report, in March 1997 the Nirex appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Company's response to that decision, and its readiness to contribute to the new government's review of the way forward, are described in the Nirex Annual Report for 1996-97. This report - Nirex 97 - is founded on the understanding developed through the Nirex technical programme. It reports the outcome of an assessment of the post-closure safety performance, over hundreds of thousands of years, of a repository system located in a potential

Planning and plutonium. Evidence of the Town and Country Planning Association to the Public Inquiry into an oxide reprocessing plant at Windscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

The case of the Town and Country Planning Association of Great Britain at the Public Inquiry into the proposed uranium oxide reprocessing plant at Windscale, Cumbria, in the summer of 1977, is presented. The bulk of the book consists of the evidence of the Association's eight witnesses, several of whom have international reputations in their field. The main matters covered by the evidence are the economics of nuclear power compared with other sources of energy; energy demand and supply forecasts in the UK, and the timing and length of the so-called energy gap, together with alternative ways of filling it and the prospects for coal, oil and gas; the risks of proliferation of nuclear weapons; the hazards of low-level radiation to the environment, the general public and workers in nuclear installations, and the inadequacy of current standards; the need for environmental impact analysis before approval is given to major nuclear installations, with reference to United States and British experience; the national, regional and local planning considerations such as employment, housing and visual impact. The evidence is put into context with introductory material on the purpose and terms of reference of the Inquiry, the main events leading up to it, and a general statement of the Association's case. The book ends with a philosophical comment on the alternatives to a plutonium future

Developments in safety and operations culture in BNFL's thorp reprocessing plant, Sellafield, Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kett, P.J.

2000-01-01

One of the best descriptions of Culture is 'how we do things around here'. In a stable organisation it is extremely difficult to change any type of culture, whether it is an operations, customer service or safety culture. To change culture one of two elements are essential. There must be either a significant external pressure felt by all in the organisation or a change in senior management, with authority to set a new direction for the organisation. BNFL had a unique opportunity through the commissioning and operation of the Thorp Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield to shape a new Safety and Operations Culture. Both the key elements for change were present. Thorp was a high profile flagship plant that had attracted multinational investment. It incorporated new technology. The workforce had volunteered to operate the plant. A strong senior management team was specially selected. The plant was being commissioned in an environment where there was significant opposition by 'anti nuclear' groups. It was essential to both BNFL and the wider international nuclear community that Thorp was commissioned and operated safely. A strong operating culture was developed with safety as the corner stone. The culture comprises three key components. Rigorous plant safety case and risk assessments before work commences and modifications to the plant occur; A high level of involvement by all levels of the workforce in both operations and safety matters; Strong supportive leadership which does not allow safety standards to be compromised and encourages open debate on how to improve. During commissioning and early operation of Thorp the robustness of the Safety and Operations Culture was demonstrated. On several occasions, despite intense commercial pressure, operations were halted until the situation was resolved both technically and procedurally. This paper describes how the Safety and Operations Culture was developed. The key factors for success include recruitment, team selection

A new model validation database for evaluating AERMOD, NRPB R91 and ADMS using krypton-85 data from BNFL Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, R.; Taylor, J.; Lowles, I.; Emmerson, K.; Parker, T.

2004-01-01

The emission of krypton-85 ( 85 Kr) from nuclear fuel reprocessing operations provide a classical passive tracer for the study of atmospheric dispersion. This is because of the persistence of this radioisotope in the atmosphere, due to its long radioactive halflife and inert chemistry; and the low background levels that result due to the limited number of anthropogenic sources globally. The BNFL Sellafield site in Cumbria (UK) is one of the most significant point sources of 85 Kr in the northern hemisphere, with 85 Kr being discharged from two stacks on the site, MAGNOX and THORP. Field experiments have been conducted since October 1996 using a cryogenic distillation technique (Janssens et al., 1986) to quantify the ground level concentration of 85 Kr. This paper reports on the construction of a model validation database to allow evaluation of regulatory atmospheric dispersion models using the measured 85 Kr concentrations as a tracer. The results of the database for local and regional scale dispersion are presented. (orig.)

Germline minisatellite mutations in workers occupationally exposed to radiation at the Sellafield nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tawn, E Janet; Curwen, Gillian B; Rees, Gwen S; Jonas, Patricia

2015-01-01

Germline minisatellite mutation rates were investigated in male workers occupationally exposed to radiation at the Sellafield nuclear facility. DNA samples from 160 families with 255 offspring were analysed for mutations at eight hypervariable minisatellite loci (B6.7, CEB1, CEB15, CEB25, CEB36, MS1, MS31, MS32) by Southern hybridisation. No significant difference was observed between the paternal mutation rate of 5.0% (37 mutations in 736 alleles) for control fathers with a mean preconceptional testicular dose of 9 mSv and that of 5.8% (66 in 1137 alleles) for exposed fathers with a mean preconceptional testicular dose of 194 mSv. Subgrouping the exposed fathers into two dose groups with means of 111 mSv and 274 mSv revealed paternal mutation rates of 6.0% (32 mutations in 536 alleles) and 5.7% (34 mutations in 601 alleles), respectively, neither of which was significantly different in comparisons with the rate for the control fathers. Maternal mutation rates of 1.6% (12 mutations in 742 alleles) for the partners of control fathers and 1.7% (19 mutations in 1133 alleles) for partners of exposed fathers were not significantly different. This study provides evidence that paternal preconceptional occupational radiation exposure does not increase the germline minisatellite mutation rate and therefore refutes suggestions that such exposure could result in a destabilisation of the germline that can be passed on to future generations. (paper)

Radiation protection in the decommissioning of a post accident reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rankine, A.; Wilkinson, J.L.; Dalton, J.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the control and limitation of dose uptake to operators during the early stages of decommissioning of the Windscale Piles. This was achieved by careful planning, the use of inactive trials. thoughtful use of remote handling techniques and review and feedback of information. Built between 1947 and 1950, the Windscale Piles were shut down following the Windscale Incident in 1957. UKAEA Government Division are now undertaking the early stages of decommissioning of these facilities, removing material from the air and water ducts and preparing for subsequent core removal. As part of the overall strategy of UKAEA GD, this work is being carried out using contract staff including the use of a Managing Agency, W S Atkins (Northern). Decommissioning utilizes the same means of dose reduction and control as any other nuclear operation although sometimes in novel ways. In the Windscale Piles, fully remote operations have been used to remove fuel and debris from the environs of the core which was damaged during the 1957 incident. Much use has also been made of training in mock-up facilities allowing manual techniques to be used for some jobs. The implications of using various different contractors rather than an in-house team is also discussed. It is concluded that decommissioning of major facilities can be carried out within acceptable dose uptake criteria by utilising both novel and adaptations of traditional, active handling techniques. (author)

The management of solid radioactive waste at Sellafield and Drigg: individual reports in order of building number. V. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

An audit was carried out of the solid low level and intermediate level radioactive waste at the Sellafield and Drigg sites of British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) to establish the state of waste management. The audit was undertaken by a joint team of inspectors from the HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Pollution in line with their respective responsibilities for regulation of the storage and disposal of radioactive waste. The report records each solid waste facility and the conditions of storage observed by the team. The report reflects the views of the audit team. It should not be read as the definitive HMIP or NII judgement of the site's performance on waste matters. This continues to be based upon day to day interaction between allocated site inspectors and site managers. However, the recommendations of the team have been endorsed by HMIP and NII and accepted by BNFL. The report is published in two volumes. Volume 1 describes the aims and extent of the audit, the method of working and the findings and recommendations made. The reports on individual buildings are presented in Volume 2. These describe the waste management arrangements observed by members of the audit team. Where shortcomings are identified these have been brought to the attention of BNFL, and to the nominated site inspectors of HMIP and NII, in order that appropriate action may be considered to rectify the position. Where observations have lead to specific recommendations, these are indicated in Volume 2 at the point of arising. The recommendations are presented in full in Volume 1. Volume 1 also includes the overall conclusions of the audit and the recommendations which have been made as a result of the observations described in Volume 2. (UK)

Television systems for radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quartly, J.R.

1989-01-01

Radiation-tolerant television cameras, widely used for the inspection of nuclear plants, are now used for monitoring radioactive waste management processes. Two systems are described in this paper that differ in the methods of maintaining the camera equipment. At the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) Sellafield plant, a major capital investment program is under way that includes plants for spent-fuel reprocessing and radioactive waste management. The Windscale vitrification plant (WVP) will convert highly active liquid waste to a solid glass-like form. The WVP television system was based on in-cell cameras designed to be removable by remote-handling equipment. The plant to encapsulate medium active solid waste, encapsulation plant 1 (EP1) used through-wall and through-roof viewing systems with a glass viewing dome as the biological shield, allowing the camera and optics to be withdrawn to a safe area for maintenance. Both systems used novel techniques to obtain a record of the waste-processing operations. The WVP system used a microcomputer to overlay reference information onto the television picture and a motion detector to automatically trigger the video recording. The television system for EP1 included automatic character recognition to generate a computer data record of drum serial numbers

The distribution and transport of Sellafield derived 137Cs and 241Am to western Irish Sea sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlesworth, M.E.; Service, M.; Gibson, C.E.

2006-01-01

Sellafield derived 137 Cs and 241 Am were analysed in surficial sediments at 23 sites in the western Irish Sea. Concentrations varied between 3-175 Bq 137 Cs/kg and 1-147 Bq 241 Am/kg. There are two distinct basins in the western Irish Sea separated by an area of restricted depth and this bathymetry is reflected in the radionuclide concentrations. Highest concentrations were found in the northerly samples and substantially lower concentrations further south. This pattern of distribution can be explained by the predominantly northerly residual flow and the existence of seasonal stratification in this area of weak tides. 137 Cs/ 241 Am ratios were also highest in the northern basin, and it is suggested that this is caused by differences in the mechanisms of transport of the two elements. The direct physical migration of contaminated particles from the eastern Irish Sea is the dominant transport mechanism in the north of the study area, whereas transport in the dissolved phase is most important to the southern region. Concentrations of both elements were best correlated with the percentage <15 μm particulate fraction suggesting that particles within this range are most important for direct transport and scavenging from the soluble phase

Plant Measurement, Sampling and Analysis for Accountancy Purposes with Particular Reference to Separation Plants at Windscale; Mesures, Echantillonnages et Analyses en Usine a des Fins Comptables, Notamment dans les Installations de Separation de Windscale; Izmereniya, vzyatie obraztsov i analizy v tselyakh ucheta na opyte ustanovki razdeleniya radioizotopov v uindskejle; Medicion, Muestreo y Analisis para Fines Contables, Especialmente en las Plantas de Separacion de Windscale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davidson, A. S.; Elliott, F.; Powell, R.; Swinburn, K. A. [United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Windscale and Calder Works, Cumberland (United Kingdom)

1966-02-15

All figures for special materials accountancy purposes contain one or more of three parameters, namely plant measurement, sampling and analysis. For plant measurements it is best to use weighings wherever possible, e.g. the plutonium in the feed to the New Separation Plant is based on the weight of uranium rods fed. Methods used for measuring volumes are discussed, e.g. (a) pneumercator, and (b) tracer method using radioactive caesium. Judged accuracies and precisions of each method are given. The sampling of solutions in a batch process is done by using evacuated tubes after thorough homogenization of the solution. For ''flowing'' streams, where high accuracy is required, a continuous sampler has been devised and is used on the feed to the New Separation Plant. Drilling of metal ingots is the normal sampling method at Windscale, whereas for other solids the method is to homogenize as far as possible (e.g. a Y cone blender is used for plutonium oxide) and then sample. For the chemical analysis, the precision required of the method depends on the number of determinations in each accounting period. Thus a large number of analyses are required for an accurate but imprecise method. It may be more economical to use fewer determinations with a more precise method. Methods for determining plutonium are discussed in detail, e.g. (a) radiochemistry, (b) colorimetrically using thoronol, (c) plutonium separation, complexing with EDTA and back titration of the excess EDTA, (d) titrimetry (e) isotope dilution followed by mass spectrometry and (f) differential spectrometry. Methods for determining uranium are outlined, e.g. (a) gravimetry as U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, (b) ether extraction followed by gravimetry or colorimetry, (c) titrimetry, (d) isotope dilution followed by mass spectrometry and (e) enrichment determination by mass spectrometry or line shift emission spectrography. With all accounting methods standards are used to give quality control and to show any inaccuracy which

The effect of extent of site investigation on the estimation of radiological performance and its relevance to the proposed Rock Characterisation Facility at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackay, R.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence is given by an expert witness on behalf of Greenpeace Ltd as part of their submission to a Planning Inquiry in 1995 hearing the application of UK Nirex Ltd for permission to construct an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site near Sellafield. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for the disposal of radioactive waste. The evidence concerns the necessity of establishing an adequate hydrogeological model of the site in advance of the construction of the RCF in order to estimate its radiological performance. This detailed examination of Nirex's approach concludes that it is not apparent that a method for demonstrating the adequacy of the conceptual hydrogeological model has been clearly and openly stated so that it may be agreed in advance of construction with an appropriate authority. (1 figure; 1 table, 12 references). (UK)

Decommissioning the WAGR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawton, H. (UKAEA Windscale Nuclear Power Development Labs.)

1982-11-01

The planned decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, which will take about ten years, is discussed with especial reference to the radioactive decay of the reactor components, the problems of disposal of the resulting radioactive waste, and the planning of the necessary engineering works.

Nuclear decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The paper on nuclear decommissioning was presented by Dr H. Lawton to a meeting of the British Nuclear Energy Society and Institution of Nuclear Engineers, 1986. The decommissioning work currently being undertaken on the Windscale advanced gas cooled reactor (WAGR) is briefly described, along with projects in other countries, development work associated with the WAGR operation and costs. (U.K.)

Decommissioning the WAGR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawton, H.

1982-01-01

The planned decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, which will take about ten years, is discussed with especial reference to the radioactive decay of the reactor components, the problems of disposal of the resulting radioactive waste, and the planning of the necessary engineering works. (U.K.)

Radioactivity in north European waters: report of Working Group 2 of CEC project MARINA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camplin, W.C.; Aarkrog, A.

1989-01-01

The primary objective of Working Group 2 of Project MARINA was to consider recent measurements of environmental radioactivity in north European waters and to use this, and other information, to report likely magnitude of doses to the critical group from marine pathways. The monitoring data were supplemented, where appropriate, with predictions from simple models. The major sources of radioactivity studied were as follows: (i) liquid wastes from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, (Sellafield, Dounreay, Cap de la Hague); (ii) liquid wastes from nuclear power plants and other major nuclear industry sites, (including Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, GDR, FDR, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, USSR); (iii) solid waste disposal in the deep north-east Atlantic; (iv) fallout from Chernobyl; and (v) naturally-occurring radionuclides. (author)

Radioactivity made understandable. A common language presentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traebert, E.

2007-01-01

The word ''radioactivity'' has something scary about it; it makes us think of something intangable, creeping dangers, the mysterious ticking of Geiger counters, reactor disasters, dirty bombs, nuclear contamination and destruction. True: Whole landscapes were made uninhabitable by accidents involving radioactive material such as Windscale, Sellafield and Chernobyl and others that were kept largely secret from the public. While to some they brought premature death, for the great majority of the world population their effects have so far been insignificant. By contrast, how little known is the fact that natural radioactivity has been around since human beginnings and that the cells of the human body have always been equipped to repair damage from radioactive radiation or other causes provided such damage does not occur too frequently. Elmar Traebert presents the physics underlying radioactivity without resorting to formulas and explains in an easily understandable manner the different types of radiation, their measurement and sources (in medicine, power plants, and weapons technology) and how they should be handled. He describes nuclear power plants and the safety problems they involve, sunburn, radiation therapy, uranium ammunition and uranium mining. Whoever knows about these things can more early cope with his own fears and maybe allay some of them. He can also see through statements made by different interest groups with regard to radioactive material and duly form his own opinion

Radioactivity made understandable. A common language presentation; Radioaktivitaet - verstaendlich. Eine moeglichst allgemein verstaendliche Darstellung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Traebert, E.

2007-07-01

The word ''radioactivity'' has something scary about it; it makes us think of something intangable, creeping dangers, the mysterious ticking of Geiger counters, reactor disasters, dirty bombs, nuclear contamination and destruction. True: Whole landscapes were made uninhabitable by accidents involving radioactive material such as Windscale, Sellafield and Chernobyl and others that were kept largely secret from the public. While to some they brought premature death, for the great majority of the world population their effects have so far been insignificant. By contrast, how little known is the fact that natural radioactivity has been around since human beginnings and that the cells of the human body have always been equipped to repair damage from radioactive radiation or other causes provided such damage does not occur too frequently. Elmar Traebert presents the physics underlying radioactivity without resorting to formulas and explains in an easily understandable manner the different types of radiation, their measurement and sources (in medicine, power plants, and weapons technology) and how they should be handled. He describes nuclear power plants and the safety problems they involve, sunburn, radiation therapy, uranium ammunition and uranium mining. Whoever knows about these things can more early cope with his own fears and maybe allay some of them. He can also see through statements made by different interest groups with regard to radioactive material and duly form his own opinion.

Evaluation of experimental studies on technetium transfers to sediments and benthic marine species, and comparison with in situ data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aprosi, G [Electricite de France, 78 - Chatou; Masson, M [Commisariat a l' Energie Atomique, Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire, 50 - Cherbourg (France)

1984-01-01

To obtain basic information for the evaluation of the radiological impact of technetium (Tc) on the marine environment, investigations are performed by different laboratories. Technetium is not a natural element and the main source of production is the nuclear fuel cycle. Under anoxic conditions, in presence of reducing sediments, the distribution coefficients are very high (Ksub(D)=10/sup 3/). Concentration factors from water to species are mostly very low (FC 1 to 10); however, concentration factors up to 1000 have been observed for a few species such as macrophytic brown algae, worms and lobster. Biochemical analysis shows that Tc is bound with protein. The transfer factors between sediment and species are very low (FT<0,5). The biological half-life (Tb) was determined in some marine organisms which had accumulated the radionuclide from water-contamined food or from sediments. The loss is biphasic in storage organs (liver and kidney); uptake in the edible parts is low. Among the parameters studied (light for algae, physico-chemical form of Tc, salinity and temperature) only light and the physico-chemical forms have an effect on the accumulation of technetium. Analyses of /sup 99/Tc concentrations in species collected near the La Hague and Windscale (Sellafield) reprocessing plants confirm the experimental studies. Since sea water is likely to be an oxidant environment, technetium appears as a conservative element.

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report supplements BNFL's Health and Safety Annual Report and lists 1988 discharges and environmental monitoring for the following sites: Sellafield, Chapelcross, Drigg Storage and Disposal Site, Springfields Works, Capenhurst Works. (UK)

Transfer of conservative and non-conservative radionuclides from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant to the coastal waters of Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mcmahon, C.A.; Fegan, M.; Wong, J.; Long, S.C.; Mckittrick, L.; Thomas, K.; Rafferty, B.

2004-01-01

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has monitored levels of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Irish marine environment for over 20 years. While the primary objective of the monitoring programme is to assess the exposure of the Irish population resulting from the presence of these radionuclides in the marine environment, the programme also aims to assess the geographical distribution and temporal variations of the radionuclides. The programme involves the routine sampling of and testing for radioactivity in fish, shellfish, seaweed, sediments and seawater. The data generated in the course of this programme, as well as in a separate study of changing plutonium isotopic ratios in Fucus vesiculosus from the west coast of Ireland, are used in this paper to estimate transport times from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant to the western Irish Sea and from the Irish Sea to the west coast of Ireland. The results obtained are discussed in the paper and the transfer times estimated for particle-reactive radionuclides (plutonium isotopes) compared with those obtained for more conservative radionuclides ( 137 Cs and 99 Tc). Transfer factors (calculated as the ratio between observed concentrations in the environment and an average discharge rate τ years earlier, where τ is the transport time) are also presented. (author)

Reduction of BNFL discharges: The Alara Principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mummery, P.W.

1986-01-01

Although the title identified as the subject is rather broad, it is proposed to concentrate on liquid waste discharges from Sellafield to illustrate the range of considerations in practise. Such discharges arise from the nature of the work carried out at Sellafield. This comprises principally storage of spent fuel elements, magnox AGR and LWR, dismanteling and reprocessing of spent fuel and storage of recovered uranium and plutonium, manufacture of plutonium-based fuel for the prototype fast reactor at Dounreay, and management of the resulting wastes

Provision of NDA instrumentation for the control of operations on plutonium finishing and waste plants at the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitehouse, K.R.; Orr, C.H.

1995-01-01

On BNFL's Sellafield site a significant number of major plants are involved in the handling, processing and storage of plutonium in various forms including nitrate, oxide and mixed oxide (MOX). Other plants in operation or under construction treat and prepare for storage, plutonium bearing wastes in the form of plutonium contaminated materials -- PCM (transuranic waste -- TRU) or low level waste. Concurrently, a number of old plutonium handling plants are being decommissioned. The safety and cost effectiveness of these widely varying operations has been ensured by the development and installation of a wide range of special radiometric instrumentation. These systems based on a range of neutron counting and high resolution gamma spectrometric techniques -- singly or in combination -- enable BNFL to maintain a detailed and comprehensive picture of the disposition of plutonium within each plant and across the site. This paper describes an overview of the range of plant and paper prove waste measurement systems in this context, highlighting the specific roles of the Plutonium Inventory Measurement System (PIMS) for real time accountancy and the Decommissioning In-Situ Plutonium Inventory Monitor (DISPIM) for material control during decommissioning

Alkaline Fe(III) reduction by a novel alkali-tolerant Serratia sp. isolated from surface sediments close to Sellafield nuclear facility, UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Clare L; Morris, Katherine; Boothman, Christopher; Lloyd, Jonathan R

2012-02-01

Extensive denitrification resulted in a dramatic increase in pH (from 6.8 to 9.5) in nitrate-impacted, acetate-amended sediment microcosms containing sediment representative of the Sellafield nuclear facility, UK. Denitrification was followed by Fe(III) reduction, indicating the presence of alkali-tolerant, metal-reducing bacteria. A close relative (99% 16S rRNA gene sequence homology) to Serratia liquefaciens dominated progressive enrichment cultures containing Fe(III)-citrate as the sole electron acceptor at pH 9 and was isolated aerobically using solid media. The optimum growth conditions for this facultatively anaerobic Serratia species were investigated, and it was capable of metabolizing a wide range of electron acceptors including oxygen, nitrate, FeGel, Fe-NTA and Fe-citrate and electron donors including acetate, lactate, formate, ethanol, glucose, glycerol and yeast extract at an optimum pH of c. 6.5 at 20 °C. The alkali tolerance of this strain extends the pH range of highly adaptable Fe(III)-reducing Serratia species from mildly acidic pH values associated with acid mine drainage conditions to alkali conditions representative of subsurface sediments stimulated for extensive denitrification and metal reduction. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary work for stage 2 decommissioning of B16 pile chimney

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, E.M.; Mathews, R.F.

1991-01-01

Planning of the second stage of decommissioning of the two pile chimneys at Sellafield started while work was underway on the first stage, which involved removal of the sections above the filters. The second stage requires the removal of all radio-active parts and the dismantling of the filter and diffuser sections, and has to be completed by 1997. The planning involved studying the many possible options and their effects on both radiological and industrial safety. This decommissioning project employs a high proportion of civil engineering and construction techniques, which are then developed to eliminate the hazards from radioactive dusts, and to minimise the effect of radiation on operatives working on the project. Much of this equipment is modified forms of standard construction equipment and includes cutting equipment and remotely operated vehicles. The initial phases of the work involve: provision of a waste packaging and access building; provision of temporary ventilation systems to control the dust generated by the work, cutting of 3 m square access doorway through the 1.5 m thick reinforced concrete wall of the chimney; provision of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to act as a tool carrier for lining stripping work; removal of the thermal lining from the floor and lower walls of the chimney, and installation of precast concrete walls which separate the pile reactor core from the chimney flue. (author)

Measurements of α-emitting plutonium and americium in the intertidal sands of west Cumbria, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eakins, J.D.; Morgan, A.; Baston, G.M.N.; Pratley, F.W.; Strange, L.P.; Burton, P.J.

1990-01-01

Samples of surface sand and sand cores were collected from intertidal regions of west Cumbria between Silloth and Walney Island (including the Duddon Estuary) between 1982 and 1984 and analysed for 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu and 241 Am. Generally, more than 95% of the α-emitting transuranic nuclides were associated with the sand and less than 5% with entrained silt. The greatest concentrations of both plutonium and americium were found at Braystones. Concentrations declined with distance from the Sellafield Works. The largest actinide deposits occurred at Drigg (320 and 720 kBq m -2 of 239+240 Pu and 241 Am respectively). The integrated deposits in intertidal sand between Silloth and Walney Island were about 4.2 and 7.0 TBq respectively, which represent about 1% of the total α-emitting activity discharged to sea from Sellafield Works up to 1982. The corresponding value for the Duddon Estuary is about 0.3%. Only on beaches close to Sellafield did levels of man-made α-emitters exceed those of natural α-emitting nuclides. The radiological consequences of the intertidal inventory of plutonium and americium are shown to be very small and much less than from the seafood pathway. (author)

Ventilation and filtration techniques for handling aerosols produced by thermal cutting operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, A.

1989-01-01

This report describes the work done to characterize aerosols from thermal cutting operations and to develop suitable ventilation and filtration techniques. The work has been carried out under a research contract between the Windscale Laboratory and the Commission of the European Communities. The contract started in October 1984 and was completed in June 1988. The total cost of the work was UKL 132 000 of which 50% was funded by the Commission. This report has been compiled from the several progress reports submitted during the work period and details the main findings from the work programme. By working with colleagues from Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Saclay, France, additional useful data were collected. The bimodal size distribution of aerosols from oxypropane cutting was confirmed. Trials on various prefilters showed that the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and the cartridge filter had excellent collection properties. From these trials the ESP was selected as the prefilter for the windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor (WAGR) decommissioning project. This work is presented in Appendix 1 to this report. Details are given of the proposals to modify the ESP to enable the safe removal of radioactive dust and contamined collector plates. Tests are described on aerosols generated by laser cutting and also trials on the ESP and high gradient magnetic separation prefilters. Finally, the measurement of filter burdens, aerosol concentrations and dust deposition rates from thermal cutting in a full-size ventilation rig are reported

Progress on BNFL's response to three reports issued by HSE on 18 February 2000. February 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-02-01

On 18 February 2000 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published three reports Refs 1,2 and 3 relating to the work of its Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) in the regulation of the BNFL Sellafield site. These reports were: An investigation into the falsification of pellet diameter data in the MOX demonstration facility (MDF) at the BNFL Sellafield site and the effect of this on the safety of MOX fuel in use; HSE team inspection of the control and supervision of operations at BNFL's Sellafield site; The Storage of Liquid High Level Waste at BNFL Sellafield - an updated review of safety. The publication of the reports created significant interest and led to major changes in the management of the company. This report provides an update on the position reached by the Nil in its consideration of BNFL's responses to the recommendations from the three reports one year on from their publication. Overall we are encouraged by the vigour and commitment that BNFL has given to addressing issues raised by all three reports. (i) MDF Data Falsification Report: All recommendations associated with the MDF Data Falsification Report have been satisfactorily addressed and ''closed out''. We will regulate the restart of MDF, now a development facility, in the same manner as any other plant on the Sellafield site and we have required BNFL to submit a re-commissioning safety report. (ii) Control and Supervision Report: The company has taken significant action to address the concerns identified in our report on the Team Inspection into the control and supervision at Sellafield. The BNFL Board has been restructured, and the Sellafield site management reorganised to provide a single individual who is responsible for operations and safety of the site. Greater clarity of roles and responsibilities have been identified and staffing at Sellafield has increased. A programme to ensure a ''conscious compliance'' culture has started and independent inspectors within BNFL and compliance

Conflict generation and avoidance: contradictions in the development of civil nuclear power in Britain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, R.

1982-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction (role of state power in the development of nuclear energy); the employment effects of nuclear plant construction ((i) the case of North West Wales; (ii) the case of Windscale, Cumbria); local class structure and labour market segmentation; state policy and nuclear energy ((i) the position of Windscale; (ii) the position of the Cabinet); state policy and public decision making; conclusions. (U.K.)

Measurements of. alpha. -emitting plutonium and americium in the intertidal sands of west Cumbria, UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eakins, J.D.; Morgan, A.; Baston, G.M.N.; Pratley, F.W.; Strange, L.P.; Burton, P.J. (UKAEA Harwell Lab. (UK). Environmental and Medical Science Div.)

1990-01-01

Samples of surface sand and sand cores were collected from intertidal regions of west Cumbria between Silloth and Walney Island (including the Duddon Estuary) between 1982 and 1984 and analysed for {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am. Generally, more than 95% of the {alpha}-emitting transuranic nuclides were associated with the sand and less than 5% with entrained silt. The greatest concentrations of both plutonium and americium were found at Braystones. Concentrations declined with distance from the Sellafield Works. The largest actinide deposits occurred at Drigg (320 and 720 kBq m{sup -2} of {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am respectively). The integrated deposits in intertidal sand between Silloth and Walney Island were about 4.2 and 7.0 TBq respectively, which represent about 1% of the total {alpha}-emitting activity discharged to sea from Sellafield Works up to 1982. The corresponding value for the Duddon Estuary is about 0.3%. Only on beaches close to Sellafield did levels of man-made {alpha}-emitters exceed those of natural {alpha}-emitting nuclides. The radiological consequences of the intertidal inventory of plutonium and americium are shown to be very small and much less than from the seafood pathway. (author).

The feasibility of using Pu discharges from Sellafield to investigate the sediment dynamics of the Severn Estuary and the Welsh coast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunne, J.A.; Richards, D.A. [School of Geographical Sciences and Bristol Isotope Group, University of Bristol (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

Decades of nuclear weapons testing and very low level radioactive waste discharges from civil nuclear sites have resulted in a global distribution of Pu isotopes. Given that the sources of these isotopes are spatially and temporally well-known, their distribution throughout the environment can provide insight into the processes that have governed their dispersal. Plutonium-239 and {sup 240}Pu have long half-lives and their atomic abundance ratio is indicative of the source, be it atmospheric fallout or releases from the nuclear industry. Plutonium is also strongly adsorbed on sediments. These characteristics make Pu an excellent tool for monitoring ocean currents, tracking sediment transport and examining the fate of the products of nuclear activities. We intend to exploit the discharges of Pu from Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant to investigate transit times and sediment regime in inter-tidal sediments from proximal (Ravenglass Estuary, Cumbria) and distal (Portishead, North Somerset) sites. Continuing developments in analytical techniques (extraction chromatography and ion exchange) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) permit isotopic analysis at low abundances (on the order of femto-grams), with reasonable efficiency and cost in comparison to traditional radiometric techniques. A major advantage of this technique is the ability to distinguish between {sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu, which is not possible with alpha-spectrometry due to similar alpha energies. We present initial results using MC-ICP-MS, following methods in Lindahl et al. (2011). Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

The Windscale Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (WAGR) Decommissioning Project A Close Out Report for WAGR Decommissioning Campaigns 1 to 10 - 12474

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halliwell, Chris [Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The reactor core of the Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (WAGR) has been dismantled as part of an ongoing decommissioning project. The WAGR operated until 1981 as a development reactor for the British Commercial Advanced Gas cooled Reactor (CAGR) power programme. Decommissioning began in 1982 with the removal of fuel from the reactor core which was completed in 1983. Subsequently, a significant amount of engineering work was carried out, including removal of equipment external to the reactor and initial manual dismantling operations at the top of the reactor, in preparation for the removal of the reactor core itself. Modification of the facility structure and construction of the waste packaging plant served to provide a waste route for the reactor components. The reactor core was dismantled on a 'top-down' basis in a series of 'campaigns' related to discrete reactor components. This report describes the facility, the modifications undertaken to facilitate its decommissioning and the strategies employed to recognise the successful decommissioning of the reactor. Early decommissioning tasks at the top of the reactor were undertaken manually but the main of the decommissioning tasks were carried remotely, with deployment systems comprising of little more than crane like devices, intelligently interfaced into the existing structure. The tooling deployed from the 3 tonne capacity (3te) hoist consisted either purely mechanical devices or those being electrically controlled from a 'push-button' panel positioned at the operator control stations, there was no degree of autonomy in the 3te hoist or any of the tools deployed from it. Whilst the ATC was able to provide some tele-robotic capabilities these were very limited and required a good degree of driver input which due to the operating philosophy at WAGR was not utilised. The WAGR box proved a successful waste package, adaptable through the use of waste box furniture specific to the

Nuclear decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawton, H.

1987-01-01

Sufficient work has now been done, on a world-wide basis, to justify confidence that full decommissioning of nuclear installations, both plant and reactors, can be carried out safely and efficiently. Projects in several countries should confirm this in the next few years. In the United Kingdom, good progress has been made with the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor and supporting development work is finding solutions to resolve uncertainties. Estimates from several sources suggest that decommissioning costs can be kept to an acceptable level. (author)

New leukaemia link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, P.

1993-01-01

A new study around the Aldermaston and Burghfield nuclear weapons establishments published in the British Medical Journal has found a similar association between the risk of childhood leukaemia and employment in the nuclear industry to that found by Professor Gardner in 1990 at Sellafield. It suggests that occupational exposure to radiation prior to conception increases the risk of a subsequent child developing leukaemia by 9 times. It is clear that working at Aldermaston or Burghfield does not explain the entire excess of cancers -there must be another factor at work. The one factor that Aldermaston, Burghfield, Sellafield and Dounreay where a similar pattern is found, have in common is plutonium. Whilst further studies are important to determine the role played by plutonium, it should be declared 'guilty until proven innocent'. The production and use of plutonium should cease immediately. (author)

The development and design of the off-gas treatment system for the thermal oxide reprocessing plant (THORP) at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, P.I.; Buckley, C.P.; Miller, W.W.

1995-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels completed construction of its Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield in 1992, at a cost of 1,850M. After Government and Regulatory approval, active commissioning was initiated on 17 January 1994. From the outset, the need to protect the workforce, the public and the environment in general from the plant's discharges was clearly recognised. The design intent was to limit radiation exposure of members of the general public to As Low as Reasonably Practicable. Furthermore no member of the most highly exposed group should receive an annual dose exceeding 50 microsieverts from either the aerial or marine discharge routes. This paper describes how the design intent has been met with respect to aerial discharges. It outlines the development programme which was undertaken to address the more demanding aspects of the performance specification. This ranged from small-scale experiments with irradiated fuel to inactive pilot plant trials and full-scale plant measurements. The resulting information was then used, with the aid of mathematical models, in the design of an off-gas treatment system which could achieve the overall goal. The principal species requiring treatment in the THORP off-gas system are iodine-129, carbon-14, nitrogen oxides (NOx), fuel dust particles and aerosols containing plutonium or mixed fission products. The paper describes the combination of abatement equipment used in different parts of the plant, including counter-current absorption columns, electrostatic precipitators, dehumidifiers and High Efficiency Particulate Air filters. Because a number of separate off-gas streams are combined before discharge, special depression control systems were developed which have already proved successful during plant commissioning. BNFL is confident that the detailed attention given to the development and design phases of the THORP off-gas system will ensure good performance when the plant moves into fully radioactive operation

The development and design of the off-gas treatment system for the thermal oxide reprocessing plant (THORP) at Sellafield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hudson, P.I. [British Nuclear Fuels, Sellafield (United Kingdom); Buckley, C.P.; Miller, W.W. [British Nuclear Fuels, Risley (United Kingdom)

1995-02-01

British Nuclear Fuels completed construction of its Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield in 1992, at a cost of 1,850M. After Government and Regulatory approval, active commissioning was initiated on 17 January 1994. From the outset, the need to protect the workforce, the public and the environment in general from the plant`s discharges was clearly recognised. The design intent was to limit radiation exposure of members of the general public to As Low as Reasonably Practicable. Furthermore no member of the most highly exposed group should receive an annual dose exceeding 50 microsieverts from either the aerial or marine discharge routes. This paper describes how the design intent has been met with respect to aerial discharges. It outlines the development programme which was undertaken to address the more demanding aspects of the performance specification. This ranged from small-scale experiments with irradiated fuel to inactive pilot plant trials and full-scale plant measurements. The resulting information was then used, with the aid of mathematical models, in the design of an off-gas treatment system which could achieve the overall goal. The principal species requiring treatment in the THORP off-gas system are iodine-129, carbon-14, nitrogen oxides (NOx), fuel dust particles and aerosols containing plutonium or mixed fission products. The paper describes the combination of abatement equipment used in different parts of the plant, including counter-current absorption columns, electrostatic precipitators, dehumidifiers and High Efficiency Particulate Air filters. Because a number of separate off-gas streams are combined before discharge, special depression control systems were developed which have already proved successful during plant commissioning. BNFL is confident that the detailed attention given to the development and design phases of the THORP off-gas system will ensure good performance when the plant moves into fully radioactive operation.

Winkling out MAFF's flawed figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, P.; Cassidy, N.

1993-01-01

Significant errors in the way the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) assesses the radiation dose received by people exposed to Sellafield marine discharges have been revealed by Friends of the Earth (FoE). MAFF's dose estimates of the dose received by the people receiving the largest radiation dose as a result of the discharges from Sellafield, those eating the fish and shellfish from the Sellafield area, is challenged. (author)

Nuclear energy: work to be done. A report of the General Council to the 1986 TUC Congress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-01-01

The paper on nuclear energy is a Report of the General Council to the United Kingdom 1986 TUC Congress. The contents contains four sections on:- 1) control of risks to health, safety and the environment: the TUC role, 2) radioactive waste, 3) Chernobyl reactor accident, and 4) TUC energy policy. The annex contains a report of a fact finding visit to Sellafield reprocessing plant by members of the TUC Radioactive Waste Group.

Radioactivity in north European waters: report of Working Group 2 of CEC project MARINA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camplin, W C [Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Lowestoft (UK). Directorate of Fisheries Research; Aarkrog, A [Risoe National Lab., Roskilde (Denmark)

1989-01-01

The primary objective of Working Group 2 of Project MARINA was to consider recent measurements of environmental radioactivity in north European waters and to use this, and other information, to report the likely magnitude of doses to the critical group from marine pathways. The monitoring data were supplemented, where appropriate, with predictions from simple models. The major sources of radioactivity studied were as follows: (i) liquid wastes from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants; (ii) liquid wastes from nuclear power plants and other major nuclear industry sites; (iii) solid waste disposal in the deep north-east Atlantic; (iv) fallout from Chernobyl; and (v) naturally-occurring radionuclides. Some of the largest doses from marine pathways are predicted for naturally-occurring radionuclides. In this case, the dominant radionuclide is polonium-210 and the dominant pathway is via consumption of molluscan species. The highest doses from the nuclear industry were due to the operation of the reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Discharges from this site have been decreasing substantially in recent years and, as a consequence, doses have also been reducing. (author).

Setting the scenario - potential hazards of the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, R.J.; McPhail, N.

1989-01-01

The range of nuclear fuel cycle services provided by the various plants belonging to BNFL throughout the UK are described. The Sellafield Reprocessing Plant as the site which has the greatest potential for radiological hazard is then considered in more detail. In particular the safety cycle designed to prevent radiological accidents at Sellafield, emergency planning, the consequences of a major accident at Sellafield and the medical arrangements in the event of an accident are all discussed. (UK)

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Information is given on the liquid, airborne, and solid radioactive discharges through authorised outlets, and on environmental monitoring for all of BNFL's works and sites for 1984; ie Sellafield site and Drigg storage and disposal site; Chapelcross works; Springfields works and Ulnes Walton disposal site; Capenhurst works. Included is assessment of radiation doses to representative members of the most highly exposed group of the general population for the most important environmental pathways. (author)

Occupational cancer and radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brahams, D.

1988-01-01

There have been two High Court actions and seven inquests in the UK, with reference to the debate on occupational hazards of long term, low dose exposure. In July, 1987, two cases alleging that workers in the nuclear industry had contracted cancer due to their exposure to radiation at work had to be abandoned halfway through the trial after the judge had heard the medical evidence. A 57-year old man claimed that Hodgkin's disease had been caused by radiation while at work at Sellafield. However, medical opinion was that Hodgkin's disease had never been accepted as caused by radiation. In the second case a man who had died of stomach cancer at the age of 54 after working for UKAEA at Dounreay for 7 years, had received 190 mSv. The defendants' experts rated the likelihood of radiation as the cause at 3-6%; the plaintiffs' experts had suggested 30-50%. Seven inquest juries sitting in West Cumbria from 1983 to 1988 have brought in three verdicts of death caused by an industrial disease, three open verdicts, and one of natural causes. The men had all worked for BNFL at Sellafield for many years. (author)

U.K. nuclear data progress report for the period January - December 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lees, E.W.

1981-06-01

This report was prepared at the request of the United Kingdom Nuclear Data Committee and presents contributions from the Harwell and Winfrith laboratories of the UKAEA, the National Physical Laboratory, the National Radiological Protection Board, the University of Birmingham and the University of Edinburgh. Work is included from various collaborations between laboratories of Harwell, Dounreay, Winfrith, Windscale, MOD Aldermaston, Imperial College and Manchester University. Contributions on Chemical Nuclear Data gathered by the Chemical Nuclear Data Committee are grouped under that heading. (U.K.)

The moderator's moderator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williamson, G.K.

1990-01-01

A brief account is given of the development of graphite moderators for Magnox and advanced gas cooled reactors. The accident at Windscale in 1957 brought to worldwide attention the importance of irradiation damage in graphite and the consequent storage of Wigner energy. In spite of the Windscale setback, preparations for the civil programme of Magnox reactors went ahead apace. Some of the background to the disastrous Dungeness B tender is presented. In spite of all the difficulties and uncertainties, the graphite in UK reactors has performed well. In all cases, as far as the author is aware, the behaviour of the graphite moderators will not prevent design life being achieved. (author)

Reprocessing the truth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldsmith, E.; Bunyard, P.; Hildyard, N.

1978-01-01

Comments are made on the Report by the Inspector, Mr. Justice Parker, after the public inquiry into the application by British Nuclear Fuels Limited for permission to construct and operate a thermal oxide reprocessing plant at their Windscale works. Particular questions raised include: corrosion or storage of spent fuel, vitrification of radioactive waste; radiation effects, and permissible levels; radioactive emissions, critical groups and critical pathways; risks; reprocessing economics; commitment to the FBR; sociological aspects, including employment, nuclear weapon proliferation and terrorism, and Britain's moral responsibilities. (U.K.)

Annual report and accounts 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-02-01

This report outlines the work of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1999. The report highlights instances which occurred in 1999 of radioactive materials being lost in transit, and being inadvertently discarded as scrap. Five organisations were successfully prosecuted by the Institute during 1999 for offences under radiological protection legislation. Following the completion in 1999 of its national survey of radon in dwellings, the Institute greatly welcomes the recent Government decision to initiate a scheme of grants to assist householders with the cost of remedying radon problems in their dwellings. A serious concern of the Institute has been the small proportion of the dwellings with high radon levels in which remedial work has been carried out. It is hoped that the new financial incentive to householders to take remedial action will significantly improve this situation. A key responsibility of the Institute is its surveillance of the hazards to Ireland posed by nuclear installations abroad. In 1999 it was granted unprecedented access to safety documentation relating to the storage of liquid high-level radioactive waste at Sellafield, and it has recently published the results of its scrutiny of this material. It identified a number of actions which needed to be taken to minimise the risk of a major accident involving tanks storing liquid high-level waste at the Sellafield site. These findings added to concerns raised by reports, published in early 2000 by the UK Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, which were highly critical of safety standards at Sellafield

The behaviour of 129I released from nuclear fuel reprocessing factories in the North Atlantic Ocean and transport to the Arctic assessed from numerical modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villa, M.; López-Gutiérrez, J.M.; Suh, Kyung-Suk; Min, Byung-Il; Periáñez, R.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Dispersion of 129 I released from nuclear facilities evaluated by numerical modelling in the Atlantic. • Model validated through comparisons with field measurements. • 5.1 and 16.6 TBq of 129 I have been introduced in the Arctic from Sellafield and La Hague. • The distribution of 129 I among several shelf seas and regions has been evaluated. • Mean ages of tracers obtained: about 3.5 year larger for Sellafield than for La Hague releases. - Abstract: A quantitative evaluation of the fate of 129 I, released from the European reprocessing plants of Sellafield (UK) and La Hague (France), has been made by means of a Lagrangian dispersion model. Transport of radionuclides to the Arctic Ocean has been determined. Thus, 5.1 and 16.6 TBq of 129 I have been introduced in the Arctic from Sellafield and La Hague respectively from 1966 to 2012. These figures represent, respectively, 48% and 55% of the cumulative discharge to that time. Inventories in the North Atlantic, including shelf seas, are 4.4 and 13.8 TBq coming from Sellafield and La Hague respectively. These figures are significantly different from previous estimations based on field data. The distribution of these inventories among several shelf seas and regions has been evaluated as well. Mean ages of tracers have been finally obtained, making use of the age-averaging hypothesis. It has been found that mean ages for Sellafield releases are about 3.5 year larger than for La Hague releases

Distribution of Technetium-99 in sub-tidal sediments of the Irish Sea

Science.gov (United States)

McCubbin, David; Leonard, Kinson S.; McDonald, Paul; Bonfield, Rachel; Boust, Dominique

2006-03-01

To date, relatively little attention has been given to the accumulation of 99Tc discharged from Sellafield in the subtidal sediments of the Irish Sea. The potential implications for secondary seafood contamination from contaminated sediment has driven the UK Food Standards Agency to commission further research into this pathway. The work reported here reviews existing data and provides new measurements of 99Tc specific activity in surface and sub-surface sediments of the Irish Sea, together with environmental Kd values. The results are used to assess the spatial and temporal evolution of 99Tc in the seabed after 8 years of enhanced Sellafield discharges (between 1994 and 2002), of the aforementioned radionuclide. The information is discussed with reference to other studies, in an attempt to infer the processes controlling 99Tc uptake and release from seabed sediments. The average environmental Kd value for 99Tc in the Irish Sea (1.9×10 3) was more than an order of magnitude greater than the presently recommended value of 10 2 [IAEA, 2004. Sediment distribution coefficients and concentration factors for biota in the marine environment. Technical Report Series No. 422, IAEA, Vienna]. Comparison with results from laboratory studies indicates that the observed distribution may represent metastable binding rather than thermodynamic equilibrium. Activities in surface sediments decreased with increasing distance from Sellafield but were also dependent upon the nature of the underlying substrate, being greater on muddy material. Preliminary measurements of grain-size distribution indicated that the observed variation in activities was probably not due to surface area effects. There is an emerging body of evidence from other studies that indicate the differences were most likely due to variations in redox regimes between the different substrates. Vertical profiles were significantly irregular, probably due to the effects of variable sediment mixing processes. Comparison of

Rationality and ritual participation and exclusion in nuclear decision-making

CERN Document Server

Wynne, Brian

2013-01-01

In Rationality and Ritual, internationally renowned expert Brian Wynne offers a profound analysis of science and technology policymaking. By focusing on an episode of major importance in Britain's nuclear history - the Windscale Inquiry, a public hearing about the future of fuel reprocessing - he offers a powerful critique of such judicial procedures and the underlying assumptions of the rationalist approach. This second edition makes available again this classic and still very relevant work. Debates about nuclear power have come to the fore once again. Yet we still do not h

The Parker inquiry. Report by Friends of the Earth Limited presented to the Secretary for the Environment on 28 April 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, W.C.; Conroy, C.

1978-01-01

This report concerns the public inquiry, and the subsequent report by the Inspector appointed to hold the inquiry, into the application by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd for planning permission to build a thermal oxide reprocessing plant at their Windscale works. After an introductory section, making general comments on the Inspector's report, the following topics are discussed, with reference to both the inquiry and the report: spent fuel - to reprocess or not to reprocess; energy policy and the economics of reprocessing; the problem of nuclear weapons proliferation; conclusion. (U.K.)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria: Part 3. Measurements of radionuclides in airborne and deposited material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pattenden, N.J.; Cambray, R.S.; Playford, K.; Eakins, J.D.; Fisher, E.M.R.

1980-09-01

Six stations sampling airborne particulate and deposited material were established in the Cumbrian coastal region. The measurements were undertaken to study current atmospheric levels and to discriminate between material from nuclear weapon tests, routine atmospheric discharges from the nuclear reprocessing works at Windscale and other sources, e.g. the sea. The results show that samples of both airborne and deposited material contain radionuclide concentrations in excess of those expected from nuclear weapon fallout. For Pu and 241 Am isotopes, the excess material comes mainly from a seaward direction. The transfer mechanism is probably resuspension, but the actinide levels are much greater than would be expected from the simple transfer of bulk seawater. For 137 Cs, the material in excess of amounts expected from nuclear weapon fallout can be attributed largely to Windscale discharges to air and seaspray containing the bulk seawater concentration of 137 Cs. Other fission products present in amounts exceeding nuclear weapon fallout were 106 Ru, 125 Sb, 134 Cs and 144 Ce. Tritium was also observed in amounts slightly in excess of nuclear weapon fallout. The highest observed annual average concentration in air for Pu isotopes was 0.2% of the derived air concentration, modified for members of the public, of 2.3 mBq/m 3 . (author)

Annual report and accounts 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This report outlines the work of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1997. Some developments during the year were the concerns about the levels of technetium-99 being discharged from Sellafield, a review of the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents, and the Institute's national survey of radon in dwellings coming close to completion

The Role of the Sellafield Ltd Centres of Expertise in Engaging with the Science, Environment and Technology Supply Chain and University Sector to Support Site Operations and Decommissioning in the UK Nuclear Industry - 13018

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butcher, Ed [Uranium and Reactive Metals Centre of Expertise Lead, Technical Directorate, Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); Connor, Donna [Technical Capability Manager, Technical Directorate, Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); Keighley, Debbie [Head of Profession, Technical Directorate, Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

The development and maintenance of the broad range of the highly technical skills required for safe and successful management of nuclear sites is of vital importance during routine operations, decommissioning and waste treatment activities.. In order to maintain a core team of technical experts, across all of the disciplines required for these tasks, the approach which has been taken by the Sellafield Ltd has been the formation of twenty five Centres of Expertise (CoE), each covering key aspects of the technical skills required for nuclear site operations. Links with the Specialist University Departments: The CoE leads are also responsible for establishing formal links with university departments with specialist skills and facilities relevant to their CoE areas. The objective of these links is to allow these very specialist capabilities within the university sector to be more effectively utilized by the nuclear industry, which benefits both sectors. In addition to the utilization of specialist skills, the university links are providing an important introduction to the nuclear industry for students and researchers. This is designed to develop the pipeline of potential staff, who will be required in the future by both the academic and industrial sectors. (authors)

The Role of the Sellafield Ltd Centres of Expertise in Engaging with the Science, Environment and Technology Supply Chain and University Sector to Support Site Operations and Decommissioning in the UK Nuclear Industry - 13018

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, Ed; Connor, Donna; Keighley, Debbie

2013-01-01

The development and maintenance of the broad range of the highly technical skills required for safe and successful management of nuclear sites is of vital importance during routine operations, decommissioning and waste treatment activities.. In order to maintain a core team of technical experts, across all of the disciplines required for these tasks, the approach which has been taken by the Sellafield Ltd has been the formation of twenty five Centres of Expertise (CoE), each covering key aspects of the technical skills required for nuclear site operations. Links with the Specialist University Departments: The CoE leads are also responsible for establishing formal links with university departments with specialist skills and facilities relevant to their CoE areas. The objective of these links is to allow these very specialist capabilities within the university sector to be more effectively utilized by the nuclear industry, which benefits both sectors. In addition to the utilization of specialist skills, the university links are providing an important introduction to the nuclear industry for students and researchers. This is designed to develop the pipeline of potential staff, who will be required in the future by both the academic and industrial sectors. (authors)

Annual report and accounts 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-12-01

This report outlines the work of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 1996. Some developments during the year were the concerns about the effects in the Irish Sea of increased discharges of technetium-99 from Sellafield, an international emergency exercise which incorporated an exercise of Ireland's National Emergency Plan dor Nuclear Accidents, the organisation of a conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident and further work on the Institute's national survey of radon in dwellings

Fourth annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-06-01

The report of the (United Kingdom) Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee for 1982-1983 falls under the headings: introduction and summary; review of the year; current sea disposal - the scientific evidence; liquid discharges from BNFL Sellafield; intermediate-level wastes; high-level wastes - the state of research on the options; transport of radioactive wastes and spent fuel; future work. (U.K.)

Modelling travel and residence times in the eastern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabrowski, T.; Hartnett, M.

2008-01-01

The Irish Sea, which lies between 51 deg. N-56 deg. N and 2 deg. 50'W-7 deg. W, provides a sheltered environment to exploit valuable fisheries resource. Anthropogenic activity is a real threat to its water quality. The majority of freshwater input down rivers flows into the eastern Irish Sea. The structure of the water circulation was not well understood during the planning of Sellafield nuclear plant outfall site in the eastern Irish Sea. A three-dimensional primitive equation numerical model was applied to the Irish Sea to simulate both barotropic and baroclinic circulation within the region. High accuracy was achieved with regard to the prediction of both tidal circulation and surface and nearbed water temperatures across the region. The model properly represented the Western Irish Sea Gyre, induced by thermal stratification and not known during planning Sellafield. Passive tracer simulations based on the developed hydrodynamic model were used to deliver residence times of the eastern Irish Sea region for various times of the year as well as travel times from the Sellafield outfall site to various locations within the Irish Sea. The results indicate a strong seasonal variability of travel times from Sellafield to the examined locations. Travel time to the Clyde Sea is the shortest for the autumnal tracer release (90 days); it takes almost a year for the tracer to arrive at the same location if it is released in January. Travel times from Sellafield to Dublin Bay fall within the range of 180-360 days. The average residence time of the entire eastern Irish Sea is around 7 months. The areas surrounding the Isle of Man are initially flushed due to a predominant northward flow; a backwater is formed in Liverpool Bay. Thus, elevated tracer concentrations are predicted in Liverpool Bay in the case of accidental spills at the Sellafield outfall site

Stakeholder participation for the legacy ponds and legacy silos (LP and LS) facility at Sellafield, Cumbria. UK: the nature and effectiveness of the dialogue - 16030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitton, John

2009-01-01

The Legacy Ponds and Silos (LP and S) facilities are part of the UK nuclear legacy located at the Sellafield Site, Cumbria. There are four individual facilities containing nuclear wastes that have accumulated over a period of approximately 50 years. Waste retrieval and conditioning, in preparation for decommissioning, is currently being carried out by the site operator. LP and S have recently proposed a re-engagement with stakeholders following the initial engagement in December 2005. This paper reviews this earlier engagement in terms of the nature of dialogue that was carried out when compared against definitions of deliberation provided in the literature. The aim of this paper is to provide those planning future engagement with a better understanding of how the nature of dialogue can vary and uses participation and deliberation as indicators of effective engagement. A concern of those working towards a programme of effective stakeholder participation in 2005 was how to ensure genuine dialogue and stakeholder representation in such a strictly controlled and regulated environment with a technical complexity that challenges technical specialist and lay person alike. LP and S recognised that effective dialogue with stakeholders on the available technical options and their associated societal impacts would form a significant part of this process if options were to prove resilient. However, the challenge presented to LP and S was how to engage stakeholders on a variety of projects, whilst ensuring the output could be used by the projects as part of their technical decision making. Initial contact was made with stakeholders in December 2005, as part of a 'Baseline' Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) study. A BPEO study leads to decisions on waste management based on an integrated assessment of alternative options, on the basis of factors such as the occupational and environmental risks, the environmental impacts, costs and social implications of the options

Radiation protection: A correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1972-01-01

An error in translation inadvertently distorted the sense of a paragraph in the article entitled 'Ecological Aspects of Radiation Protection', by Dr. P. Recht, which appeared in the Bulletin, Volume 14, No. 2 earlier this year. In the English text the error appears on Page 28, second paragraph, which reads, as published: 'An instance familiar to radiation protection specialists, which has since come to be regarded as a classic illustration of this approach, is the accidental release at the Windscale nuclear centre in the north of England.' In the French original of this text no reference was made, or intended, to the accidental release which took place in 1957; the reference was to the study of the critical population group exposed to routine releases from the centre, as the footnote made clear. A more correct translation of the relevant sentence reads: 'A classic example of this approach, well-known to radiation protection specialists, is that of releases from the Windscale nuclear centre, in the north of England.' A second error appeared in the footnote already referred to. In all languages, the critical population group studied in respect of the Windscale releases is named as that of Cornwall; the reference should be, of course, to that part of the population of Wales who eat laver bread. (author)

Health risks from radioactive objects on beaches in the vicinity of the Sellafield site in west Cumbria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Joanne; Etherington, George; Pellow, Peter [Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

A programme of monitoring carried out since 2006 has found radioactive objects on beaches near the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site in West Cumbria. These objects comprised particles with sizes smaller than or similar to grains of sand (less than 2 mm) and contaminated pebbles and stones. Public Health England has undertaken an assessment of the health risks to people using the beaches along the Cumbrian coast from these contaminated objects. The assessment has addressed two key aspects. Firstly, estimates have been made of the likelihood that people using the beaches for various activities could come into contact with a radioactive object. Secondly, for the unlikely event that an individual does come into contact with such an object, the resulting radiation doses and associated health risks have been assessed. The ingestion of an 'alpha-rich' particle (a particle for which the content of the alpha-emitting radionuclide americium-241 exceeds the content of caesium-137) has the greatest potential to give rise to significant health risks. The intestinal absorption of a range of particles recovered from West Cumbrian beaches was quantified by means of in vivo uptake studies using laboratory rats, and the results were used to predict doses that would result from the ingestion of a single particle. The conclusion of the assessment, based on the currently available information, is that the overall health risks to beach users are very low and significantly lower than other risks that people accept when using the beaches. The highest calculated lifetime risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer are of the order of one hundred thousand times smaller than the level of risk that the UK Health and Safety Executive considers to be the upper limit for an acceptable level of risk (1 in a million) for members of the public and workers. The exposure route with the greatest potential for deterministic effects, such as localised skin ulceration, is direct irradiation of

Measurement error in longitudinal film badge data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, J.L.

2002-04-01

The classical measurement error model is that of a simple linear regression with unobservable variables. Information about the covariates is available only through error-prone measurements, usually with an additive structure. Ignoring errors has been shown to result in biased regression coefficients, reduced power of hypothesis tests and increased variability of parameter estimates. Radiation is known to be a causal factor for certain types of leukaemia. This link is mainly substantiated by the Atomic Bomb Survivor study, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients study, and studies of various other patients irradiated for therapeutic purposes. The carcinogenic relationship is believed to be a linear or quadratic function of dose but the risk estimates differ widely for the different studies. Previous cohort studies of the Sellafield workforce have used the cumulative annual exposure data for their risk estimates. The current 1:4 matched case-control study also uses the individual worker's film badge data, the majority of which has been unavailable in computerised form. The results from the 1:4 matched (on dates of birth and employment, sex and industrial status) case-control study are compared and contrasted with those for a 1:4 nested (within the worker cohort and matched on the same factors) case-control study using annual doses. The data consist of 186 cases and 744 controls from the work forces of four BNFL sites: Springfields, Sellafield, Capenhurst and Chapelcross. Initial logistic regressions turned up some surprising contradictory results which led to a re-sampling of Sellafield mortality controls without the date of employment matching factor. It is suggested that over matching is the cause of the contradictory results. Comparisons of the two measurements of radiation exposure suggest a strongly linear relationship with non-Normal errors. A method has been developed using the technique of Regression Calibration to deal with these in a case-control study context

Rationality and ritual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wynne, B.

1982-01-01

The book concerns the Windscale Public Inquiry, held to investigate the application by British Nuclear Fuels to build a 1200 tonne per year thermal oxide reprocessing plant (THORP) for spent nuclear fuels from Britain and overseas. The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction (international dimensions; the Windscale Inquiry; conflict resolution and social drama; public debate and the sociology of knowledge); the decision-making legacy; oxide reprocessing - the background; the public inquiry tradition - a comparative perspective; the emergence of THORP from a private to a public issue (local and national planning politics); the process and impact of the Inquiry (opposition groups); judicial rationality, expert conflict, and political authority); the rationality and politics of analysis (proliferation; radiation risks; relative risks; the Ravenglass issue; discharge targets; general radiation protection arrangements); conclusion. (U.K.)

129I/127I ratios in surface waters of the English Lake District

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atarashi-Andoh, M.; Schnabel, C.; Cook, G.; MacKenzie, A.B.; Dougans, A.; Ellam, R.M.; Freeman, S.; Maden, C.; Olive, V.; Synal, H.-A.; Xu, S.

2007-01-01

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) was used to measure 129 I/ 127 I ratios in surface sea, lake, and river water samples collected in 2004 and 2005 from the English Lake District and from SW Scotland, areas which are in relatively close proximity to the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in NW England. The 129 I/ 127 I ratios in surface water collected from the shore of the Irish Sea were in the range 2.8 x 10 -6 to 8.2 x 10 -6 . These ratios are one order of magnitude higher than that of seawater collected from the Irish Sea in 1992, correlating with the increase in 129 I content of the Sellafield liquid effluent discharge over the last decade. The 129 I/ 127 I ratios in lakes in the Lake District were in the range 0.7 x 10 -6 to 6.4 x 10 -6 and decreased exponentially as a function of distance from Sellafield. Consideration of the relative variation of stable I concentrations and 129 I/ 127 I ratios suggests that Sellafield gaseous discharges may be the dominant source of 129 I to the lakes

Large packages for reactor decommissioning waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, M.S.T.

1991-01-01

This study was carried out jointly by the Atomic Energy Establishment at Winfrith (now called the Winfrith Technology Centre), Windscale Laboratory and Ove Arup and Partners. The work involved the investigation of the design of large transport containers for intermediate level reactor decommissioning waste, ie waste which requires shielding, and is aimed at European requirements (ie for both LWR and gas cooled reactors). It proposes a design methodology for such containers covering the whole lifetime of a waste disposal package. The design methodology presented takes account of various relevant constraints. Both large self shielded and returnable shielded concepts were developed. The work was generic, rather than specific; the results obtained, and the lessons learned, remain to be applied in practice

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-08-01

A report is given on the liquid, airborne and solid radioactive discharges through authorised outlets and on environmental monitoring for all of BNFL's Works and sites for 1982, i.e. Sellafield Site and the Drigg Storage and Disposal Site; Chapelcross Works; Springfields Works and the Ulnes Walton Disposal Site; and Capenhurst Works. The report includes assessment of radiation doses to representative members of the most highly exposed group of the general population for the most important environmental pathways. At no time during 1982 have discharges and disposals of radioactive wastes through authorised outlets at any of the above Works exceeded those laid down in any of the Authorisations. (U.K.)

Temporal record of Pu isotopes in inter-tidal sediments from the northeastern Irish Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindahl, Patric, E-mail: patriclindahl@yahoo.com [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Worsfold, Paul; Keith-Roach, Miranda [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Andersen, Morten B. [Bristol Isotope Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol BS8 1RJ (United Kingdom); Kershaw, Peter; Leonard, Kins [The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Suffolk NR33 0HT (United Kingdom); Choi, Min-Seok [Division of Earth and Environmental Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, 113 Gwahangno, Yusung-gu, Daejon 305-333 (Korea, Republic of); Boust, Dominique [Laboratoire de Radioecologie, Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, BP 10, 50130 Cherbourg-Octeville (France); Lesueur, Patrick [University of Caen Basse Normandie, M2C UMR CNRS 6143, 14000 Caen (France)

2011-11-01

A depth profile of {sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu specific activities and isotope ratios was determined in an inter-tidal sediment core from the Esk Estuary in the northeastern Irish Sea. The study site has been impacted with plutonium through routine radionuclide discharges from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, NW England. A pronounced sub-surface maximum of {approx} 10 kBq kg{sup -1} was observed for {sup 239+240}Pu, corresponding to the peak in Pu discharge from Sellafield in 1973, with a decreasing trend with depth down to {approx} 0.04 kBq kg{sup -1} in the deeper layers. The depth profile of {sup 239+240}Pu specific activities together with results from gamma-ray spectrometry for {sup 137}Cs and {sup 241}Am was compared with reported releases from the Sellafield plant in order to estimate a reliable sediment chronology. The upper layers (1992 onwards) showed higher {sup 239+240}Pu specific activities than would be expected from the direct input of annual Sellafield discharges, indicating that the main input of Pu is from the time-integrated contaminated mud patch of the northeastern Irish Sea. The {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratios ranged from {approx} 0.03 in the deepest layers to > 0.20 in the sub-surface layers with an activity-weighted average of 0.181. The decreasing {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratio with depth reflects the changing nature of operations at the Sellafield plant from weapons-grade Pu production to reprocessing spent nuclear fuel with higher burn-up times in the late 1950s. In addition, recent annual {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratios in winkles collected during 2003-2008 from three stations along the Cumbrian coastline showed no significant spatial or temporal differences with an overall average of 0.204, which supports the hypothesis of diluted Pu input from the contaminated mud patch. - Highlights: {yields} Depth profiles of {sup 239}Pu and {sup 240}Pu determined in a northeastern Irish Sea sediment. {yields

Health and safety annual report 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report on health and safety provides a review of the impact of the Comapny's activities on its workforce, the public and the environment. New sections include safety auditing, emergency planning and health and safety research. BNFL operates five sites in north west England and southern Scotland. The head office and Engineering Design Centre is at Risley, near Warrington. Fuel is manufactured at Springfields near Preston, uranium is enriched for modern nuclear power stations at Capenhurst near Chester and spent fuel is reprocessed at Sellafield. BNFL also operate Calder Hall (Sellafield) and Chapelcross (Scotland) power stations and a disposal site for low-level radioactive wastes at Drigg near Sellafield. Radiation sources and BNFL's radioactive discharge are first explained generally and then specifically for each BNFL site. Industrial and radiological safety within BNFL are described. (UK)

Currents in the Eastern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, M.J.

1983-01-01

Low level radioactive waste is discharged from the nuclear re-processing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria. Its movement away from the discharge point is determined by the Irish Sea's dynamics, both for the soluble compounds and for those compounds which become attached to the sediment. Near Sellafield the tidal currents are weak and parallel to the shore, becoming stronger east/west to the north and south of the Isle of Man. Wind driven currents near Sellafield are predominantly north-westward, strongest near the coast, and oppose the other low frequency currents. Hence, the soluble effluent will initially be dispersed parallel to the shore by the weak tidal currents, moving episodically, southeastward during weak winds and northwestward during storms. Eventually it will leave the Irish Sea, flowing northward through the North Channel. (author)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pattenden, N.J.; Cambray, R.S.; Playford, K.

1987-06-01

Five stations collecting samples of atmospheric deposition were set up in north Cumbria along a line running inland from the coast for about 17 km. Sampling was continuous from September 1980 to September 1981. Monthly samples were analysed for 106 Ru, 137 Cs, 144 Ce, 238 Pu, sup(239,240)Pu, 241 Am, 7 Be and stable Na, Cl and Al. The objective of the work was to measure the deposition of radionuclides as a function of distance from the sea. By estimating the contributions to the deposition of nuclear weapon test material and of the atmospheric discharges from the British Nuclear Fuels plc works at Sellafield, the effects of the transfer to air and land of radionuclides in the sea could be established. The marine radionuclides were due to the discharges to sea from the Sellafield works. The measurements showed that the deposition was largely due to the sea-to-land transfer process. The highest depositions observed were at 20 m from high water mark, the annual values (rounded, in Bq m -2 ) being 106 Ru, 500; 137 Cs, 650; plutonium, 70; 241 Am, 30. The highest concentrations in rainwater for the radionuclides studied were less than 3 per cent of the fresh water limits (drinking only) GDL values. The highest estimated accumulations in soil due to atmospheric deposition were less than 1 per cent of the limits. (author)

Reactor decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawton, H.

1984-01-01

A pioneering project on the decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, by the UKAEA, is described. Reactor data; policy; waste management; remote handling equipment; development; and recording and timescales, are all briefly discussed. (U.K.)

A design study for a fission product fixation plant and storage at Windscale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, K.M.; Ridley, G.; Adler, D.G.

1961-01-01

A flowsheet for a production plant has been worked out and the problems of designing a reliable production plant utilising it have been assessed. The properties of current glass compositions have been considered in relation to problems of permanent storage for periods of 800 to 1000 years and various storage proposals assessed. The performance of the preferred type of storage, i.e. dry storage in natural draught air-cooled vaults, has been estimated and consideration given to a number of variables affecting the optimum design. The design problems of a storage of the required life have been investigated in relation to suitable types of site and proposals made as to the types of construction to be used. Design work on tunnel loading facilities has been carried to the state of demonstrating feasibility. The capital costs and the economics of this type of waste storage have been investigated for unalloyed Magnox fuel and brief consideration given to alloyed and cermet fuels. Attention has been given to development problems of the whole system where they arise. (author)

Chapter 10: Calculation of the temperature coefficient of reactivity of a graphite-moderated reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, G.; Richmond, R.; Stace, R.H.W.

1963-01-01

The temperature coefficients of reactivity of the BEPO, Windscale and Calder reactors are calculated, using the revised methods given by Lockey et al. (1956) and by Campbell and Symonds (1962). The results are compared with experimental values. (author)

The study of fracture mineralization and relationship with high level radioactive waste of deep geological repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes, Cristina N.

2003-01-01

Extensive investigations of the Ordovician, Dinantian and Permo-Triassic rocks of the Sellafield area of northwest England were undertaken by United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. as a possible national site for geological disposal of intermediate and low-level radioactive waste. Very detailed studies of fracture mineralisation at Sellafield were thus put in hand by Nirex Ltd. and the results summarised by the British Geological Survey. Deep (up to 2 km) boreholes were put down with excellent core recovery. It is generally agreed that the most significant pathway for the escape of all but a very few radionuclides is by solution in and advection of groundwater. In this context, rock fracture systems are particularly important because they offer a potentially rapid pathway to the surface and the biosphere. One striking aspect of this work is that the fracture mineralisation seemingly records major and rapid fluctuations in redox conditions -sometimes during apparently continuous precipitation of cements (ferroan and non-ferroan calcites, dolomite). Carbonate cements record variations in Fe 2+ availability. Fe(III) precipitates also as oxide (hematite) and Fe(II) as sulphide (pyrite). This study focuses on these elements and valence states and also on Mn; another element susceptible to redox controls but known to respond differently from Fe. Shallow sub-surface stores or repositories would be more likely to have oxidising or fluctuating redox conditions. The mineralisation sequences documented at Sellafield are potentially promising in this context. Ferroan carbonate cements are sensitive indicators of later movement of oxidising ground waters. (author)

British Nuclear Fuels PLC: report and accounts 1989-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

Members of the Energy Select Committee put questions to representatives of British Nuclear Fuels PLC (BNFL) about the annual report and accounts 1989-90. Questions concerned the late publication of the accounts, BNFLs role in the downfall of the nuclear privatisation, government assistance to the nuclear industry, the price BNFL charges for fuel reprocessing and the process of laser isotope separation of uranium. The committee also asked about the rate of return in BNFL's assets as a percentage, Sellafield's potential as a site for a deep repository for radioactive wastes and the 6000 boreholes that MREX will drill at Sellafield. The commercial case for reprocessing is made. Feasibility studies for possible new reactions at Sellafield and Chapel Cross have been carried out. On the whole the Energy Committee were satisfied with the replies from BNFL. (UK)

Annual report and accounts 1991/92

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The primary objective of British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) is to supply a safe and efficient nuclear fuel cycle service. Springfields near Preston is the site of our fuel manufacturing operations, while Capenhurst near Chester is responsible for uranium enrichment. We reprocess irradiated nuclear fuel at Sellafield in West Cumbria, the site also of our multi-million pound investment programme which includes the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) and a range of facilities for the treatment and storage of waste produced during reprocessing operations. We also operate two nuclear power stations -Calder Hall on the Sellafield site and Chapelcross in Southern Scotland. Risley in Cheshire is the focus for our engineering design activities and the Company's Central Services Unit. The Head Office is also based at Risley. Fuel cycle services associated with the production of nuclear-generated electricity accounts for around 90% of our work. The report includes the chairman's review of the year, the Chief Executive's Report and summaries of the activities of the UK Group, International Group, Engineering Group and the Central Services Unit. The accounts are presented. (author)

Hydrogeological investigation programmes: best practice. Proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, G.M.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence by an expert witness is presented in support of the case by Friends of the Earth (FOE) against the proposed construction by UK Nirex Ltd of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site in the Sellafield area. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for an underground repository for the disposal of radioactive waste. The objections were raised at a Planning Inquiry in 1995. Drawing on best practice in hydrogeological investigation from case studies of groundwater assessment in the UK and the Canadian nuclear waste disposal programme, the hydrogeological monitoring work undertaken to date at Sellafield is found to be inadequate in both scope and duration. The lack of adequate equilibrium hydrogeological data is significant in its implications for the RCF both in terms of the effects on local water resources and the proposed repository. It is concluded, therefore, that the construction of the RCF should be postponed pending the establishment of the equilibrium hydrogeological regime. (10 figures; 33 references). (UK)

Application of model based predictive control to a solvent extraction plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harper, W.J.

1995-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc. (BNFL) is the most experienced nuclear fuel company in the world, having supplied nuclear fuel cycle services in the UK and overseas for over forty years. BNFL is one of only two companies in the world that is able to offer nuclear fuel manufacture, enrichment, reprocessing and waste management services. In addition to its work for the UK Nuclear Power Programme, BNFL has developed a substantial export business with nuclear power plant operators in Western Europe, Japan and North America, which now accounts for 18% of the annual turnover. BNFL's plants re situated in North West England and Southern Scotland. Nuclear fuel and fuel products are manufactured at Springfields near Preston; uranium enrichment by the centrifuge process is carried out at Capenhurst, near Chester; reprocessing and waste management services are provided at Sellafield, West Cumbria. The Company's headquarters and engineering design facilities are based at Risley, near Warrington. BNFL also owns and operates two (MAGNOX) nuclear power stations-Calder Hall, on the Sellafield site, the Chapelcross, near Dumfries in Southern Scotland

129I/127I ratios in Scottish coastal surface sea water: Geographical and temporal responses to changing emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnabel, Christoph; Olive, Valerie; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Dougans, Andrew; Ellam, Robert M.; Freeman, Stewart; Maden, Colin; Stocker, Martin; Synal, Hans-Arno; Wacker, Lukas; Xu Sheng

2007-01-01

This work constitutes the first survey of I isotope ratios for Scottish sea water including the first data for the west of Scotland. These data are of importance because of the proximity to the world's second largest emission source of 129 I to the sea, the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant, because of the increasing importance of the sea to land transfer of 129 I and also as input data for dose estimates based on this pathway of 129 I. 129 I/ 127 I ratios in SW Scotland reached 3 x 10 -6 in 2004. No strong variation of I isotope ratios was found from 2003 to 2005 in Scottish sea waters. Iodine isotope ratios increased by about a factor of 6 from 1992 to 2003 in NE Scotland, in agreement with the increase of liquid 129 I emissions from Sellafield over that time period. It is demonstrated that 129 I/ 127 I ratios agree better than 129 I concentrations for samples from similar locations taken in very close temporal proximity, indicating that this ratio is more appropriate to interpret than the radionuclide concentration

Product evaluation phase 1 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearsey, H.A.; Cumming, I.W.

1984-01-01

This report concerns the intermediate-level radioactive waste arisings from the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield. The waste arises during the storage, in multi-element bottles (MEB), and removed of LWR fuel elements in Sellafield feed ponds, in the form of crud and filter-aid. Headings are: introduction (origin of waste; current stocks and future arisings); waste characterisation; initial evaluation of potential matrices for encapsulation of waste in form suitable for disposal; waste simulation. (U.K.)

Sellafield and the bomb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, P.

1994-01-01

One aspect of reprocessing, deliberately incorporated into the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the right of Nuclear Weapon States (NWSs) to use civilian nuclear materials, including plutonium, in their weapons programmes. Evidence has slowly emerged over the past few years that the UK has diverted nuclear material, of UK and foreign origin, from civil to military programmes. The most immediate threat is the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP). Unless its foreign customers have made special arrangements, the UK could use their plutonium in its nuclear weapons. This link between civil and military plutonium is examined. (author)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria. Part 4 Caesium-137 and plutonium in soils of Cumbria and the Isle of Man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cawse, P.A.

1980-08-01

A network of soil sampling sites covering an area of some 2500 km 2 in Cumbria and the whole of the Isle of Man was selected and sampled in 1978. Soils from permanent grassland, coniferous woodland and deciduous woodland were examined, to a depth of 30 cm. The spatial distribution of sampling points is based on a grid of 10 km side. The objective of the study is to provide information on the integrated deposition of Cs-137, Pu-239+240 and Pu-238 from the atmosphere, and to determine the distribution of possible emissions from the nuclear establishment at Windscale in the presence of radioactivity deposited from nuclear weapons fallout, that is superimposed upon the natural background of radioactivity in soil. Results from soil samples collected in 1978 in Cumbria and the Isle of Man are compared with the average integrated deposition for UK soils from nuclear fallout. In the Isle of Man no radioactivity is observed in excess of nuclear weapons fallout, but in Cumbria excess levels of plutonium are detected in coastal lowland areas under permanent grassland probably due to the transport of radioactive material from sea to land. At three sampling sites on grassland and woodland within 2.3 km of the Windscale stacks, the excess plutonium and Cs-137 in soil could be attributed mainly to atmospheric discharges from Windscale. The observed deposition of radioactivity has little radiological significance, based on assessment of risk by inhalation of soil dust that contains plutonium. (author)

Environmental Radioactivity from Natural, Industrial and Military Sources. 4th Edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, Steve

1998-09-01

of information on the USDoE programme and of military accidents such as that at Palomares. The only real weakness of the book is, in another way, a strength: it is written very much from a US perspective so its coverage of US regulatory codes and the new sections on contamination and dose reconstruction at the USDoE sites are excellent and, as with all other sections, supported by a good and extensive bibliography. On the other hand there is little on the emerging problems in Russia and Eastern Europe, and those in the UK whose professional lives are dominated by Sellafield will find the book's perspective refreshing - 'Sellafield' in the index refers you to 'Windscale, liquid wastes from' and to two pages that cover very briefly the early discharges from the plant and more recent developments relating to childhood leukaemia. Merril Eisenbud worked for the first time on this edition with a co-author. Following Merril's death in August last year after a lifetime of distinguished contribution to the subject of environmental radioactivity, I hope that Thomas Gessel is able to take up the mantle and produce the fifth edition in a decade's time. If you have a well used copy of an earlier edition on your bookshelf or in the library, you should certainly update to the fourth edition. If you don't have an earlier edition but are interested in environmental radioactivity, you should carefully consider acquiring a copy. (book review: Merril Eisenbud; Thomas Gessel - ISBN: 0 12 235154 1)

Radionuclide behaviour in a coniferous woodland ecosystem in Cumbria, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, S.R.; Copplestone, D.; Johnson, M.S.

1996-01-01

The behaviour of 134Cs, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Am, in food chains in a semi-natural woodland has been investigated and doses to the ecosystem due to the presence of these radionuclides of anthropogenic origin have been assessed. The woodland is located within 1 km of the coastal British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria (O.S. Grid Reference: NY 037045) and has received an input of radionuclides primarily through atmospheric discharges from the Sellafield site throughout its operational history of more than 40 years. Deposition has been enhanced by interception by the canopy, such that deposits in the woodland are significantly higher than adjacent pasture land. Within the wood, deposition is greatest along the front (or leading) edge in relation to aerosols transported to the woodland from Sellafield, due to the 'edge effect'. Despite the high radionuclide deposits, relatively low uptake and mobility within the ecosystem was observed. Estimated doses to the ecosystem at around 2 mGy a -1 , were dominated by external irradiation and were well below the levels thought to be necessary to harm terrestrial ecosystems. A provisional conclusion at this stage is that the measures taken to control emissions from Sellafield in line with radiological protection standards for humans have also been adequate to protect this potentially vulnerable ecosystem

Temporal and spatial responses of the bioindicator Fucus to discharges of 99Tc in the eastern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, P.; Busby, R.G.; McCartney, M.

1999-01-01

Technetium-99 is a radioactive isotope discharged under authorisation to the Irish Sea from the British Nuclear Fuels plc Sellafield reprocessing plant in Cumbria via a marine pipeline. An increase in 99 Tc discharges from Sellafield in recent years has provided an ideal opportunity to undertake a more detailed investigation of its environmental behaviour. Here, the temporal and spatial response of Fucus sp. to the increased discharges has been investigated and its role as a bioindicator assessed. Initial investigations in 1995, have confirmed the expectation that Fucus does act as an effective bioindicator of 99 Tc, with easily detectable 99 Tc concentrations (1 - 15 kBq kg -1 wet weight) being encountered, providing a time integrated signal of 99 Tc discharges. Analysis of subsequent samples collected during 1996, however, have shown significant short-term peaks in Fucus 99 Tc concentrations close to Sellafield (up to 90 kBq kg -1 wet weight) and this can be related to peaks in 99 Tc seawater concentrations. This type of response suggests that Fucus has a means of rapidly accumulating 99 Tc, although the rate at which this accumulated component may be eliminated remains unclear. This effect was only observed at sites close to Sellafield (within 15 km). Relatively constant 99 Tc concentrations in Fucus were found at more distant sites (50 - 150 km). (author)

LLW disposal wasteform preparation in the UK: the role of high force compaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, L. F.; Fearnley, I. G. [British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., Sellafield (United Kingdom)

1991-07-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) owns and operates the principal UK solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal site. The site is located at Drigg in West Cumbria some 6 km to the south east of BNFL's Sellafield reprocessing complex. Sellafield is the major UK generator of LLW, accounting for about 85% of estimated future arisings of raw (untreated, unpackaged) waste. Non-Sellafield consignors to the Drigg site include other BNFL production establishments, nuclear power stations, sites of UKAEA, Ministry of Defence facilities, hospitals, universities, radioisotope production sites and various other industrial organisations. In September 1987, BNFL announced a major upgrade of operations at the Drigg site aimed at improving management practices, the efficiency of space utilisation and enhancing the visual impact of disposal operations. During 1989 a review of plans for compaction and containerisation of Sellafield waste identified that residual voidage in ISO freight containers could be significant even after the introduction of compaction. Subsequent studies which examined a range of compaction and packaging options concluded that the preferred scheme centred on the use of high force compaction (HFC) of compactable waste, and grouting to take up readily accessible voidage in the wasteform. The paper describes the emergence of high force compaction as the preferred scheme for wasteform preparation and subsequent benefits against the background of the overall development of Low Level Waste disposal operations at Drigg.

LLW disposal wasteform preparation in the UK: the role of high force compaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, L. F.; Fearnley, I. G.

1991-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) owns and operates the principal UK solid low level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal site. The site is located at Drigg in West Cumbria some 6 km to the south east of BNFL's Sellafield reprocessing complex. Sellafield is the major UK generator of LLW, accounting for about 85% of estimated future arisings of raw (untreated, unpackaged) waste. Non-Sellafield consignors to the Drigg site include other BNFL production establishments, nuclear power stations, sites of UKAEA, Ministry of Defence facilities, hospitals, universities, radioisotope production sites and various other industrial organisations. In September 1987, BNFL announced a major upgrade of operations at the Drigg site aimed at improving management practices, the efficiency of space utilisation and enhancing the visual impact of disposal operations. During 1989 a review of plans for compaction and containerisation of Sellafield waste identified that residual voidage in ISO freight containers could be significant even after the introduction of compaction. Subsequent studies which examined a range of compaction and packaging options concluded that the preferred scheme centred on the use of high force compaction (HFC) of compactable waste, and grouting to take up readily accessible voidage in the wasteform. The paper describes the emergence of high force compaction as the preferred scheme for wasteform preparation and subsequent benefits against the background of the overall development of Low Level Waste disposal operations at Drigg

The treatment of uranyl nitrate from the AMOR process for VKTA Rossendorf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boessert, W.; Krempl, R.; Miller, J.W.

2003-01-01

The blending of uranyl nitrate solutions at VKTA and its subsequent treatment at BNFL-Sellafield is a significant step towards the safe and effective treatment of these enriched uranyl nitrate solutions. Overall the integration of the expertise of the international company BNFL/Westinghouse will lead to the achievement of a successful solution. This success has involved the integration of the project management and operational facilities of BNFL Sellafield with the local planning, design and manufacture capacities of Westinghouse Reaktor GmbH. (orig.)

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-07-01

A report is given on radioactive discharges through authorised outlets and on environmental monitoring for all of British Nuclear Fuels Limited Works and Sites, i.e. the Windscale and Calder Works and the Drigg Storage and Disposal Site; Chapelcross Works; Springfields Works and the Ulnes Walton Disposal Site; and Capenhurst Works. The report includes information on liquid and airborne radioactive effluents and solid radioactive waste at each of the Company's Works and Sites. Assessments are made of maximum radiological exposures to individual members of the public expressed in terms of limits based on ICRP recommendations and in accordance with advice given by the NRPB. The report showed that at no time during 1980 did discharges and disposals of radioactive wastes through authorised outlets at any of the Works exceed those laid down in any of the Authorisations. Environmental monitoring studies also showed that the radiation exposure in 1980 of the most highly exposed groups of the general population was significantly lower than the Annual Limit recommended by the ICRP. (U.K.)

Failure to substantiate two cases of alleged occupational radiation carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halnan, K.E.

1988-01-01

Outline report of two cases tried in Liverpool in July 1987. The first involved a case of Hodgkins disease in a man now 57 years who had worked for B.N.F.L. or its predecessors at Sellafield between 1954 and 1977. The second was a case of adenocarcinoma of the stomach in an employee working at Dounreay between 1958 and 1965. These cases came to court before the new revised calculations of radiation dosage from the Japanese atomic bombs had finally been agreed and published, and also before these had been taken into account by UNSCEAR. (U.K.)

Challenge of Replacing Obsolete Equipment and Systems on Brownfield Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teasdale, St.

2009-01-01

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's civil public sector nuclear sites. One of their top priorities is the retrieval of sludge and fuel from the First Generation Magnox Fuel Storage Pond (FGMSP) at Sellafield site which is one of the most complex and compact nuclear sites in the world. The FGMSP plant is currently undergoing a series of major modifications in preparation for the retrievals operations. One of the most challenging modifications undertaken in the facility has been the Control and Surveillance Project which covered replacement of the existing Environmental Monitoring System, this presented the complex challenge of replacing an existing system whilst maintaining full functionality on a live radiological safety system with a constant radiological hazard. The Control and Surveillance Project involved the design, procurement, installation, changeover and commissioning of a new Radiological Surveillance System (alpha, beta and gamma monitoring) along with Building Evacuation Systems within the FGMSP complex to replace the existing obsolete system. This Project was a key enabler to future FGMSP retrievals and decommissioning activities. The project objective was to create and maintain a safe radiological working environment for over 450 personnel working in the plant up to 2020. The Legacy Ponds at Sellafield represent one of the biggest challenges in the civil nuclear clean up portfolio in the UK. Retrieval of sludge and fuel from the First Generation Magnox Fuel Storage Pond (FGMSP), and its safe long term storage is one of the NDA's top priorities. In June 2002 Sellafield Ltd contracted with the ACKtiv Nuclear Joint Venture to progress the risk mitigation, asset restoration and the early enabling works associated with preparation for clean up. Since then significant progress has been made in preparing the facility, and it's support systems, for the clean-up operations. This has been

Plutonium transport to and deposition and immobility in Irish Sea intertidal sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aston, S R; Stanners, D A [Lancaster Univ. (UK)

1981-02-12

The results are presented of an investigation of plutonium in intertidal sediments of the Irish Sea, contaminated with radioactive wastes from the Windscale reprocessing facility. The deposition characteristics and lack of vertical migration of /sup 238/Pu and /sup 239/ and /sup 240/Pu are discussed.

Nuclear fuel reprocessing in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allardice, R.; Harris, D.; Mills, A.

1983-01-01

Nuclear fuel reprocessing has been carried out on an industrial scale in the United Kingdom since 1952. Two large reprocessing plants have been constructed and operated at Windscale, Cumbria and two smaller specialized plants have been constructed and operated at Dounreay, Northern Scotland. At the present time, the second of the two Windscale plants is operating, and Government permission has been given for a third reprocessing plant to be built on that site. At Dounreay, one of the plants is operating in its original form, whilst the second is now operating in a modified form, reprocessing fuel from the prototype fast reactor. This chapter describes the development of nuclear fuel reprocessing in the UK, commencing with the research carried out in Canada immediately after the Second World War. A general explanation of the techniques of nuclear fuel reprocessing and of the equipment used is given. This is followed by a detailed description of the plants and processes installed and operated in the UK

Nuclear fuel reprocessing in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allardice, R.H.; Harris, D.W.; Mills, A.

1983-01-01

Nuclear fuel reprocessing has been carried out on an industrial scale in the United Kingdom since 1952. Two large reprocessing plants have been constructed and operated at Windscale, Cumbria and two smaller specialized plants have been constructed and operated at Dounreay, Northern Scotland. At the present time, the second of the two Windscale plants is operating, and Government permission has been given for a third reprocessing plant to be built on that site. At Dounreay, one of the plants is operating in its original form, whilst the second is now operating in a modified form, reprocessing fuel from the prototype fast reactor. This chapter describes the development of nuclear fuel reprocessing in the UK, commencing with the research carried out in Canada immediately after the Second World War. A general explanation of the techniques of nuclear fuel reprocessing and of the equipment used is given. This is followed by a detailed description of the plants and processes installed and operated in the UK. (author)

Artificial radioactivity in Lough Foyle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, J.D.; Ryan, T.P.; Lyons, S.; Smith, V.; McGarry, A.; Mitchell, P.I.; Leon Vintro, L.; Larmour, R.A.; Ledgerwood, F.K.

1996-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which the marine environment of Lough Foyle, situated on the north coast of Ireland, has been affected by artificial radioactivity released from Sellafield. Although traces of plutonium, americium and radiocaesium from Sellafield are detectable in Lough Foyle, the concentrations in various marine media are significantly lower than those found along the NE coast of Ireland and in the western Irish Sea. The minute quantities of artificial radioactivity found in Lough Foyle are of negligible radiological significance

Radioactive waste disposal in UK: progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folger, Michael

1995-01-01

In this paper, originally presented at a conference organised by the Financial Times, three main topics are covered. First, the current disposal strategies for different classes of waste, taking account of the Government's Consultative Document published recently. Second, an update on site characterisation at Sellafield and on the deep repository programme which will follow if Nirex's work confirms the site can support the demanding safety case disposal of intermediate level waste. Third, comments on costs of various options for waste disposal. (author)

Peculiarities of the clinical course of radiation sickness and organizational decisions for radiation accidents with beta-gamma sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guskova, A.K.; Gusev, I.A.

1998-01-01

The analysis of a number of recent large scale accidents involving beta-gamma sources in the last 40 years, such as those of the Marshall Islands (1954); Windscale, UK (1957); Chernobyl, USSR (1986) and Goiania, Brazil (1987) demonstrates the predominance and importance of health and social impacts. (author)

Development of public inquiry procedures in relation to proposals for nuclear installations in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, B.H.J.; Lines, R.

1983-01-01

Following a description of the procedures followed for formal investigations on matters of public policy in the UK, this paper reviews public enquiry procedures regarding nuclear site licences and gives specific examples of such enquiries (Windscale, Sizewell), showing how the system has evolved over the years. (NEA) [fr

Commander manipulator scoops prestigious mulit-million pound BNFL contract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, Andrew.

1997-01-01

Twenty-one Commander robotic arms are on order from INBIS (formerly Ricardo Hitec) and BNFL Engineering Limited (''BEL'', the engineering arm of parent company BNFL). The multi-million pound contract was won amid fierce competition from other well-known names in robotic engineering. The specially designed Commander manipulators will be engaged in remotely handling Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) in a suite of four BNFL ILW plants, which are currently either under construction or planned at Sellafield. The first Commander will delivered to BNFL's Sellafield Silo Emptying Project in January 1998. (Author)

Reprocessing and waste management in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mogg, C.S.; Howarth, G.G.

1987-01-01

The paper concerns the progress in irradiated fuel reprocessing and waste management at the Sellafield site. Magnox fuel reprocessing is reviewed and oxide fuel reprocessing, due to commence in the early 1990s, is compared with existing practices. The article describes how magnox fuel reprocessing will be sustained by recent additions of new plant and shows how waste management downstream of reprocessing will be integrated across the Sellafield site. This article was first presented as a paper at the Waste Management '87 (1-5 March, Tucson, Arizona) conference. (author)

Management of UKAEA graphite liabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wise, M.

2001-01-01

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is responsible for managing its liabilities for redundant research reactors and other active facilities concerned with the development of the UK nuclear technology programme since 1947. These liabilities include irradiated graphite from a variety of different sources including low irradiation temperature reactor graphite (the Windscale Piles 1 and 2, British Energy Pile O and Graphite Low Energy Experimental Pile at Harwell and the Material Testing Reactors at Harwell and Dounreay), advanced gas-cooled reactor graphite (from the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor) and graphite from fast reactor systems (neutron shield graphite from the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor and Dounreay Fast Reactor). The decommissioning and dismantling of these facilities will give rise to over 6,000 tonnes of graphite requiring disposal. The first graphite will be retrieved from the dismantling of Windscale Pile 1 and the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor during the next five years. UKAEA has undertaken extensive studies to consider the best practicable options for disposing of these graphite liabilities in a manner that is safe whilst minimising the associated costs and technical risks. These options include (but are not limited to), disposal as Low Level Waste, incineration, or encapsulation and disposal as Intermediate Level Waste. There are a number of technical issues associated with each of these proposed disposal options; these include Wigner energy, radionuclide inventory determination, encapsulation of graphite dust, galvanic coupling interactions enhancing the corrosion of mild steel and public acceptability. UKAEA is currently developing packaging concepts and designing packaging plants for processing these graphite wastes in consultation with other holders of graphite wastes throughout Europe. 'Letters of Comfort' have been sought from both the Low Level Waste and the Intermediate Level Waste disposal organisations to support the

Plutonium in autopsy tissues in Great Britain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popplewell, D.S.; Ham, G.J.; Johnson, T.E.; Barry, S.F.

1985-01-01

From time to time the authors have measured the Pu content of tissues taken at autopsy from people who had worked in the Pu-processing industries including some from Sellafield Works in Cumbria. During the work it became apparent that the results would be more enlightening if they could be compared with the levels of Pu in people who had not worked in the nuclear energy industries. With the objective of making this comparison, the authors commenced a series of Pu analyses on tissues removed at autopsy from members of the general public, who might be expected to have received their body deposits of Pu from fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons explosions. This note augments some results reported previously in summary form

Fisheries Research. Report of the Director of Fisheries Research 1981-82

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The Fisheries Research Laboratory, Lowestoft report on extensive programme of environmental monitoring in the region of major liquid radioactive waste discharges at Sellafield, Cardiff, Hartlepool and Heysham. Exposure pathways are identified and a possible increase in radiation exposure from mollusc consumption near Sellafield investigated. The AEP group advise BNFL and the CEGB on the discharge of wastes into the sea and possible effects on the aquatic environment. The distribution in the sea of cesium 137, strontium 90, plutonium 239/240 from Sellafield discharges is investigated. Detailed studies of the oxidation states of the transuranium elements in seawater at different depths have been initiated and compared with oxidation states at the time of discharge. Seabed cores have been analysed to investigate the incorporation of americium and plutonium and their adsorption onto deep sea sediments. The accumulation of radionuclides in algae and lobsters is studied and the effects of different doses arising from radionuclides on the growth of fish populations were investigated. Cytological studies of fish gonads and testes revealed chromosomal aberrations. (U.K.)

The transfer of radionuclides from saltmarsh vegetation to sheep tissues and milk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beresford, N.A. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP (United Kingdom)], E-mail: nab@ceh.ac.uk; Howard, B.J. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH-Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Mayes, R.W.; Lamb, C.S. [Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom)

2007-11-15

Radionuclides released into the Irish Sea by the Sellafield reprocessing plant are deposited onto tide-washed pastures along the western coast of the United Kingdom. Many of these pastures are grazed by sheep or cattle. This paper describes a controlled feeding study, in which saltmarsh vegetation harvested from close to the Sellafield plant, was fed to lambs and adult female sheep for a period of 8 weeks. Activity concentrations of {sup 60}Co, {sup 95}Nb, {sup 106}Ru, {sup 134}Cs, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239,240}Pu and {sup 241}Am were determined in edible tissues and transfer parameters estimated. The activity concentrations of some of the radionuclides will not have been in equilibrium with those in the diet. Nevertheless, the study was reasonably realistic in terms of agricultural management as the period of the study was similar to that for which lambs graze on the saltmarshes. A field study to determine the activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 239,240}Pu in the milk of ewes grazing a saltmarsh close to Sellafield is also described.

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria. Pt. 8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eakins, J.D.; Morgan, A.; Baston, G.M.N.; Pratley, F.A.; Yarnold, L.P.; Burton, P.J.

1988-03-01

Sand cores and surface sand samples have been collected from the sea-facing intertidal regions of West Cumbria, between Silloth and Walney Island. Sand cores were also taken from the Duddon estuary and Morecambe Bay. The samples were collected between June 1983 and March 1984 and have been analysed for 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu and 241 Am. The integrated deposits of 239+240 Pu and 241 Am in intertidal sand between Silloth and Walney Island were about 4.2 and 7 TBq respectively. Combined, this represents about 1% of the total alpha-emitting actinide activity discharged from Sellafield to sea up to 1982; the corresponding value for the Duddon Estuary is about 0.3%. The actinide levels observed are compared to those of natural alpha emitters in intertidal sand. Only on beaches close to Sellafield did levels of discharged alpha emitters exceed those of natural alpha-emitting nuclides. In the vicinity of Sellafield, the annual dose to man from the inhalation of resuspended intertidal material is certainly less than 50 μSv (committed effective dose equivalent) and may be substantially lower. (author)

The terrestrial distribution of artificial radioactivity in south-west Scotland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, Paul; Cook, G.T.; Baxter, M.S.; Thompson, J.C.

1992-01-01

This investigation extends the data base on dispersion of Sella-field-derived radionuclides to the northern Solway coastal zone of south-west Scotland. Results of 10x10 km grid soil survey indicate that the predominant source of 239+240 Pu to the area has been weapons fallout, Chernobyl fallout having greatly modified 134 Cs and 137 Cs inventories. Inland transects reveal little evidence of airborne sea-to-land transfer of Sellafield-derived radionuclides, but riverine systems exhibit regions of significant on-land input from Sellafield via tidal inundation and deposition of particles. Sequential chemical leaching of soil and sediment samples suggests a change in chemical association of plutonium between marine and terrestrial systems. In radiological terms, airborne on-land transfer of Sellafield radionuclides is of negligible significance. Radionuclide inventories in Solway soils are generally well below the limiting values implied by the recommended generalised derived limits (GDL). In some tidally inundated riverbank areas however, 137 Cs, Puα and 241 Am levels occasionally exceed 25% of the appropriate GDL values. (author). 40 refs.; 8 figs.; 7 tabs

Remobilisation of artificial radionuclides from the sediment of the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.J.; Kershaw, P.J.

1990-01-01

The past decade has seen significant decreases in discharges of radioactivity in liquid wastes from the British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) plant at Sellafield. Concentrations of many Sellafield-derived radionuclides in the water of the Irish Sea have decreased as a result. This will result in the return of previously contaminated sediment to the sediment surface and enhanced seawater/pore-water mixing by bio-irrigation, and may be responsible for higher rates of particle exchange across the sediment-seawater interface. In these circumstances, the decrease in seawater concentrations might be expected to be accompanied by the remobilisation of sediment-bound radionuclides into the water column. We have tested this hypothesis in the Sellafield situation in two ways. First, the differences were examined between measured concentrations of radionuclides in sea water and the concentrations which are to be expected on the basis of extrapolation from the conditions of steadier discharge rates experienced in the past. Secondly, modelling studies have shown that migration of radionuclides into the water phase is likely under these conditions. (author)

Fisheries Research. Report of the Director of Fisheries Research 1981-82

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

The Fisheries Research Laboratory, Lowestoft report on extensive programme of environmental monitoring in the region of major liquid radioactive waste discharges at Sellafield, Cardiff, Hartlepool and Heysham. Exposure pathways are identified and a possible increase in radiation exposure from mollusc consumption near Sellafield investigated. The AEP group advise BNFL and the CEGB on the discharge of wastes into the sea and possible effects on the aquatic environment. The distribution in the sea of cesium 137, strontium 90, plutonium 239/240 from Sellafield discharges is investigated. Detailed studies of the oxidation states of the transuranium elements in seawater at different depths have been initiated and compared with oxidation states at the time of discharge. Seabed cores have been analysed to investigate the incorporation of americium and plutonium and their adsorption onto deep sea sediments. The accumulation of radionuclides in algae and lobsters is studied and the effects of different doses arising from radionuclides on the growth of fish populations were investigated. Cytological studies of fish gonads and testes revealed chromosomal aberrations.

Decommissioning challenges - an industrial reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, H.; Mort, P.; Hutton, E.

2008-01-01

Sellafield Limited has undergone many transformations in previous years. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has managed the site from April 2005, and a new Parent Body Organisation (PBO) is soon to be announced. In addition, it is an exciting time for the nuclear industry following the announcement of the UK government support new reactor builds. Should the site be selected for new build, the impact on Sellafield, its decommissioning program and economic impact on the local area can only be speculated at the current time. Every past, present and future decommissioning project at the Sellafield Limited site offers complex challenges, as each facility is unique. Specialist skills and experience must be engaged at pre-planned phases to result in a safe, efficient and successful decommissioning project. This paper provides an overview of a small selection of decommissioning projects, including examples of stakeholder engagement, plant and equipment dismantling using remote handling equipment and the application of innovative techniques and technologies. In addition, the final section provides a summary upon how future technologies required by the decommissioning projects are being assessed and developed. (authors)

Proceedings of the Topical Meeting on the safety of nuclear fuel cycle intermediate storage facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The CSNI Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety held an International Topical Meeting on safety aspects of Intermediate Storage Facilities in Newby Bridge, England, from 28 to 30 October 1997. The main purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for the exchange of information on the technical issues on the safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities (intermediate storage). Titles of the papers are: An international view on the safety challenges to interim storage of spent fuel. Interim storage of intermediate and high-level waste in Belgium: a description and safety aspects. Encapsulated intermediate level waste product stores at Sellafield. Safety of interim storage facilities of spent fuel: the international dimension and the IAEA's activities. Reprocessing of irradiated fuel and radwaste conditioning at Belgoprocess site: an overview. Retrieval of wastes from interim storage silos at Sellafield. Outline of the fire and explosion of the bituminization facility and the activities of the investigation committee (STAIJAERI). The fire and explosion incident of the bituminization facility and the lessons learned from the incident. Study on the scenario of the fire incident and related analysis. Study on the scenario of the explosion incident and related analysis. Accident investigation board report on the May 14, 1997 chemical explosion at the plutonium reclamation facility, Hanford site, Richland, Washington. Dry interim storage of spent nuclear fuel elements in Germany. Safe and effective system for the bulk receipt and storage of light water reactor fuel prior to reprocessing. Receiving and storage of glass canisters at vitrified waste storage center of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. Design and operational experience of dry cask storage systems. Sellafield MOX plant; Plant safety design (BNFL). The assessment of fault studies for intermediate term waste storage facilities within the UK nuclear regulatory regime. Non-active and active commissioning of the thermal oxide

Planning and progress of the WAGR decommissioning project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boorman, T.

1988-01-01

In the United Kingdom, the earliest production reactors, which will be decommissioned first, are of the Magnox type. The Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, is however, sufficiently similar to make it a suitable prototype decommissioning project. The planning and progress so far is described. Special decommissioning equipment, including a remote dismantling machine, has been developed and a waste packaging building built on site. Its function is to enable all intermediate-level and low-level radioactive waste removed from the reactor vault by remote equipment to be packaged remotely into suitable containers. The work done on the WAGR decommissioning has shown that the dismantling of a power-producing reactor is feasible and can be accomplished using existing engineering techniques. (U.K.)

Field test and evaluation of the passive neutron coincidence collar for prototype fast reactor fuel subassemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menlove, H.O.; Keddar, A.

1982-08-01

The passive neutron Coincidence Collar, which was developed for the verification of plutonium content in fast reactor fuel subassemblies, has been field tested using Prototype Fast Reactor fuel. For passive applications, the system measures the 240 Pu-effective mass from the spontaneous fission rate, and in addition, a self-interrogation technique is used to determine the fissile content in the subassembly. Both the passive and active modes were evaluated at the Windscale Works in the United Kingdom. The results of the tests gave a standard deviation 0.75% for the passive count and 3 to 7% for the active measurement for a 1000-s counting time. The unit will be used in the future for the verification of plutonium in fresh fuel assemblies

Annual Report and Accounts 2000 Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This report outlines the work of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) during 2000. The report highlights its report published a year ago on the safety of the storage tanks holding liquid high-level radioactive waste at Sellafield. This report has gained heightened relevance from the fear, following September 11, of a terrorist attack on Sellafield. Also detailed in the report is the programme of monitoring of the radioactive contamination of the Irish sea caused by discharges from Sellafield which continues to be an important area of the Institute's work. A major focus is on the levels of technetium-99, which rose sharply from 1994 to 1998. Since 1998 these levels have begun to decrease, but are still considerably above pre-1994 levels, and remain a significant cause of concern. Also of considerable current interest is the key role assigned to the Institute under the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents. The Institute has further developed the capability of the computer model ARGOS (Accident Reporting and Guiding Operational System), which would enable it to predict the dispersion pattern of a plume of radioactive material being transported in the atmosphere towards Ireland from a disaster at a nuclear installation overseas. This prediction would be a vital element in ensuring an optimum response to a nuclear disaster affecting Ireland. The lung cancer risk associated with exposure to high levels of naturally occurring radon gas in buildings continues to be an important concern for the Institute. The Institute's nationwide survey of radon levels in primary and secondary level schools, commissioned by the Minister for Education and Science, and aimed at eliminating the exposure of children and staff to elevated radon levels in schools, has been highly successful and is entering its final stages. New legislation introduced in 2000 addresses the issue of radon in workplaces, and the Institute's implementation of this legislation has got

Radioactivity in food and the environment, 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

estimated dose of 0.42 mSv from enhanced levels of natural radioactivity due to the legacy of past operations at the Rhodia Consumer Specialties Ltd. works at Whitehaven. Operations at this site ceased at the end of 2001 and the plant will be demolished in 2003. By definition, other groups will have received lower doses. In terms of radiation exposure, the next most important group was people living in houseboats in the Ribble estuary in Lancashire. Their dose was from external radiation and was 0.12 mSv in 2002, similar to 0.14 mSv in 2001. The main source of their exposure was radioactive contamination in estuary mud arising from past Sellafield discharges. The highest exposures in Scotland were to the group of terrestrial food consumers around Chapelcross who received an annual dose of 0.055 mSv as a result of gaseous discharges including a component due to inhalation. The second highest exposure was wholly attributable to Sellafield. It relates to a group of consumers of seafood, spending time over inter-tidal areas, who were estimated to receive annual doses of 0.045 mSv. In 2001, this group was estimated to have received a similar dose of 0.040 mSv. Doses due to gaseous discharges from Sellafield were 0.038 mSv, similar to the dose in 2001 of 0.037 mSv. The assessment included the consumption of milk, vegetables, fruit and meat and external exposure from gaseous discharges. The contribution from gaseous discharges of argon-41 reduced by about a factor of five in line with operations at Calder Hall. Most of the seafood and external exposure that can be attributed to Sellafield was from historic discharges. Recent and current discharges of technetium-99 contributed 0.030 mSv, which is around 15% of the dose to the Sellafield seafood consumers. The next most significant site was Dungeness where gaseous discharges from the two power stations resulted in exposure of 0.12 mSv in 2002, mostly from argon-41 in external radiation pathways. At Heysham, high-rate seafood

The identification of critical groups and its application to fish and shellfish consumers in the coastal area of the North-East Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.J.; Hewett, C.J.; Shepherd, J.G.

1982-01-01

Control of radioactive waste disposal to the environment, based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), necessitates an identification of the critical group of members of the public exposed from a given practice. Criteria for identification of critical groups based mainly on ICRP recommendations are discussed. Methods existing up to 1974 are briefly reviewed in the light of these criteria. Two more recent methods are described and compared on the basis of previous data; these methods, which are complementary, are based on homogeneity considerations and satisfy the criteria generally rather better than do the earlier methods. The application of the newer techniques to recent surveys of fish and shellfish consumption in the coastal area of the North-East Irish Sea is described, in relation to discharges from the Windscale reprocessing plant. The results of this survey are presented, and estimates are given of the effective dose equivalent to members of these critical groups in recent years, to show the effect of liquid discharges from Windscale in terms of public radiation exposure. (author)

Annual report and accounts 1985-86

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) provides a complete nuclear fuel cycle service at its five sites in N.W. England and southern Scotland. This covers fuel manufacture (at Springfields), uranium enrichment (at Capenhurst), reprocessing (at Sellafield), reprocessing engineering (at Risley) and the operation of two nuclear power stations (at Chapelcross and Calder Hall). BNFL employs over 16,000 people and had a turnover of over Pound600 million in 1986. The report covers all aspects of the Company's work and is illustrated with photographs and diagrams. It highlights the work of some individuals who work in a variety of areas for the company. Safety and environmental protection are emphasised. The accounts are set out in detail with notes of explanation on the balance sheet. (UK)

United Kingdom comments on INFCE/DEP./WG-4/72

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-11-01

This document presents comments prepared by the UK delegation upon INFCE/DEP./WG-4/72. It details differences in approach to the ALARA concept between the US and the UK and comments on the figures presented for occupational and general public radiation exposure in the context of the THORP plant to be constructed at Windscale, UK

Comments on report ''The impact of nuclear waste disposals to the marine environment'' by Political Ecology Research Group (RR-8)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-06-01

A series of statements made by the Political Ecology Research Group in a report ''The Impact of Nuclear Waste Disposals to the Marine Environment'' are commented on by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. Areas covered include radioactive discharges, health effects, recommendations for reducing discharge arising from the Windscale Inquiry and solid waste disposal to the deep ocean. (author)

BNFL's application of computer aided engineering to 'THORP' thermal oxide reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall-Wilton, M.J.

1990-01-01

BNFL are currently constructing facilities at Sellafield, Cumbria to reprocess thermal oxide fuel for U.K., European and Japanese utilities. Faced with a 3.5bn pound capital program to provide new facilities at Sellafield, BNFL took the opportunity to embrace the new computer aided engineering technologies then emerging in 1981. To give some idea of the commitment made by BNFL to the above many millions of pounds has been invested in hardware, and more on software and people. The 'THORP' (Head End and Chemical Separation Plant) project represents 1.5bn pounds. The introduction of computer aided engineering has provided a clash free design with full assurance that all materials and components used are compatible. Planning in the design offices in conjunction with an experienced construction management team enables the sequence of piping installation to be determined long before the construction teams enter the work area. This planning aspect has been significantly improved by using EVS (Enhanced Visualisation System). The use of supercomputing graphics facilities is stimulating demands from areas of engineering who have previously not sought to use magnetic data from a variety of sources. The result is mainly due to the data being easily accessible to users who have very little computing experience. (N.K.)

The vertical distribution of radionuclides in a Ribble Estuary saltmarsh: transport and deposition of radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, J.E.; McDonald, P.; Parker, A.; Rae, J.E.

1999-01-01

Routine discharges of low-level liquid radioactive waste by British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) at Sellafield and Springfields have resulted in enhanced levels of radionuclides in sediments of the Ribble Estuary, NW England, UK. Variations in radionuclide concentrations ( 137 Cs, 230 Th, and 239240 Pu) with depth in a mature saltmarsh core were analysed in order to investigate historical discharge trends and waste-dispersal mechanisms. Core samples from Longton/Hutton Marsh were analysed by gamma-spectrometry and α-spectrometry for radionuclides and by laser granulometry to establish grain-size variations with depth. Distinct subsurface maxima were present for 137 Cs and 239240 Pu with activities as high as 4500 Bq kg -1 for 137 Cs and 600 Bq kg -1 for 239240 Pu. Thorium-230 exhibited complex activity profiles with depth, specific activities ranging between 200 and 2400 Bq kg -1 . The vertical distributions of Sellafield-derived radionuclides ( 137 Cs and 239240 Pu) in mature saltmarsh deposits reflect the time-integrated discharge pattern from Sellafield, implying a transport mechanism that has involved the mixing of sediment labelled with radioactivity from recent discharges and sediment labelled from historical discharge events before deposition. A mechanism involving the transport of contaminated silt therefore seems to dominate. The vertical distribution of Springfields-derived 230 Th in the same areas reflects the annual gross-α discharge pattern from BNFL Springfields. In contrast to the Sellafield-derived radionuclides, a fairly rapid transport mechanism from source to sink is implied, with little or no time for mixing with radionuclides discharged years earlier. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Encapsulation - how it will be achieved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlow, P.

1990-01-01

The work of the new Encapsulation Plant at British Nuclear Fuel Limited's (BNFL) Sellafield site is described in this article. Intermediate-level radioactive materials are encapsulated in a cement matrix in 500 litre stainless steel drums suitable for storage, transport and disposal. The drums will be stored in an above-ground air-cooled store until UK Nirex Limited have built the planned underground disposal facility. The concept of product specification is explored as it applies to the four stages of nuclear waste management, namely, processing, storage, transport and disposal. By following this approach the encapsulation plant will work within government regulations and the public concerns over safety and environmental issues can be met. U.K

Community involvement: stake holder learning in the UK and in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hetherington, J.

2003-01-01

Copeland District in west Cumbria in the North-West Region of England, is 'home' to the major UK (Sellafield) reprocessing plants (including THORP). The Sellafield site includes major stores for Intermediate (ILW) and High Level Waste (HLW), while the nearby Drigg national site provides a facility for the managed surface disposal of Low Level Waste (LLW). Together these facilities dominate the local economy, proving some 10 000 jobs and making a key contribution to the local economy. In the 1990's the area was also highlighted as the potential location for a national ILW deep waste repository. This paper offers a reflection from a UK community perspective on the deliberations of the FSC Canadian Workshop. It provides, as background, an initial introductory account of: the development of radioactive waste and liabilities management policy in the UK, the significance of the failure of the Nirex RCF proposals, the success of new dialogue approaches, and the new wide ranging UK radioactive waste management consultation process. It then compares the economic and social issues arising at Sellafield with issues identified in the Canadian programmes and experiences as presented at the Workshop. (author)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria. Pt. 8. Plutonium and americium in the intertidal sands of North-West England

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eakins, J.D.; Morgan, A.; Baston, G.M.N.; Pratley, F.A.; Yarnold, L.P.; Burton, P.J.

1988-03-01

Sand cores and surface sand samples have been collected from the sea-facing intertidal regions of West Cumbria, between Silloth and Walney Island. Sand cores were also taken from the Duddon estuary and Morecambe Bay. The samples were collected between June 1983 and March 1984 and have been analysed for /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239+240/Pu and /sup 241/Am. The integrated deposits of /sup 239+240/Pu and /sup 241/Am in intertidal sand between Silloth and Walney Island were about 4.2 and 7 TBq respectively. Combined, this represents about 1% of the total alpha-emitting actinide activity discharged from Sellafield to sea up to 1982; the corresponding value for the Duddon Estuary is about 0.3%. The actinide levels observed are compared to those of natural alpha emitters in intertidal sand. Only on beaches close to Sellafield did levels of discharged alpha emitters exceed those of natural alpha-emitting nuclides. In the vicinity of Sellafield, the annual dose to man from the inhalation of resuspended intertidal material is certainly less than 50 ..mu..Sv (committed effective dose equivalent) and may be substantially lower.

Accumulation of technetium-99 in the Irish Sea?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, Kinson S.; McCubbin, David; Bonfield, Rachel; McDonald, Paul; Service, Matthew; Conney, Stuart

2004-01-01

An assessment has been carried out to determine the impact of continued 99 Tc discharges into the Irish Sea from the nuclear fuels reprocessing plant at Sellafield. Samples of surface and bottom seawater and sediment have been collected from the Irish Sea and analysed for 99 Tc. The information has been used, together with supporting data, to determine the effect of summer stratification upon the seawater concentrations and to evaluate whether sediments provide a sink for 99 Tc. Hydrographic data provide clear evidence of thermal stratification of waters above the muddy sediment in the western Irish Sea. Surface water contained higher 99 Tc concentrations than bottom water, and concentrations were inversely related to water salinity. This inverse relationship was not observed in the eastern Irish Sea close to Sellafield. 99 Tc activities in surficial sediments were greatest (>20 Bq/kg) at sites closest to the Cumbrian coastline. Activity, from equivalent sampling sites, remained similar between surveys carried out in 1995 and 1998. The muted response of the seabed sediments, to fluctuations in the Sellafield discharges, compared with the water column is to be expected given that they reflect the integrated radionuclide discharge history

The initiative of the ICES MR: Children teach their parents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupenina, Faina

2002-01-01

Air and soil pollution, increased water discharge and energy consumption, forest and plant fires are often caused by low general and ecological culture. Nuclear power has long been a main target of environmental campaigners, in Europe as well as America. The past 200 years have seemed to reinforce their case: the Chernobyl accident was compounded by fears that a similar disaster could occur in any of the antiquated graphite-cooled reactors, revelations that leaks and mishaps from Windscale/Sellafield were far worse than originally reported, campaigns against reprocessing in Germany and Japan and alarming data on nuclear hazards from sunken Russian submarines and leaking waste storage tanks. The International Center for Environmental Safety of Minatom of Russia (ICES MR) is an autonomous non-commercial organisation. The mission of the Center is to assist in environment improving and consolidation of international contacts in environmental safety, to assist in development of te positive public perception of nuclear power. We attach great significance to interaction with the public, administrations of regions and State Duma deputies. Very often a dread of radiation and protests against nuclear power development are caused by lack or insufficiency of information concerning what is radiation, how it influences a human being and nature, where is real and not made-up danger. Here it is very important to organize work with the youth. Our first experience was a Children Ecological Olympiad 'Sozvezdie'. The Olympiad was held in the Russian Cosmonauts Training Center in Zvezdny gorodok in May 2001. It has a success and showed the strong interest of schoolchildren, their parents and teachers in environmental problems, in the nuclear power as an environment friendly energy production. Together with the UNESCO department and the Youth Department of Russian Nuclear Society for youth interaction we have prepared proposals concerning establishing Youth Environmental Centers in

The initiative of the ICES MR: Children teach their parents[International Center for Environmental Safety of Minatom of Russia (ICES MR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krupenina, Faina [International Center for Environmental Safety of Minatom of Russia, (ICES MR), 26, Staromonetny per., 109180 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2002-07-01

Air and soil pollution, increased water discharge and energy consumption, forest and plant fires are often caused by low general and ecological culture. Nuclear power has long been a main target of environmental campaigners, in Europe as well as America. The past 200 years have seemed to reinforce their case: the Chernobyl accident was compounded by fears that a similar disaster could occur in any of the antiquated graphite-cooled reactors, revelations that leaks and mishaps from Windscale/Sellafield were far worse than originally reported, campaigns against reprocessing in Germany and Japan and alarming data on nuclear hazards from sunken Russian submarines and leaking waste storage tanks. The International Center for Environmental Safety of Minatom of Russia (ICES MR) is an autonomous non-commercial organisation. The mission of the Center is to assist in environment improving and consolidation of international contacts in environmental safety, to assist in development of te positive public perception of nuclear power. We attach great significance to interaction with the public, administrations of regions and State Duma deputies. Very often a dread of radiation and protests against nuclear power development are caused by lack or insufficiency of information concerning what is radiation, how it influences a human being and nature, where is real and not made-up danger. Here it is very important to organize work with the youth. Our first experience was a Children Ecological Olympiad 'Sozvezdie'. The Olympiad was held in the Russian Cosmonauts Training Center in Zvezdny gorodok in May 2001. It has a success and showed the strong interest of schoolchildren, their parents and teachers in environmental problems, in the nuclear power as an environment friendly energy production. Together with the UNESCO department and the Youth Department of Russian Nuclear Society for youth interaction we have prepared proposals concerning establishing Youth Environmental Centers in

Re-dissolution of caesium and plutonium from Irish Sea sediments: a comparison between different modelling approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iosjpe, M.A.; Perianez, R.B.

2004-01-01

Recently, there has been experimental evidence of re-dissolution of plutonium and caesium taking place from contaminated Irish Sea sediments. Thus, sediments are behaving as a long-term source of waste radionuclides to the water column. The objective of this work consists of studying such re-dissolution process by means of mathematical modelling. In particular, two models with different conceptual and numerical approaches will be used. The first is a box model for long-term dispersion from Sellafield to the Arctic marine environment in which water fluxes between boxes are obtained from basic oceanographic information. Water sediment interactions of radionuclides are described through sedimentation and remobilization processes on the basis of the sediment equilibrium distribution coefficient. The second model is a high resolution 3D model in which advective transport is obtained from the calculated current fields. Thus, tidal mixing is explicitly computed. Exchanges of radionuclides between the liquid and solid phases are described in terms of kinetic transfer coefficients. As a consequence, the model has a general applicability and can be used in situations out from equilibrium conditions. Both models have been used to simulate the dispersion of instantaneous releases from Sellafield and to simulate the process of re-dissolution of radionuclides from contaminated sediments. Results from both models are comparable, being differences in activity levels in water and sediments smaller than should be expected from the different modelling approaches. Some general conclusions on the applicability of each modelling approach and on how they can be combined to improve predictions can also be extracted from this work. (author)

Review of experience with plutonium exposure assessment methodologies at the nuclear fuel reprocessing site of British Nuclear Fuels plc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong, R.

1988-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc and its predecessors have provided a complete range of nuclear fuel services to utilities in the UK and elsewhere for more than 30 years. Over 30,000 ton of Magnox and Oxide fuel have been reprocessed at Sellafield. During this time substantial experience has accumulated of methodologies for the assessment of exposure to actinides, mainly isotopes of plutonium. For most of the period monitoring of personnel included assessment of systemic uptake deduced from plutonium-in-urine results. The purpose of the paper is to present some conclusions of contemporary work in this area

Field investigations of the transfer of caesium-137 in the pasture-cow-milk pathway in West Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumerling, T.J.

1983-01-01

Routine discharges from the nuclear fuel reprocessing installation at Sellafield provide an opportunity to study the behaviour in the environment of several artificially produced radionuclides. Two investigations of the transfer of radionuclides in the pasture-cow-milk pathway are described. The uptake of 137 Cs by cattle grazing sea-washed pasture near Ravenglass has been investigated by in vivo measurements of the animals. A very low coefficient of transfer from feed to meat was estimated. The transfer of several radionuclides, notably 90 Sr, 137 Cs, 239 Pu and 241 Am, is being studied at a dairy farm near Sellafield. Preliminary results for 137 Cs are reported and are found to be in reasonable agreement with model predictions. (author)

Making sense of a sensitive issue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, S.

1994-01-01

Before the early 1980s, the UK nuclear industry's Public Relations programs were conducted in relatively peaceful surroundings. However, in 1983 an accidental radioactive discharge washed ashore on publicly-accessible nearby beaches and quickly changed that complacent attitude. It was more of a PR crisis than a radiological incident but something had to be done to reassure the public. The public was invited to come and see Sellafield, Britain's largest nuclear fuel recycling plant and the country's largest nuclear facility. Thus, during the past six years, Sellafield has become a major tourist attraction, drawing over 160,000 visitors per year. This paper outlines the strategies and actions taken to win public acceptability and gain credibility

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria, Part 12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howorth, J.M.

1987-12-01

A mathematical model is described which represents the sea-to-land transfer of actinides discharged into the Irish Sea from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. The model successfully reproduces the marine distribution of plutonium and americium in the Irish Sea between Cumbria and the Isle of Man and evaluates the magnitude of the transfer process to land. The radiological consequences of this transfer are calculated for the years 1954 to 2000 taking into account actual and future predicted discharges. The contribution from nuclear weapon tests and from Sellafield's atmospheric discharges are also evaluated and compared. The calculated annual dose from sea-to-land transfer to the average person living in Seascale reached a maximum of 24 microSieverts in 1973 and declined subsequently to 4 microSieverts by 1985 compared with the recommended ICRP principal limit for the general public of 1000 microSieverts. Corresponding figures for a hypothetical critical group are 35 microSieverts in 1973 and 20 microSieverts in 1985. The dose has decreased less steeply since 1973 than the corresponding decrease in discharges from Sellafield over the same period reflecting recycling of actinides accumulated in sea-bed deposits. Dose calculations for use of the beach at Seascale are also included. (author)

Measurements of the oxidation state and concentration of plutonium in interstitial waters of the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, D.M.; Lovett, M.B.

1980-01-01

The question of plutonium movement in interstitial waters resulting from diffusion along concentration gradients or from advective flow is addressed. The results of measurements of both the concentration and the oxidation state of plutonium in interstitial water collected from sediments near the Windscale discharge, in the solid phases of these sediments and in seawater and suspended solids collected at the coring locations are discussed

Marine chemistry and tracer applications of radiocaesium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, W.A.

1983-03-01

The general aims of this project were to study the marine chemistry of Windscale-derived radiocaesium and to continue previous research at Glasgow University on its tracer application in Scottish waters and sediments. It was found that a considerable percentage of sediment-associated 137 Cs (approximately 12 to 50%) may be contained by carbonate, oxide and organic coatings which appear to be relatively stable under a wide range of redox conditions. Whilst the partitioning of 137 Cs is related to the concentration of these oxides, organics and, to a much lesser extent, carbonates, their function is predominantly to prevent 137 Cs release from clay mineral exchange sites. 137 Cs activities per unit sediment weight were highest in the clay fraction with its uptake by coarse sediments appearing to be controlled by clay minerals coatings formed in the marine environment and cemented partly by oxides and organics. Though the sites sampled (Clyde Sea Area (C.S.A.) and L. Etive) encompassed a wide range of sediment types, the range of estimated 137 Cs distribution coefficients (K D ) was relatively small (360 to 890). Coatings may thus have more influence on K d s in the coastal marine environment than particle size distributions. Apparent concentration factors (C F s) of X325, X2800 and X1910 were determined for the associated carbonate, oxide and organic coatings, for a site off Greenock. Use of 'dry' sediments appeared to produce considerably overestimated values for the degree of 137 Cs fixation. Thus 'wet' sediments were used in these studies. Over the 1978-1981 period, approximately 35% of Windscale output passed through the C.S.A., diluted 26 times during transit. An estimated 0.3% of this water-borne inventory was removed into the sediments. Windscale to C.S.A. transit and residence times of 4 and 12 months respectively were derived. Monitoring the deeper levels of L. Etive allowed 137 Cs to be used to trace patterns of w

Who wants nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernie, John; Openshaw, Stanley

1986-01-01

The criteria involved in selecting sites for disposal of low and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes are explained. The wastes and the sources are identified and the current procedure for their disposal, at Drigg, next to the Sellafield reprocessing plant, is given. If alternative sites could be found for non-Sellafield-produced wastes the lifetime of the Drigg site could be extended. The sites chosen by NIREX (Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive) have to be cost effective. Indeed, those identified are conveniently situated and would not incur excessive transport costs. However, more remote sites may have to be chosen, even at greater transport cost, because of public protests. Even this may not be satisfactory because the transportation itself incurs risks. (UK)

Radionuclides in intertidal sands and sediments from Morecambe Bay to the Dee estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, R.C.; Burton, P.J.; Strange, L.P.; Pratley, F.W.

1991-05-01

Surface and core samples of intertidal sediments have been collected from the coastline from Morecambe Bay to the Dee Estuary. The sampling took place between October 1987 and July 1989. Caesium-137 was determined by high resolution gamma spectrometry and plutonium isotopes and americium-241 were determined by alpha spectrometry following radiochemical separations. Samples were also sieved to obtain a particle size distribution of the deposits. A wide range of radionuclide activities have been determined depending on the distance from Sellafield and, more importantly, the proportion of clay plus silt ( 239+240 Pu and 241 Am activity discharged by Sellafield up to the end of 1988. The measured activities generally represent a small fraction of the Generalised Derived Limits (GDL's) for marine sediments. (author)

Review of CAGR fuel performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boocock, P.M. (South of Scotland Electricity Board, Glasgow (UK)); Eldred, V.W. (UKAEA Windscale Nuclear Power Development Labs.); Hines, G.F. (UKAEA Atomic Energy Establishment, Winfrith); Seeley, T.A. (British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., Springfields); Shaw, R.A. (UKAEA Springfields Nuclear Power Development Labs.); Waddington, J.S. (Central Electricity Generating Board, Berkeley (UK). Berkeley Nuclear Labs.)

1983-04-01

The performance of CAGR fuel in the Electricity Board's reactors is reviewed in the light of operating experience and the post-irradiation examination assessments which have been carried out. The results show that the extrapolation of the design from the Windscale AGR prototype has been very successful. Future trends in fuel design in order to achieve the higher burn-up targets now being specified are discussed.

Waste disposal developments within BNFL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, L.F.

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc has broad involvement in topics of radioactive waste generation, treatment, storage and disposal. The Company's site at Drigg has been used since 1959 for the disposal of low level waste and its facilities are now being upgraded and extended for that purpose. Since September 1987, BNFL on behalf of UK Nirex Limited has been managing an investigation of the Sellafield area to assess its suitability for deep underground emplacement of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes. An approach will be described to establish a partnership with the local community to work towards a concept of monitored, underground emplacement appropriate for each waste category. (author)

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1990. V. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This Annual Report supplements the Health and Safety Annual Report of British Nuclear Fuels plc by providing more detailed information on radioactive discharges, monitoring of the environment and critical group doses. This report has been sub-divided into two complementary parts. Volume I includes annual data for each of the Company sites on radioactive discharges into the environment and the associated environmental monitoring programmes. The sites involved are: Sellafield where the main activities are irradiated nuclear fuel reprocessing and the Calder Hall nuclear station; the Drigg radioactive waste storage and disposal site; the Chapelcross nuclear power station; Springfields Works which manufactures nuclear fuels; Capenhurst Works where uranium isotopic enrichment plants are operated. Volume II reproduces the Certificates of Authorisation under which the Company operates and the statutory environmental monitoring programmes which relate to them. (author)

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1990. V. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This Annual Report supplements the Health and Safety Annual Report of British Nuclear Fuels plc by providing more detailed information on radioactive discharges, monitoring of the environment and critical group doses. This report has been sub-divided into two complementary parts. Volume I includes annual data for each of the Company sites on radioactive discharges into the environment and the associated environmental monitoring programmes. The sites involved are: Sellafield where the main activities are irradiated nuclear fuel reprocessing and the Calder Hall nuclear station; the Drigg radioactive waste storage and disposal site; the Chapelcross nuclear power station; Springfields Works which manufactures nuclear fuels; Capenhurst Works where uranium isotopic enrichment plants are operated. Volume II reproduces the Certificates of Authorisation under which the Company operates and the statutory environmental monitoring programmes which relate to them. (author)

Safety and dose management during decommissioning of a fire damaged nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomfret, D.G.

2000-01-01

Windscale Piles 1 and 2 in Cumbria in the UK were constructed in the early 1950s. They were not intended to produce electricity but were for military purposes only. They were graphite-moderated, air-cooled reactors with horizontal fuel channels fuelled with uranium rods clad in finned aluminium. In October 1957, Windscale Pile 1 suffered a core fire during a planned release of Wigner energy and both Piles were subsequently closed down. Following the fire, Pile 2 was defuelled entirely and as much fuel as was possible was removed from Pile 1. However, it is estimated that up to 15 Te of fuel remains in the core, a large proportion of which is located in the central Fire Affected Zone (FAZ). The condition of the fuel and graphite moderator in the FAZ is not known. It is possible that the moderator could contain voidage, greatly reduced density graphite and fused materials in a disordered matrix. It is probable that there is residual Wigner energy in the graphite. Use of water as part of the attempt to extinguish the fire, together with the possibility that the solidification of molten materials or other local sealing mechanisms could have excluded air mean that uranium hydrides, carbides and other pyrophorics may be present within the core. Pile 1 is now being decommissioned and a considerable amount of preparatory work has already been carried out during Phase 1. Phase 2 decommissioning, which will remove the residual fuel, the moderator and associated steelwork, condition the wastes and place them in a purpose built store is now underway. This work will be carried out for the site licensee, the United Kingdom Energy Authority, by a consortium of British Nuclear Fuels plc, Rolls Royce and NUKEM. This paper will describe the methods to be used to decommission Pile 1 and the systems and procedures which will be used to ensure that it is done safely and with the lowest reasonably practicable environmental impact. It will also describe the methods which will be used to

Gas-cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulten, R.; Trauger, D.B.

1976-01-01

Experience to date with operation of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors has been quite favorable. Despite problems in completion of construction and startup, three high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) units have operated well. The Windscale Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) in the United Kingdom has had an excellent operating history, and initial operation of commercial AGRs shows them to be satisfactory. The latter reactors provide direct experience in scale-up from the Windscale experiment to fullscale commercial units. The Colorado Fort St. Vrain 330-MWe prototype helium-cooled HTGR is now in the approach-to-power phase while the 300-MWe Pebble Bed THTR prototype in the Federal Republic of Germany is scheduled for completion of construction by late 1978. THTR will be the first nuclear power plant which uses a dry cooling tower. Fuel reprocessing and refabrication have been developed in the laboratory and are now entering a pilot-plant scale development. Several commercial HTGR power station orders were placed in the U.S. prior to 1975 with similar plans for stations in the FRG. However, the combined effects of inflation, reduced electric power demand, regulatory uncertainties, and pricing problems led to cancellation of the 12 reactors which were in various stages of planning, design, and licensing

Resource consequences of reducing disposal of radioactive waste to the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, L.F.

1988-01-01

This paper considers some of the terms and definitions used in the optimisation of radioactive waste processing and looks at the background regulatory requirements and BNFL's own policy on waste management. It considers recent plants brought into operation and the impact that they have had on the discharge of low level radioactive effluent to the Irish Sea, and notes future plants to be installed at Sellafield. Plant improvements aimed at making further reductions of operator or public exposure will then be considered and the possible impact of the recent NRPB guidelines will be looked at against BNFL's overall policy on waste management. Finally, to bring the environmental impact of the Sellafield discharges into some perspective, consideration will be given to collective doses from other sources of radiation in the UK. (author)

United Kingdom. Report 1 [Marine Radioecology. Current Research and Future Scope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Templeton, W.L.

1967-01-01

Present research programme (long-term): There are five separate research projects in this Group, viz: A. Low-level irradiation studies on marine and fresh-water fish eggs. B. Accumulation and. metabolism of radionuclides by marine organisms. C. Physico-chemical states of radionuclides in sea water, D. Dispersion and transport of radionuclides in the coastal waters of Windscale. E. Mechanisms of the toxicity of zinc to fish. Details of each project are outlined

The discharge of radioactive effluents from the nuclear power programme into western waters of Great Britain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allday, C.

1977-01-01

A brief account is presented of the British nuclear power programme and the types of radioactive effluent that arise from the power stations and from the Windscale reprocessing plant. Routes by which these effluents could affect human populations, and radiation dose limits which have been laid down, are discussed. The discharge of permitted amounts of activity into western coastal waters of Great Britain, and the requirements for monitoring the discharges, are described. (U.K.)

Building flexibility into the design of a pilot plant for the immobilisation of Pu containing residues and wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scales, C R; Maddrell, E R [NNL, Havelock Rd, Workington, CA14 3YQ (United Kingdom); Hobbs, J; Stephen, R [Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, CA20 1 PG (United Kingdom); Moricca, S; Stewart, M W A [ANSTO, New Illawara Road, Lucas Heights 2234 (Australia)

2013-07-01

NNL and ANSTO on behalf of Sellafield Ltd have developed a process for the immobilisation of a range of Pu containing wastes and residues. Following the inactive demonstration of the technology the project is now focusing on the design of an active pilot plant capable of validating the technology and ultimately immobilising a waste inventory containing around 100 kg plutonium. The diverse wastes from which it is uneconomic to recover Pu, require a flexible process with a wide product envelope capable of producing a wasteform suitable for disposal in a UK repository. Ceramics, glass ceramics and metal encapsulated waste-forms can be delivered by the process line which incorporates size reduction and heat treatment techniques with the aim of feeding a hot isostatic pressing process designed to deliver the highly durable waste-forms. Following a demonstration of feasibility, flowsheet development is progressing to support the design which has the aim of a fully flexible facility based in NNL's Central Laboratory on the Sellafield site. Optimisation of the size reduction, mixing and blending operations is being carried out using UO{sub 2} as a surrogate for PuO{sub 2}. This work is supporting the potential of using an enhanced glass ceramic formulation in place of the full ceramic with the aim of simplifying glove box operations. Heat treatment and subsequent HIPing strategies are being explored in order to eliminate any carbon from the feeds without increasing the valence state of the uranium present in some of the inventory which can result in an unwanted increase in wasteform volumes. The HIP and ancillary systems are being specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Sellafield site and within the constraints of the NNL Central Laboratory. The HIP is being configured to produce consolidated product cans consistent with the requirements of ongoing storage and disposal. With the aim of one cycle per day, the facility will deliver its mission of

The Approach to Cleanup at West Cumbria's Nuclear Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, T.

2006-01-01

The cleanup of West Cumbria's nuclear sites is one of the most important and demanding managerial, technical and environmental challenges facing the UK over the next century. Considerable progress has already been made in cleaning up the Sellafield, Calder Hall, and Low-level Waste Repository (LLWR) sites but there remains significant challenge ahead. There are more than 200 nuclear facilities at the sites including redundant fuel storage ponds, redundant chemical plants and silos of solid waste and sludge. These legacy buildings exist alongside commercially operating reprocessing and fuel fabrication facilities. They are all linked together by a complex network of services including gas supplies, water supplies, waste disposal routes, and chemical supply routes. Many of the buildings requiring cleanup are very old and date back to the early years of the British nuclear industry. They were not designed with decommissioning in mind, and some require substantial improvement to provide a safe foundation from which to retrieve waste and decommission. The cleanup of these legacy facilities must be carefully balanced with the ongoing operations that provide services to commercial customers. Cleanup must be carried out safely and efficiently, without impacting upon commercial operations whose revenue is vital to funding the Cleanup organizations scope of work. This paper will introduce the cleanup approach at West Cumbria's Sellafield nuclear site. It will provide an overview of what is being done in preparation to meet the formidable but rewarding challenge ahead. (authors)

DECOVALEX II PROJECT. Technical report - Task 1A and 1B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanru Jing; Stephansson, Ove; Kautsky, F.

1998-08-01

DECOVALEX II project started in November 1995 as a continuation of the DECOVALEX I project, which was completed at the end of 1994. The project was initiated by recognizing the fact that a proper evaluation of the current capacities of numerical modelling of the coupled T-H-M processes in fractured media is needed not only for small scale, well controlled laboratory test cases such as those studied in DECOVALEX I, but also for less characterised, more complex and realistic in-situ experiments. This will contribute to validation and confidence building in the current mathematical models, numerical methods and computer codes. Four tasks were defined in the DECOVALEX II project: TASK 1 - numerical study of the RCF3 pumping test and shaft excavation at Sellafield by Nirex, UK; TASK 2 - numerical study of the in-situ T-H-M experiments at Kamaishi Mine by PNC, Japan; TASK 3 - review of current state-of-the-art of rock joint research and TASK 4 - report on the coupled T-H-M issues related to repository design and performance assessment. This report is one of the technical reports of the DECOVALEX II project, describing the work performed for TASK 1A and 1B - the predictions and model calibrations for the RCF 3 pumping test at Sellafield. Presented in this report are the descriptions of the project, tasks, approaches, methods and results of numerical modelling work carried out by the research teams. The report is a summary of the research reports written by the research teams and submitted to the project secretariat, and the discussions held during project workshops and task force group meetings. The opinions and conclusions in this report, however, reflect only ideas of the authors, not necessarily a collective representation of the funding organisations of the project

Quality assurance of human error modelling in a major probabilistic risk assessment programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rycraft, H.S.

1990-01-01

A method of incorporating the consideration of operator error within a major PRA exercise is described along with the quality assurance procedures employed to ensure a quality product. The exercise was undertaken at the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant. (author)

The economics of nuclear power programs in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, P.L.

1984-01-01

This book presents an economic evaluation of both coal and nuclear-fueled electricity-generating plants on the basis of the social costs incurred from the operation of one additional plant. The author investigates the technology involved in operating a nuclear plant and its environmental impact, analyzes the international uranium market and the reprocessing plant under construction at Windscale, and appraises future investment in generating plants that will be required in the UK to supply four different electricity demand scenarios

The role of the lawyer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidwell, R.

1982-01-01

The role of the lawyer is discussed in the context of the major public inquiry. An elementary analysis is presented of the ordinary business of the ordinary courts and the procedures which they adopt to arrive at the truth. The adaptation of the system to the Disaster Inquiry is discussed. Planning law is described. The paper then examines in detail the public enquiry of the Windscale type, and considers in what ways it might be improved. (U.K.)

Acts of the Ville d'Avray seminar on the 21. and 22. of january 2003 on the dialogue around industrial sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Following the research work on the stakes of the social dialogue around the follow up of nuclear and non nuclear industrial installations opened by I.R.S.N. in 2000, a seminar has been organised on the 21. and 22. of january 2003 at Ville d' Avray. This seminar gathered different personalities( administration, experts, operators, associations, information local commissions, elected) in order to discuss and enrich the conclusions of the research work and elaborate a contribution about the dialogue process. The different subjects tackled were: Approach concerning the release of the british nuclear fuel installation at Sellafield, nuclear power plants of Saint Alban and Cogema La Hague, industrial site of Metaleurop at Noyelles-Godault, local commission of surveillance of the nuclear site of power generation of Fessenheim, evolution of the legislation frame around installations. (N.C.)

Statement on nuclear incidents at nuclear installations -third quarter 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Four incidents are reported. Carbon dioxide containing a small amount of radioactive material was released at the Chapelcross works of British Nuclear Fuels. However, air monitoring showed the contamination to be small. Surfaces contaminated were cleaned and the reactor was allowed to restart as scheduled. Refurbishment work at the Berkeley Nuclear Power Station sewage plant revealed five radioactive particles. The sludge has been isolated until a disposal method is found. Contamination on a coverall was found at the Sellafield reprocessing plant. Both the operators who may have worn the coverall may have received excess doses. Improvements in the possible source of contamination have been made. A leak of gas from the Hunterston B nuclear power station was found to be from a failed joint on a bolted flange on the bypass circuit heat exchanger. The joint has been repaired. (U.K.)

Acts of the Ville d'Avray seminar on the 21. and 22. of january 2003 on the dialogue around industrial sites; Actes du seminaire de Ville d'Avray des 21 et 22 janvier 2003 sur la concertation autour des sites industriels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-01-15

Following the research work on the stakes of the social dialogue around the follow up of nuclear and non nuclear industrial installations opened by I.R.S.N. in 2000, a seminar has been organised on the 21. and 22. of january 2003 at Ville d' Avray. This seminar gathered different personalities( administration, experts, operators, associations, information local commissions, elected) in order to discuss and enrich the conclusions of the research work and elaborate a contribution about the dialogue process. The different subjects tackled were: Approach concerning the release of the british nuclear fuel installation at Sellafield, nuclear power plants of Saint Alban and Cogema La Hague, industrial site of Metaleurop at Noyelles-Godault, local commission of surveillance of the nuclear site of power generation of Fessenheim, evolution of the legislation frame around installations. (N.C.)

Apparent distribution coefficients of transuranium elements in UK coastal waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kershaw, P.J.; Pentreath, R.J.; Harvey, B.R.; Lovett, M.B.; Boggis, S.J.

1986-01-01

The authorized inputs of low-level radioactive waste into the Irish Sea from the British Nuclear Fuels plc reprocessing plant at Sellafield may be used to advantage to study the distribution and behaviour of artificial radionuclides in the marine environment. Apparent distribution coefficients (Ksub(d)) for the transuranium elements Np, Pu, Am and Cm have been determined by the analysis of environmental samples collected from UK coastal waters. The sampling methodology for obtaining suspended sediment-seawater Ksub(d)s by filtration is described and critically evaluated. Artefacts may be introduced in the sample collection stage. Ksub(d) values have also been determined for seabed sediment-interstitial waters and the precautions taken to preserve in-situ chemical conditions are described. Variations in Ksub(d) values are discussed in relation to distance from Sellafield, suspended load, redox conditions and oxidation state changes. (author)

Annual report and accounts 1990/91

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

In this Annual Report for 1990/91, British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) considers the year's results financially and in terms of scientific innovation. BNFL produces nuclear fuel for all United Kingdom (UK) power stations and is thus, indirectly responsible for the 20% of electricity generated by nuclear power. Since the privatization of the electricity generating industry in the United Kingdom, nuclear power has had an unresolved financial and commercial status. BNFL has still not considered negotiations with their two UK customers, Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear so accounts presented include assumptions about fixed price contracts. Public relations has become a major issue for BNFL and the work of the Sellafield Visitors Centre is described in detail. (UK)

Environmental monitoring for radioactivity in Scotland: 1981 to 1985

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1987-01-01

A bulletin, prepared by Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate (HMIPI) of the Scottish Development Department (SDD), contains a summary of the environmental monitoring for radioactivity carried out in Scotland as part of the statutory procedure for ensuring the safety of radioactive waste disposals from nuclear facilities. The monitoring results for discharges to both the atmosphere and the sea over the period 1981 to 1985 are presented for BNFL's Chapelcross and Sellafield Works, UKAEA Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment, SSEB Hunterston Power Station and MOD Naval Installations. It is concluded that public radiation exposure in Scotland from environmental radioactivity arising from radioactive waste disposal has been well within the internationally recommended limits.

Operational aspects of the Calder Hall and Chapelcross pressure vessel ultrasonic inspections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bithell, S.J.; Howard, S.R.

1993-01-01

As a consequence of the NII's assessment of the Calder Hall and Chapelcross Long Term Safety Review, BNFplc were required to demonstrate the integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessels through a programme of volumetric seam weld inspection. Existing equipment proved to be inadequate and necessitated the design and manufacture of a remote power manipulator and ultrasonic scanning package. Calder Hall Operations Department and Sellafield Technical Department, working closely with contract staff, completed the first stage of this technically demanding task within 14 months of the project's initiation, resulting in the first deployment of ''REDIMAN'' in March 1991. The design of the new equipment, and the technical and operational difficulties which were overcome by the Inspection Team are outlined. (author)

Annual report and accounts 1995-1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited is responsible for providing radioactive waste disposal services for intermediate-level and certain low-level waste. The Company's principal current activities cover: site investigation; provision of advice on waste packaging and transport; research, development and design work on the provision and management of commercial facilities for the safe disposal of radioactive waste. A major part of the report for 1995-1996 is concerned with the proposed Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) near Sellafield. Evidence has been presented to a public inquiry to demonstrate that the RCF is needed to provide information to establish a soundly-based assessment of the long-term safety of a potential deep disposal repository at the site. (UK)

A world's waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carr, Kevin; Rugg, Judith; Palmer, Roger

1987-01-01

A World's Waste·An Exhibition that challenges a number of preconceptions about the nuclear industry and the environment while at the same time pushing back the limits of conventional uses of photography and the visual arts. Drawing on a variety of disciplines and utilising means of visual presentation beyond the scope of many exhibitions, this in-depth look at the impact of Sellafield and the nuclear industry on life in Cumbria and beyond attempts through a variety of media from painting through photography to video, performance and installation work, to picture the invisible: radiation and its consequences for the world. Through varied approaches the work selected for exhibition adds a number of voices to a discussion divided between knowledge based on over complex information pitted against opinion reacting from emotion. The catalogue to the exhibition adds a series of articles which go with the art work. The anti-nuclear articles are balanced by BNFLs contributions which put forward the pro-nuclear viewpoint. (author)

Annual report 1989 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The Company's task is to develop a deep underground disposal site for low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The work described in this Report follows on from the announcement by the Government that it accepted the Company's recommendation to investigate the potential of the two sites at Dounreay in Caithness and Sellafield in Cumbria for a deep underground radioactive waste repository. The work of the Company has, therefore, focused on these two areas to ensure that a full understanding of their potential is obtained. In assessing this potential, full account will be taken of comprehensive research which is being carried out both nationally and internationally. The progress made in the year is set out in the Report. The work is set out in chapters which summarize the years events, then look at the deep repository programme, disposal safety research and development, inventing packaging and transport and the public information programme. The directors report and accounts are also included. (author)

Lowering the risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, P.

1990-01-01

Recent reports have concluded that low level radiation is 3 or 4 times more likely to cause cancer than was previously thought. However the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has failed to propose a reduction in the dose limits for radiation workers or the public. This has been justified by making comparisons of the number of days of life lost. So comparing fatal accidents in non-nuclear industries which occur around the age of 40 with cancer caused by the nuclear industry which occurs around 60, the latter seems less important. The sixth conference on lowlevel radiation and health held at Bangor also looked at the implications of the Gardner report, links between the Windscale fire of 1957 and the birth of babies with Down's Syndrome, chromosomal effects of low-level radiation, polonium-120 emission from the Copper Pass Smelting works and the benefits of reducing exposure to medical x-rays. (UK)

Towards a more professional demolition and dismantling industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The work of the National Economic Development Office Demolition and Dismantling Group in four areas which are crucial to the economic performance of the demolition and dismantling industry and its safety record is considered. The first concerns the availability and accessibility of information about unconventional structures and details are given of the sort of information often kept for different types of structure. Secondly, the need is stressed for guidelines for the client, particularly on the risks involved and the choice of a competent contractor. Thirdly, basic credentials which it is important for contractors to set out in order to establish a good reputation for the industry are set out. Finally, the particular case of nuclear power station decommissioning is considered with reference to the size of the market, the pioneering knowledge to be gained from the decommissioning of the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, private sector involvement and the special techniques required. (U.K.)

A UKAEA review of gas-cooled reactors in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, E.C.; Knowles, A.N.

1983-01-01

The commercial use of nuclear power for electrical generation commenced in the UK in the 1950s with the Calder Hall reactors. Based on this concept, eighteen commercial reactor units, with two further units outside the UK, were constructed and have been in operation for periods ranging from 10 to 19 years. The paper reviews this experience mainly from the aspects of safety and the achieved costs, which compare favourably with current figures for fossil fired generation. The further development of the gas-cooled system in the UK commenced with the construction of the Windscale AGR, which came into operation in 1962. This led to the ordering of 14 large commercial AGR units, 4 of which have been in service since 1976, 6 are at an advanced stage of construction and 4 are at an early stage of construction. The paper reviews the main safety features of the AGR and considers the costs, taking achieved costs for the units which are in service and a combination of historical costs and projected costs for the units under construction. Again a clear advantage over fossil fuelled stations is shown. The paper also includes a preliminary account of the use of the prototype AGR at Windscale for the series of experiments concerning plateout, over-temperature in the fuel and simulated fault transients in the core which were carried out earlier in 1981. (author)

Modelling framework for groundwater flow at Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, A.J.; Billington, D.E.; Herbert, A.W.

1995-01-01

The principal objective of Nirex is to develop a single deep geological repository for the safe disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In safety assessment, use is made of a variety of conceptual models that form the basis for modelling of the pathways by which radionuclides might return to the environment. In this paper, the development of a conceptual model for groundwater flow and transport through fractured rock on the various scales of interest is discussed. The approach is illustrated by considering how some aspects of the conceptual model are developed in particular numerical models. These representations of the conceptual model use fracture network geometries based on realistic rock properties. (author). refs., figs., tabs

Radiation risks - how low can one get

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunyard, P.

1978-01-01

The level of the maximum permissible dose of ionizing radiation at present adopted is discussed. Statistics relating to the incidence of cancer among persons exposed to radiation are considered, with special reference to workers at the USAEC Hanford plant, persons in Nagasaki or Hiroshima at or shortly after the dropping of the atomic bombs, and children whose mothers were x-rayed during pregnancy. The hearings at the Windscale official inquiry into the proposed BNFL thermal oxide reprocessing plant are also discussed. (U.K.)

United Kingdom government policy towards radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pritchard, G.

1986-01-01

There are three areas of radioactive waste management which exemplify, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the United Kingdom has in the past (and intends in the future), to pursue a policy of dispersal and disposal of radioactive wastes: These are: (I) dumping of low-level waste in the deep ocean and, on a parallel, seabed emplacement of highly active waste; (II) the liquid discharges from Windscale into the Irish Sea; and (III) land dumping of low- and intermediate-level waste

A description of nuclear reactor accidents and their consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, A.

1989-01-01

Nuclear reactor accidents which have caused core damage, released a significant amount of radioactivity, or caused death or serious injury are described. The reactor accidents discussed in detail include Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, SL-1 and Windscale, although information on other less consequential accidents is also provided. The consequences of these accidents are examined in terms of the amounts of radioactivity released, the radiation doses received, and remedial actions and interventions taken following the accident. 10 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Trust us Trust Thorp Campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, John

1995-01-01

board, achieved through regular news releases, organized letter writing to the relevant authorities and the collection of signatures for petitions. Once the workforce was behind the campaign, TRUST US was taken to the west Cumbrian community, providing quality information through news releases, media advertisements and a specially produced brochure which highlighted the reasons behind TRUST US. This was sent to all MPs, MEPs, councils and Trade Unions throughout the UK and Ireland. The campaign also targeted MPs and MEPs with specific letters setting out the case for THORP. However, the organised opposition' to THORP did not come from the local area, but from the rest of the UK, Ireland and Europe, lead by nuclear free local authorities and green pressure groups, which severely limited the effectiveness of the campaign. It was decided that yet another new approach was needed. On 2 August 1993, proposals for a national tour of the- campaign were presented to the Sellafield Trade Unions. The tour objectives were to take the TRUST US campaign to the rest of the UK, demonstrating that the plant had strong support with two key areas: the workforce and the local community. The overriding tone of the entire tour was to 'trust us' as workers in the nuclear industry, which was backed up by the tour message: W e, the Sellafield workers and the west Cumbrian community have trust in THORP. The new plant is economically and environmentally sound. We have the work; let us get on with that work. The tour would target the media centres of the UK, he Nuclear Free Local Authority (NFLA) areas and Sellafield's suppliers within these areas. A group of five workers plus a member of the clerks committee would make up the tour messengers, each to be given extensive media training. The tour would be given a high profile with a specific logo, designed to ensure that the tour aid its message of 'trust us' was given image prominence. Posters, leaflets and badges would also carry the logo. Given

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria. Pt. 13

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otlet, R.; Longley, H.; Walker, A.J.

1989-04-01

The main objective of the project was to reconstruct a chronology of past 14 C levels in atmospheric CO 2 in the vicinity of the Sellafield reprocessing plant by measuring the 14 C in individual tree rings from trees felled at a number of sites. The profile obtained from the results reflects the build up of the plant operations and related aerial emissions and a conversion of the tree ring records to past annual aerial discharges of 14 C has been attempted. This is compared with values provided from recent estimates of aerial emissions. The effect of dispersion along a coastal transect to a distance of 30km from BNFL Sellafield has also been studied. Comparable, but attenuated profiles to the inland sites are observed although the major peaks are not precisely mirrored along the transect. This is attributed to greater year to year variation due to sea breezes. (author)

Manmade and natural radionuclides in north east Atlantic shelf and slope sediments: Implications for rates of sedimentary processes and for contaminant dispersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKenzie, A.B.; Stewart, A.; Cook, G.T.; Mitchell, L.; Ellet, D.J.; Griffiths, C.R.

2006-01-01

Results are presented for a study of manmade and natural radionuclides in north east Atlantic continental shelf and slope sediments to the west of Scotland. The data are interpreted in the context of sediment mixing and accumulation processes and are used to establish the westward extent of contamination of the sediment system. Offshore shelf and slope sediments were found to have post-glacial sedimentation rates of the order of 1 cm ky -1 but nearshore sediments had much higher accumulation rates of the order of 0.1 cm y -1 . Surface mixed layer depths of up to 6 cm were observed and non-local mixing affected most of the slope sediments, resulting in advective transport of surface sediment to depths of up to 10 cm. Biodiffusion coefficients for offshore shelf and slope sediments were dominantly in the range 10 -8 to 10 -9 cm 2 s -1 . The study confirmed that seawater contaminated with Sellafield waste radionuclides is dominantly entrained to the east of 7 deg. W and, consistent with this, higher levels of Sellafield derived radionuclides were confined to nearshore sediments, with lower levels to the west of 7 deg. W. 238 Pu/ 239,24 Pu data indicated that Sellafield contributed 75-91% of the total plutonium in coastal sediment but only about 4-8% of the total in slope sediments. By analogy, it can be concluded that a similar situation will apply to other contaminants in seawater entering the north east Atlantic via the North Channel

The development of radwaste policy and the Nirex programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folger, M.

1993-01-01

Radwaste policy has had a chequered past in this country and although some of the blame has occasionally been laid at our door, three things sound be borne in mind, the context within which Nirex has worked and must continue to work, many of the ''myths'' about Nirex, and assurance that there is a well structured programme for stepwise investigation, and potential development, at Sellafield. Through that solution the waste producers will be paying real money to meet the requirement in the present generation. I aim to demonstrate that the United Kingdom (UK) programme for deep disposal is on track and compares well with the programmes which other nuclear nations have in place. Whatever the future investment decisions on nuclear power, government strategy does properly require safe disposal of the wastes we already have and the wastes which will come forward from the present nuclear programme. (Author)

Artificial radionuclides in an intertidal sediment from northwest England

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, K.; Keith-Roach, M.J.; Butterworth, J.C.; Livens, L.K.; Day, J.P.; Hursthouse, A.S.; Fifield, L.K.; Bardgett, R.D.

1998-01-01

An intertidal sediment core has been analysed for the principal transuranium elements present in the BNFL Sellafield radioactive waste discharges (Np, Pu, Am) and the high yield fission products 99 Tc and 137 Cs. Interstitial water samples were collected using porous cup samplers and early results from these analyses show that there is a pronounced seasonality in the pattern of dissolved Pu, which apparently relates to changes in dissolved Fe and Mn. More recent work has concentrated on the characterization of changes in the sediment microbial community and on the development of analytical methods for the analysis of dissolved Np, apparently the most readily mobilized of the transuranic elements, which is present at concentrations of the order of 10 8 atoms/litre

The problem of carcinogenesis in children born to parents who have received an elevated dose of ionzing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogel, F.

1992-01-01

The paper discusses the problem under the following three aspects: (1) Today, there is evidence of only a very few tumors developed by children to have been induced by genetic defects in some cases, as e.g. the retinoblastoma or the Wilms' tumor. The data available to date on the causes of leukemia in childhood do not suffice to make a statement. (2) Investigations among children engendered by A-bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombing do not reveal an increase in the incidence of malignant disease up to the age of twenty. (3) The studies carried out by Gardner et al. among children of parents working in the Sellafield plant do not allow, upon critical review, to draw unambiguous conclusions. (orig.) [de

The battle of Britain's nuclear dustbin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webb, Jeremy.

1993-01-01

A political row is brewing about the government's Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive's (NIREX's) plans to excavate a deep-level radioactive waste repository beneath the Sellafield plant in Cumbria. Following concerns over the deterioration of the packaging of radioactive waste at some sites in the United Kingdom, ministers are being urged to approve the plan. The repository, which will house low-level and intermediate-level waste is opposed by the Treasury on economic grounds and by Friends of the Earth as being unnecessary, and of dubious safety. Government ministers will have to work closely with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and other interested parties to formulate a workable policy for this repository in particular, as well as for nuclear waste management and decommissioning generally. (UK)

Fire safety in atomic power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kench, R.L.; British Insurance

1988-01-01

The main reactor types are described briefly - Magnox, advanced gas cooled, pressurized water and fast reactors. Fire risks exist at fuel stores and spent fuel storage facilities. Simple fire prevention measures are suggested. Solid radioactive wastes can also be combustible. Various fire prevention measures for the different storage methods, eg compaction, are given. Gaseous and liquid wastes are also considered. The main types of reactor accident are described and the causes of four incidents - at Chernobyl, Windscale, Brownsferry and Three Mile Island, are examined. (U.K.)

The pollution of the North Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

The subject is covered in chapters entitled: the North Sea and its rivers; the uses of the North Sea (shipping; exploitation of oil and gas; fishing; recreation; land reclamation; industrial islands; waste dumping); the nature of the dumping problem (nuclear waste; organic chemicals; inorganic chemicals; oil; sewage; rubble and dredged spoils; ash); pollution legislation; Greenpeace activities in the North Sea (the nuclear campaigns (Windscale; Cap de la Hague; Atlantic waste dumping); the chemical campaigns); what is needed in the future; references; the Oslo Convention. (U.K.)

What will happen in case of a nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kater, H.

1982-01-01

Three phases of alarm measures are listed which would have been implemented it energencies like the one on the Marshal Isles, that of Windscale, of Cheliabinsk-Sverdlovsk and Three-Miles-Island had developed into catastrophies. This is followed by a quotation of further-education lectures published by the Bavarian State Medical Chamber and a commitee within the Scientific Advisory Council of the Federal Medical Chamber while expressing doubts whether or not the state of information within the population and the medical profession is sufficient. (DG) [de

Radioactive metals disposal and recycling impact modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemp, N.W.; Lunn, R.J.; Belton, V.; Kockar, I.

2014-01-01

Screening life cycle assessment models developed to investigate hypothetical disposal and recycling options for the Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor heat exchangers were used to generate more complex models addressing the main UK radioactive metals inventory. Both studies show there are significant environmental advantages in the metals recycling promoted by the current low level waste disposal policies, strategies and plans. Financial benefits from current metals treatment options are supported and offer even greater benefits when applied to the UK radioactive metals inventory as a whole. (authors)

The design and operation of the THORP central control room: a human factors perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, Julie.

1996-01-01

The new Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) Sellafield Site is now operational. This paper describes the Central Control Room (CCR), focusing on the control system components. Throughout the design, commissioning and operation of THORP, human factors played an important part. (author)

Annual report and accounts 1988/89

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

British Nuclear Fuel's (plc) (BNFL) operations over the year 1988/9 are reviewed. The financial position is presented and the accounts explained. These show that the year was one of growth. BNFL manufactures nuclear fuel and fuel products at Springfields near Preston, enriches uranium by a centrifuge process at Capenhurst near Chester, reprocesses and manages waste at Sellafield in West Cumbria and has a headquarters and engineering design facility at Risley near Warrington. BNFL also owns and operates two nuclear power stations at Calder Hall on the Sellafield site and at Chapelcross in Southern Scotland. Each aspect of the company's activities is reviewed briefly and an overview given in reports of the Chairman and Chief Executive. Over 90% of BNFL's turnover is associated with the production of electricity by nuclear power. The government's decision to withdraw the nuclear power stations from the privatisation of the electricity supply industry has created uncertainty over the long-term position of BNFL. (UK)

Transfer of radiocesium from different environmental sources to ewes and suckling lambs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, B.J.; Mayes, R.W.; Beresford, N.A.; Lamb, C.S.

1989-01-01

Indoor experiments are described that compare the transfer of radiocesium to ewe and lamb tissues from different sources. Lactating ewes were fed either perennial ryegrass contaminated by Chernobyl fallout, or saltmarsh vegetation contaminated by marine discharges from the Sellafield reprocessing plant. The transfer to ewe tissues and milk was greater from the Chernobyl contaminated herbage than from saltmarsh vegetation. Lambs receiving a mixture of vegetation and milk were given radiocesium from one of the two vegetation sources or from milk obtained from the experimental ewes. Transfer to lamb tissues declined in the order milk greater than Chernobyl fallout greater than Sellafield discharge. The radiocesium transfer to lamb tissues exceeded that to ewe tissues. Transfer coefficients for 137Cs in the Chernobyl fallout were higher than most previously published figures at 0.12 d kg-1 for ewe muscle and 0.50 d kg-1 for lamb muscle. The transfer coefficient for 137Cs from ewe milk to lamb muscle was 1.20 d kg-1

99Tc in the Irish Sea. Recent trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCartney, M.; Rajendran, K.

1997-01-01

The increase in discharges of 99 Tc from Sellafield has resulted in an ideal opportunity to study the behaviour of this radionuclide in the aquatic environment. Results, thus far, have demonstrated that 99 Tc uptake by seaweeds collected from around the Irish Sea has followed the anticipated trend, with brown seaweeds accumulating 100-1000 times more 99 Tc than red or green algae. The large increase in discharges of 99 Tc from Sellafield in 1994 had been matched by a similar increase in the levels present in brown seaweeds, mussels and winkles for which concentration factors of 24000, 5000 and 100, respectively, have been derived. This confirms the observation that 99 Tc uptake by marine organisms in the field far exceeds that which would be expected from laboratory studies. Thus, it is concluded that, given the radiological importance of this nuclide, the provision of more accurate information on its environmental behaviour is required. (author)

Fracture flow modelling. Proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hencher, S.R.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence by an expert witness is presented in support of the case by Friends of the Earth (FOE) against the proposed construction by UK Nirex Ltd of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site in the Sellafield area. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for an underground repository for the disposal of radioactive waste. The objections were raised at a Planning Inquiry in 1995. The evidence points out that current understanding of the factors which control flow through a network of interconnecting fractures, such as that at the Sellafield site, is at a very early stage of development. Neither are the methods of investigation and analysis required for a post-closure performance assessment (PCPA) for a repository well developed. These issues are being investigated in international underground research laboratories but the proposed RCF is intended to be confirmatory rather than experimental. (23 references). (UK)

Marine radionuclide transport in the northern North Atlantic estimated with an eddy-permitting ocean model - Marine radionuclide transport in the Northern North Atlantic estimated with an Eddy-resolving ocean model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simonsen, Magne [Norwegian Meteorological institute, P.O. Box 43 Blindern, N-0313 Oslo (Norway); Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Aas (Norway); Isachsen, Paal E.; Saetra, Oeyvind; Klein, Heiko; Bartnicki, Jerzy [Norwegian Meteorological institute, P.O. Box 43 Blindern, N-0313 Oslo (Norway); Salbu, Brit; Lind, Ole C. [Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Aas (Norway)

2014-07-01

As a part of the Norwegian Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), we have studied transport of radionuclides in the Nordic Seas using an eddy-resolving ocean model. Transport and dispersion is estimated by both Lagrangian (particle) and Eulerian (tracer) methods using currents generated by the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) at 4 km horizontal resolution. This relatively high resolution gives a more accurate description of the impact of macro-turbulent advection on transport paths and transport times than achieved in previous studies. The experiments cover historical discharges from the Sellafield reprocessing plant as well as hypothetical accident scenarios from power plants in Great Britain. For the historical Sellafield discharges, model calculations are compared to isotope concentrations observed along the Norwegian Coast and in the Barents Sea. For the accident scenarios, the likely impact on the Norwegian coastal zone is studied considering three different sources for the ocean: direct local discharge, far-field deposition from the atmosphere, and discharge via Norwegian rivers (via atmospheric deposition over land). (authors)

The measurement of I-129 in the Canadian Arctic basin and other Arctic waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilius, L.R.; Zhao, X.L.

1995-01-01

Since the first demonstration by accelerator mass spectrometry for the measurement of 129 I in oceanic systems, the use of 129 I as a long range tracer has become widespread because the constraint of large sample volumes has been removed. Following extensive measurements of 129 I in both the Barents and Kara Seas, seawater samples were collected within the Canadian Arctic Basin, and at a cruise from the Chuchi Sea, across the pole, to the Norwegian Sea. Only 450 ml samples were required for all AMS measurements of Arctic seawater. Enhanced concentrations of 129 I were observed. Based on 137 Cs measurements for the same samples, the 129 I/ 137 Cs ratios showed the signature of Sellafield reprocessing effluents as the primary source of this 129 I. Based on average estimates, 13% of the total Sellafield/La Hague 129 I emissions now resides within the Atlantic layer of the Arctic Ocean. 7 refs., 3 figs

On statistical methods for analysing the geographical distribution of cancer cases near nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bithell, J.F.; Stone, R.A.

1989-01-01

This paper sets out to show that epidemiological methods most commonly used can be improved. When analysing geographical data it is necessary to consider location. The most obvious quantification of location is ranked distance, though other measures which may be more meaningful in relation to aetiology may be substituted. A test based on distance ranks, the ''Poisson maximum test'', depends on the maximum of observed relative risk in regions of increasing size, but with significance level adjusted for selection. Applying this test to data from Sellafield and Sizewell shows that the excess of leukaemia incidence observed at Seascale, near Sellafield, is not an artefact due to data selection by region, and that the excess probably results from a genuine, if as yet unidentified cause (there being little evidence of any other locational association once the Seascale cases have been removed). So far as Sizewell is concerned, geographical proximity to the nuclear power station does not seen particularly important. (author)

Statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-10-01

Three incidents were reported in April-June 1993. The first was on the British Nuclear Fuel plc (BNFL) site at Sellafield and concerned leakage of 0.5 TBq of alpha activity from plutonium contaminated waste stored in a steel drum. This was subsequently double contained and moved so it could be inspected regularly. No contamination of personnel occurred. The second concerned the leakage of thorium liquor from a pipe at the UKAEA's Thorium reprocessing plant at Dounreay. Two temporary repairs were made and no personnel were contaminated. The third was at the Sellafield site where a small quantity (5 mls) of plutonium containing liquor had leaked from a package and released alpha activity. The bags were temporary containment of engineering debris which may have had sharp edges. The bags had been piled up and one of the bags had torn. Recommendations were made following inquiries into each of the incidents to improve procedures and prevent similar incidents occurring. (UK)

Managing plutonium in Britain. Current options[Mixed oxide nuclear fuels; Nuclear weapons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

This is the report of a two day meeting to discuss issues arising from the reprocessing of plutonium and production of mixed oxide nuclear fuels in Britain. It was held at Charney Manor, near Oxford, on June 25 and 26, 1998, and was attended by 35 participants, including government officials, scientists, policy analysts, representatives of interested NGO's, journalists, a Member of Parliament, and visiting representatives from the US and Irish governments. The topic of managing plutonium has been a consistent thread within ORG's work, and was the subject of one of our previous reports, CDR 12. This particular seminar arose out of discussions earlier in the year between Dr. Frank Barnaby and the Rt. Hon. Michael Meacher MP, Minister for the Environment. With important decisions about the management of plutonium in Britain pending, ORG undertook to hold a seminar at which all aspects of the subject could be aired. A number of on-going events formed the background to this initiative. The first was British Nuclear Fuels' [BNFL] application to the Environment Agency to commission a mixed oxide fuel [MOX] plant at Sellafield. The second was BNFL's application to vary radioactive discharge limits at Sellafield. Thirdly, a House of Lords Select Committee was in process of taking evidence, on the disposal of radioactive waste. Fourthly, the Royal Society, in a recent report entitled Management of Separated Plutonium, recommended that 'the Government should commission a comprehensive review... of the options for the management of plutonium'. Four formal presentations were made to the meeting, on the subjects of Britain's plutonium policy, commercial prospects for plutonium use, problems of plutonium accountancy, and the danger of nuclear terrorism, by experts from outside the nuclear industry. It was hoped that the industry's viewpoint would also be heard, and BNFL were invited to present a paper, but declined on the grounds that they

Managing plutonium in Britain. Current options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This is the report of a two day meeting to discuss issues arising from the reprocessing of plutonium and production of mixed oxide nuclear fuels in Britain. It was held at Charney Manor, near Oxford, on June 25 and 26, 1998, and was attended by 35 participants, including government officials, scientists, policy analysts, representatives of interested NGO's, journalists, a Member of Parliament, and visiting representatives from the US and Irish governments. The topic of managing plutonium has been a consistent thread within ORG's work, and was the subject of one of our previous reports, CDR 12. This particular seminar arose out of discussions earlier in the year between Dr. Frank Barnaby and the Rt. Hon. Michael Meacher MP, Minister for the Environment. With important decisions about the management of plutonium in Britain pending, ORG undertook to hold a seminar at which all aspects of the subject could be aired. A number of on-going events formed the background to this initiative. The first was British Nuclear Fuels' [BNFL] application to the Environment Agency to commission a mixed oxide fuel [MOX] plant at Sellafield. The second was BNFL's application to vary radioactive discharge limits at Sellafield. Thirdly, a House of Lords Select Committee was in process of taking evidence, on the disposal of radioactive waste. Fourthly, the Royal Society, in a recent report entitled Management of Separated Plutonium, recommended that 'the Government should commission a comprehensive review... of the options for the management of plutonium'. Four formal presentations were made to the meeting, on the subjects of Britain's plutonium policy, commercial prospects for plutonium use, problems of plutonium accountancy, and the danger of nuclear terrorism, by experts from outside the nuclear industry. It was hoped that the industry's viewpoint would also be heard, and BNFL were invited to present a paper, but declined on the grounds that they were 'currently involved in a formal

Getting the right balance. Matching engagement programmes to stakeholder capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Shirley

2008-01-01

This paper looks at the history of community engagement in nuclear issues during the lifespan of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK. It examines the impact of current engagement practices on stakeholder capacity to engage, and proposes solutions to help achieve a more balanced approach. (author)

The radiological impact of actinides discharged to the Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.J.; Smith, B.D.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the radiological effects of releases of actinides to the Irish Sea from Sellafield, the major source. Exposure pathways to man since the commencement of discharges in 1952 are reviewed; the importance of actinides began to increase with increased discharges in the 1970s. With the demise of the porphyra/laverbread pathway due to transport difficulties, the pathway due to fish and shellfish consumption became critical, particularly for actinides through molluscan shellfish. A reassessment on the current basis of effective dose shows that peak exposures to the critical group of about 2 mSv yr -1 were received in the mid-1970s, about 30% of which was due to actinides. Effective doses have since reduced but the relative importance of actinides is greater, due to the interplay of discharges of radionuclides from Sellafield and their behaviour in the environment. Additive doses through sea food due to releases of natural radionuclides from the Marchon phosphate plant at Whitehaven are also considered, although the actinide component from this source has been small. Exposures due to actinides from Sellafield via other pathways are shown to be much lower than those involving sea food. Collective doses are also considered; these peaked at about 300 man-Sv to the European population (including the UK) in 1979, with only a few percent due to actinides. As in the case of critical group doses, the relative importance of actinides has increased in recent years within the decreasing total collective dose. For both critical group and collective doses, therefore, the actinide component needs to be kept under review. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Megarisks: wagers on doomsday

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollitt, C.

1980-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: megarisks - the case for their existence; megarisks - are they acceptable; identifying and estimating nuclear risks (the development of nuclear power; the changing character of the nuclear debate; hazard identification; probability estimation; alternative views of Rasmussen); evaluating nuclear outcomes (the Windscale enquiry; balancing risks; aversion; cost-benefit risk; summary; evaluation - a postscript [examples of differing accounts of an incident]); other megarisks (genetic manipulation); nuclear politics (the political characteristics of nuclear power; the distribution of costs and benefits; decision procedures; policy); Faustian bargains. (U,K,)

Radioactive waste disposal by UKAEA establishments during 1980 and associated environmental monitoring results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flew, E.M.

1981-09-01

This report gives details of the amounts of solid and liquid radioactive waste disposed of by the principal establishments of the UKAEA during 1980. Waste arising at the UKAEA Nuclear Power Development Laboratories at Windscale and Springfields, which are both situated on British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL)-sites, is disposed of by BNFL and included in their authorisations. Discharges to atmosphere of airborne radioactive waste are also included in the report. A summary of the results of the environmental monitoring programmes carried out in connection with the radioactive waste discharges is given. (author)

Another nuclear route to open

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1980-01-01

In addition to the regular shipments of spent nuclear fuel passing through the Port of Barrow, the general movement of nuclear substances around the UK coast is to be intensified following a decision to transport plutonium nitrate solution between Dounreay and Windscale via road and sea. The Health and Safety Executive has reviewed the proposed transport procedures, and although it has concluded that the operation will not pose undue dangers, lobbies both locally and nationally have voiced opposition. And of course there are certain implications for the destination port, Workington. (author)

Radioactive waste disposal by UKAEA establishments during 1978 and associated environmental monitoring results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flew, E.M.

1979-05-01

This report gives details of the amounts of solid and liquid radioactive waste disposed of by the principal establishments of the UKAEA during 1978. Waste arising at the UKAEA Nuclear Power Development Laboratories at Windscale and Springfields, which are both situated on British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL) sites, is disposed of by BNFL and included in their authorisations. Discharges to atmosphere of airborne radioactive waste are also included in the report. A summary of the results of the environmental monitoring programmes carried out in connection with the radioactive waste discharges is given. (author)

Nuclear power. Its development in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pocock, R.F.

1977-01-01

The subject is covered chronologically in chapters, entitled: from war to peace; the Atomic Energy Authority and the first nuclear power station; a civil power programme; Windscale - the need for caution; research for the future; the new (Magnox) power stations; revision of the nuclear power programme; supply of nuclear fuels; nuclear power for ship propulsion; completion of first programme; Dungeness B and second programme, political assessment of (nuclear) industry's structure; reorganization of the industry; nuclear power in the environment; completion of second programme; the energy crisis; decision on third programme. (U.K.)

Monte Carlo calculations of the neutron coincidence gate utilisation factor for passive neutron coincidence counting

CERN Document Server

Bourva, L C A

1999-01-01

The general purpose neutron-photon-electron Monte Carlo N-Particle code, MCNP sup T sup M , has been used to simulate the neutronic characteristics of the on-site laboratory passive neutron coincidence counter to be installed, under Euratom Safeguards Directorate supervision, at the Sellafield reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK. This detector is part of a series of nondestructive assay instruments to be installed for the accurate determination of the plutonium content of nuclear materials. The present work focuses on one aspect of this task, namely, the accurate calculation of the coincidence gate utilisation factor. This parameter is an important term in the interpretative model used to analyse the passive neutron coincidence count data acquired using pulse train deconvolution electronics based on the shift register technique. It accounts for the limited proportion of neutrons detected within the time interval for which the electronics gate is open. The Monte Carlo code MCF, presented in this work, represents...

Calibrating the input accountancy tanks on THORP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whyte, C.G.; Hillier, A.P.; Temple, A.

1995-01-01

BNFL's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP), at Sellafield in the UK, processes oxide fuels from customers around the world. The fuel moves through the plant from shearing and dissolution in the Head End and subsequently to solvent extraction in the Chemical Plant. Clarified dissolver liquor is accumulated in three large buffer storage tanks (each of approximately 75 m 3 capacity), in the Head End prior to feeding to the Chemical Plant. The amount of dissolver liquor being passed to these tanks is accurately measured in one of two Input Accountancy Tanks, which are each of 23 m 3 working capacity, and are equipped with high accuracy weight and level measurement systems. Several papers have been published which describe the principles applied to achieve the Safeguarding of THORP. This paper describes the setting to work of a key measurement point in the THORP process and details the complex trials that were begun during the early commissioning phases, to ensure that these accountancy systems would eventually be fully characterized

Product evaluation phase 1 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fairhall, G.A.

1984-01-01

This report concerns the intermediate-level radioactive waste arisings from the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield. Headings are: introduction (origin of waste; current stocks and future arisings); characterisation of sludges; initial evaluation of potential matrices (for solidification of waste in form suitable for disposal); waste simulation. (U.K.)

Nuclear waste: facts, fears, and attitudes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Pligt, J.; Eiser, J.R.; Spears, R.

1987-01-01

Examined the effects of a TV documentary about the safety of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in the Northwest of England on public attitudes. In a study of 805 respondents (average age 47.8 yrs) to questionnaires from 4 districts in the Southwest of England, the attitudes and beliefs of

Transgenerational Radiation Epigenetics

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

Powell,C.A., Downes,S., and Terrell ,J.D. (1990). Results of case-control study of leukaemia and lymphoma among young people near Sellafield nuclear...hepatocyte growth factor for non-small cell lung cancer. Ann . Thorac. Surg. 66, 1915- 1918. Tawa,R., Kimura,Y., Komura,J., Miyamura,Y., Kurishita,A

Use of Pilot Plants for Developing Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, Chris; Arm, Stuart [EnergySolutions LLC (United States); Banfield, Zara; Jeapes, Andrew; Taylor, Richard [National Nuclear Laboratory (United Kingdom)

2009-06-15

EnergySolutions and its teaming partners are working with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop processes, equipment and facilities for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF). Recycling significantly reduces the volume of wastes that ultimately will be consigned to the National Geologic Repository, enables the re-use in new fuel of the valuable uranium and plutonium in the UNF, and allows the long-lived minor actinides to be treated separately so they do not become long term heat emitters in the Repository. A major requirement of any new UNF recycling facility is that pure plutonium is not separated anywhere in the process, so as to reduce the nuclear proliferation attractiveness of the facility. EnergySolutions and its team partner the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have developed the NUEX process to achieve this and to handle appropriately the treatment of other species such as krypton, tritium, neptunium and technetium. NUEX is based on existing successful commercial UNF recycling processes deployed in the UK, France and imminently in Japan, but with a range of modifications to the flowsheet to keep some uranium with the plutonium at all times and to minimize aerial and liquid radioactive discharges. NNL's long-term experience in developing the recycling and associated facilities at the Sellafield site in the UK, and its current duties to support technically the operation of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield provides essential input to the design of the US NUEX-based facility. Development work for THORP and other first-of-kind nuclear plants employed miniature scale fully radioactive through large scale inactive pilot plants. The sequence of development work that we have found most successful is to (i) perform initial process development at small (typically 1/5000) scale in gloveboxes using trace active materials, (ii) demonstrate the processes at the same small scale with actual irradiated fuel in hot cells and (iii

Household particulate survey. (Radioactivity in housedust in West Cumbria and its significance)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goddard, A.J.H.; Minski, M.J.; Thornton, I.; Culbard; Akbarian, F.; Buckley, D.

1986-01-01

The objective of the research was to identify any enhanced levels of radioactivity in domestic dust and to assess the radiological significance. The work was carried out over a period from March 1984 to March 1986 and encompassed 14 communities in West Cumbria extending about 25 km to the north of Sellafield, 12 km to the south and about 10 km inland, together with a control community (Ascot) in the South of England. Ten houses in each of 12 communities were sampled, but in Ravenglass and Seascale 25 houses were sampled and was repeated to check year-to-year reproducibility. During the study, over three hundred radiochemical separations for plutonium were undertaken and about half that number for americium. Samples were also analysed for gamma emitting radionuclides. (author)

Statement on incidents at nuclear installations - second quarter 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The first incident reported occurred at the Sellafield reprocessing plant when a process worker was contaminated on the right knee of his overalls and received a skin dose in excess of the annual dose limit. Following an inquiry, he was allowed to return to normal working within 3 months. The second incident occurred at the Oldbury nuclear power station when reaction-1 tripped following the failure of one of the three phases of the electricity supply to part of the instrumentation. This caused a loss of forced coolant circulating for a short time following the reactor shutdown. However, following safety checks it was allowed to return to power. Improvements in the instrument supply system protection were subsequently installed on reactor-2 and will be, when possible, on reactor-1. (UK)

Barrow hazards survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-06-01

Following a series of public meetings at which PERG presented the results of a literature review and site specific accident study of the hazards of the maritime transport of spent nuclear reactor fuel to Barrow (en route to the Windscale reprocessing works), PERG was requested by the Planning Committee of Barrow Town Council to prepare an assessment of the interaction of the hazards arising from the concentration of nuclear activities in the area with those of a proposed gas-terminal. This report presents a preliminary review of the Environmental Impact Assessments prepared by the Borough Surveyor and a critical appraisal of the hazard analyses undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive, and the consultants to Cumbria County Council on this matter, the Safety and Reliability Directorate of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. After a general and historical introduction, the document continues under the following headings: a description of the hazards (BNFL spent fuel shipments; the gas terminal; gas condensate storage; the Vickers shipyard (involving nuclear powered submarines)); the interaction of hazards; planning implications and democratic decisions; recommendations. (U.K.)

Risks and risk assessment according to British legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieweg, K.

1980-01-01

The most important rules of the large number of legal regulations and other norms relating to risk control of technical installations discussed as far as their approach is quantitative: the regulations of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, of the Factories Act of 1961, the Hazardous Installations (Notification and Survey) Regulation, the Canvey-Island Study, regulations referring to Atomic Energy Law and the administrative practice, legal regulations in the field of navigation, regulations concerning planning legislation including the Windscale-Study. In Great Britain, the power of decision in the field of technical safety has been clearly assigned to the administrative authorities. The legislature refrained from going into details in the stipulation of legal regulations, judicial control has not been provided for, or has only little relevance in practice. The prevailing goal is to reach decisions by consensus, taking every effort to solve conflicts of interest by mutual agreements. Methods and criteria in risk assessment have been modified according to technological knowledge and developments. (orig./HSCH) [de

Long-range transport of radioisotopes in the atmosphere and the calculation of collective dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apsimon, H.M.; Goddard, A.J.H.; Wrigley, J.

1980-01-01

In estimating the long range (up to 1000 km) transport and dispersal of atmospheric pollutants, the meteorological conditions at the source become less relevant as the distance from the source increases, making it difficult to extrapolate to larger distances using short range modelling techniques. The MESOS model has therefore been developed to take into account the temporal and spatial changes in the atmospheric boundary layer along the trajectory of a pollutant release, including the effects of diurnal cycle and lateral dispersion in the synoptic scale windfield. The model is described together with the associated data base incorporating a year's meteorological data from synoptic stations and ships across Western Europe. A simulation of dispersal following the Windscale release of 1957 is compared with measurements. The use of the model is further illustrated by application to a hypothetical site both for routine continuous releases and short term accidental releases. This work has been carried out within the framework of a research contract between the EURATOM-CEA Association and Imperial College. (H.K.)

Government on the spot over Sellafield's reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The 18-year gestation of British Nuclear Fuels' Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) is almost at an end. Only one hurdle seemingly remains - the authorisation to dispose of its wastes. Opponents see this as the last chance to scrap what they regard as an environmental and financial white elephant. BNF's original rationale for THORP has grown increasingly threadbare since it was proposed in the mid-1970s - and the Government may now be forced into a last-minute rethink of the consequences of allowing it to be commissioned. (Author)

Annual report on radioactive discharges and monitoring of the environment 1993. V. 2: Certificates of authorisation and environmental monitoring programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc's Certificates of Authorisation, under which it operates, are reproduced in the second volume of the 1993 Annual Report on Radioactive Discharges and Monitoring of the Environment. The report also includes environmental monitoring programmes relating to discharge authorisation for each of the Sellafield, Drigg, Chapelcross, Springfields and Capenhurst sites. (UK)

Anthropogenic 14C in the natural (aquatic) environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begg, F.H.

1992-11-01

discharges are in a different chemical form from those at Sellafield. Given the nature of the work undertaken at Amersham, it would appear feasible for the discharges to be in both the dissolved inorganic and the organic (particulate and dissolved) forms, with those from Sellafield being in the dissolved inorganic form only. Enrichments were not found at the final site, ie. the Grand Union Canal, Buckinghamshire, except in one fish sample, although discharges are thought to occur, indicating that perhaps the time of sampling was unfavourable. To complete this work, a brief study of the global implications of aqueous releases was undertaken by using globally averaged mathematical models of the carbon cycle. These indicated that for every 10% of the total 14 C discharges from the nuclear industry that were released to the surface oceans as opposed to the atmosphere, the increase in the specific activity of the oceans was only half the subsequent decrease in the atmospheric 14 C specific activities, due to the greater mass of carbon present for dilution. Therefore, increasing discharges to the surface oceans would result in a decrease in the atmospheric 14 C specific activity and, hence, the radiological dose received by the global population. (author)

Analysis of Windscale and Bikini atoll sediments for Am-242m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beasley, T.M.

1976-01-01

Bowen and Livingston have recently reported the existence of 242 Am in both 1962 nuclear test debris and in a marine algae sample (kelp) contaminated by nuclear fuel reprocessing wastes. The presence of 242m Am (T 1/2 = 152y) was deduced by measuring its daughter product, 242C m. In the case of the fallout debris, the long decay time (25 years) between collection and analysis was argued to preclude the possibility of unsupported 242 Cm being present in the sample. The non-adherence to simple radiometric decay of the 242 Cm measured in two aliquots of the algae sample suggested that a small percentage of the isotope (≈ 3%) was in fact supported by its longer lived parent

Decommissioning of the Plutonium Purification and Residues Recovery Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, J. G.

2006-01-01

British Nuclear Group is continuing to build on BNFL's successful record of decommissioning redundant nuclear facilities. Challenging radiological conditions and complex technical problems have been overcome to reduce the hazard associated with the UK's nuclear legacy. The former Plutonium Purification and Residues Recovery Plant at Sellafield operated from 1954 through to 1987. This is the only plant to have experienced an uncontrolled criticality incident in the UK, in August 1970 during operations. The plant comprised of two mirror image cells approximately 6.5 m x 13.5 m x 16 m, constructed of bare brick. The cell structure provided secondary containment, the process vessels and pipes within the cell providing primary containment. The plant utilized a solvent extraction process to purify the plutonium stream. Surrounding the two process cells to the north, east and south is an annulus area that housed the operational control panels, feed and sample glove-boxes, and ancillary equipment. The building was ventilated by an unfiltered extract on the process cells and a filtered extract from the vessels and glove-boxes. During the long operational lifetime of the plant, the primary containment deteriorated to such an extent that the process cells eventually became the main containment, with levels of radioactive contamination in excess of 14,256 pCi alpha. This led to significant aerial effluent discharges towards the end of the plant's operational life and onerous working conditions during decommissioning. Implementation of a phased decommissioning strategy from 1991 has led to: - A reduction of approximately 60% in the Sellafield site's aerial alpha discharges following installation of a new ventilation system, - Removal of 12 plutonium contaminated glove-boxes and sample cabinets from the building, - Disposal of the approximately 500 m 2 of asbestos building cladding, - Removal of over 90% of the active pipes and vessels from the highly contaminated process cells

Live to work or love to work: work craving and work engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojdylo, Kamila; Baumann, Nicola; Fischbach, Lis; Engeser, Stefan

2014-01-01

According to the theory of work craving, a workaholic has a craving for self-worth compensatory incentives and an expectation of relief from negative affect experienced through neurotic perfectionism and an obsessive-compulsive style of working. Research has shown that workaholism and work engagement should be considered as two distinct work styles with different health consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying the adoption of these work styles have been neglected. The present study proposes that work craving and work engagement are differentially associated with self-regulatory competencies and health. In particular, we expected that the working styles mediate the relationships between emotional self-regulation and health. In the cross-sectional study, 469 teachers from German schools completed online administered questionnaires. By means of structural equation modeling, we tested two indirect paths: a) from self-relaxation deficits via work craving to poor health and b) from self-motivation competencies via work engagement to good health. As expected, we found evidence that a) the negative relationship of self-relaxation deficits on health was partially mediated by work craving and b) the positive relationship of self-motivation competencies on health was partially mediated by work engagement. The present study emphasizes the importance of self-regulation competencies for healthy or unhealthy work styles. Whereas work craving was associated with a low ability to down-regulate negative emotions and poor health, work engagement was associated with a high ability to up-regulate positive emotions and good health.

Public relations activities in BNFL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, B. [British Nuclear Fuels plc, Cheshire (United Kingdom)

1993-12-31

British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) is a major industrial company employing 15,000 people and supporting another 50,000 jobs in British industry through it`s isnvestment program. BNFL is frequently in the news, mainly because of the Sellafield reprocessing plant in West Cumbria. The company`s public relation policy is described in this report.

???????????? SolidWorks/SolidWorks Flow Simulation/SolidWorks Simulation ??? ?????????? ???????? ?? ????????????? ???

OpenAIRE

????????????, ?. ?.; ????????, ?. ?.; ?????, ?. ?.

2012-01-01

? ?????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?? ???????????? ??????????? ????????? SolidWorks/SolidWorks Flow Simulation (COSMOSFloWorks)/SolidWorks Simulation ??? ?????????? ???????? ?? ????????????? ???. ??? ???????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???????? ??????? ? ????????????? ?????? ? ????????????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????????? SolidWorks Flow Simulation (COSMOSFloWorks). ??? ???????????? ??????????? ????????????? ?????? ?? ????????? ??????????? ??????? ?? ??????????? ...

Gas cooled reactor decommissioning. Packaging of waste for disposal in the United Kingdom deep repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlow, S.V.; Wisbey, S.J.; Wood, P.

1998-01-01

United Kingdom Nirex Limited has been established to develop and operate a deep underground repository for the disposal of the UK's intermediate and certain low level radioactive waste. The UK has a significant Gas Cooled Reactor (GCR) programme, including both Magnox and AGR (Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor) capacity, amounting to 26 Magnox reactors, 15 AGR reactors as well as research and prototype reactor units such as the Windscale AGR and the Windscale Piles. Some of these units are already undergoing decommissioning and Nirex has estimated that some 15,000 m 3 (conditioned volume) will come forward for disposal from GCR decommissioning before 2060. This volume does not include final stage (Stage 3) decommissioning arisings from commercial reactors since the generating utilities in the UK are proposing to adopt a deferred safe store strategy for these units. Intermediate level wastes arising from GCR decommissioning needs to be packaged in a form suitable for on-site interim storage and eventual deep disposal in the planned repository. In the absence of Conditions for Acceptance for a repository in the UK, the dimensions, key features and minimum performance requirements for waste packages are defined in Waste Package Specifications. These form the basis for all assessments of the suitability of wastes for disposal, including GCR wastes. This paper will describe the nature and characteristics of GCR decommissioning wastes which are intended for disposal in a UK repository. The Nirex Waste Package Specifications and the key technical issues, which have been identified when considering GCR decommissioning waste against the performance requirements within the specifications, are discussed. (author)

Nuclear energy and independence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotblat, J.

1978-01-01

The pro-nuclear lobby in the United Kingdom won its battle. The Report on the Windscale Inquiry strongly endorsed the application by British Nuclear Fuels (a company owned by the government) to set up a plant to reprocess spent oxide fuels from thermal reactors; a motion in Parliament to postpone a decision was heavily defeated. The Windscale Inquiry was an attempt to settle in a civilized manner what has been tried in other countries by demonstrations and violence. In this exercise, a High Court Judge was given the task of assessing an enormous mass of highly complex technical and medical material, as well as economic, social, and political arguments. The outcome is bitterly disappointing to the objectors, all of whose arguments were rejected. Although the question of whether Britain should embark on a fast breeder reactor program was specifically excluded from the Inquiry, it clearly had a bearing on it. A decision not to proceed with the reprocessing plant would have made a fast breeder program impossible; indeed, the Report argues that such a decision would involve throwing away large indigenous energy resources, a manifest advocacy of the fast breeder. Other arguments for the decision to go ahead with the reprocessing plant included the need to keep the nuclear industry alive, and the profit which Britain will make in processing fuels from other countries, particularly Japan. The author comments further on present UK policy, taking a dissenting view, and then comments on the paper, Nuclear Energy and the Freedom of the West, by A.D. Sakharov

Live to work or love to work: work craving and work engagement.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamila Wojdylo

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: According to the theory of work craving, a workaholic has a craving for self-worth compensatory incentives and an expectation of relief from negative affect experienced through neurotic perfectionism and an obsessive-compulsive style of working. Research has shown that workaholism and work engagement should be considered as two distinct work styles with different health consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying the adoption of these work styles have been neglected. The present study proposes that work craving and work engagement are differentially associated with self-regulatory competencies and health. In particular, we expected that the working styles mediate the relationships between emotional self-regulation and health. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, 469 teachers from German schools completed online administered questionnaires. By means of structural equation modeling, we tested two indirect paths: a from self-relaxation deficits via work craving to poor health and b from self-motivation competencies via work engagement to good health. RESULTS: As expected, we found evidence that a the negative relationship of self-relaxation deficits on health was partially mediated by work craving and b the positive relationship of self-motivation competencies on health was partially mediated by work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasizes the importance of self-regulation competencies for healthy or unhealthy work styles. Whereas work craving was associated with a low ability to down-regulate negative emotions and poor health, work engagement was associated with a high ability to up-regulate positive emotions and good health.

A review of the epidemiological studies of childhood leukemia around nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Draper, G.J.

1992-01-01

There have been a number of reports of an increased incidence of cancer around nuclear installations in Britain, and three of these (viz. at Sellafield, Dounreay and Aldermaston/Burghfield) have been the subject of detailed investigation. Although each of these investigations has produced statistically significant evidence of an increase, there is no coherent and consistent relationship between the results for the three sites, and no hypothesis that will explain them all. In particular, it should be noted that there are very large differences in the magnitudes of the environmental discharges at these sites. The results that have been studied in most detail are those relating to the vicinity of the Sellafield reprocessing plant; the excess of cases appears to be explained bu an association between high preconception doses of radiation among some of the workers, and subsequent leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma in their offspring. However, this result would not have been predicted on the basis of current estimates of the genetic effects of radiation. Finally, it should be emphasized that the number of cases involved is very small. 20 refs., 7 tabs

Review of BNFL's operational experience of wet type flasks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McWilliam, D.S.

2004-01-01

BNFL International Transport's operational experience includes shipping 6000te of spent fuel from Japan to Sellafield, through its dedicated terminal at Barrow, and to Cogema La Hague. This fuel was shipped under the PNTL (Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd) banner for which BNFL is responsible. PNTL owned and operated a fleet of 5 ships for Japanese business and a fleet of 80 wet and 58 dry flasks, for the transport of Light Water Reactor (LWR) spent fuel, from both Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). ''Wet'' or ''dry'' flask is the common terminology used to distinguish between spent fuel flasks transporting fuel where the fuel is immersed in water, or spent fuel flasks that have been drained of water and dried. This paper concentrates on the wet type of flask utilised to transport fuel to Sellafield, that is the Excellox type (including similar type NTL derivatives). It aims to provide a summary of operational experience during handling at power stations, shipment, unloading at reprocessors and from scheduled maintenance

Probabilistic risk assessment for back-end facilities: Improving the treatment of fire and explosion scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunman, C.R.J.; Campbell, R.J.; Wakem, M.J.

1996-01-01

The nuclear reprocessing facilities at Sellafield are a key component of the International business of BNFL. The operations carried out at the site extend from the receipt and storage of irradiated fuel, chemical reprocessing, plutonium and uranium finishing, through mixed oxide fuel production. Additionally there are a wide range of supporting processes including solid waste encapsulation, vitrification, liquid waste evaporation and treatment. Decommissioning of the site's older facilities is also proceeding. The comprehensive range of these activities requires that the safety assessment team keeps up to date with developments in the field, as well as conducting and sponsoring appropriate research into methodologies and modelling in order to deliver a cost effective, timely service. This paper will review the role of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) in safety cases for operations at Sellafield and go on to describe some areas of PRA methodology development in the UK and in which BNFL is a contributor. Finally the paper will summarise some specific areas of methodology development associated with improving the modelling of fire and explosion hazards which are specific to BNFL. (author)

Plutonium in intertidal coastal and estuarine sediments in the Northern Irish Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aston, S.R.; Assinder, D.J.; Kelly, M.

1985-01-01

Surface intertidal sediments from 35 sites in the Irish Sea have been analysed for their 238 Pu and sup(239,240)Pu activities, together with an intensive study of plutonium in sediments of the Esk Estuary (NW England). The range of plutonium activities for the whole survey were 0.14-4118 and 1.3-16 026 Bq kg -1 for 238 Pu and sup(239,240)Pu, respectively. The levels of Pu activity, derived from the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing effluents, in sediments are controlled by lithological factors and the influence of transport and post-depositional processes. Grain size distribution is particularly important, the major part of plutonium activity being in the mud fraction of all sediments. The data suggest that over the Irish Sea coastline, dynamic mixing of sediment grains by reworking and resuspension and/or by dispersion in tidal currents are important in determining plutonium distributions. The exponential decrease in sediment plutonium activities away from the Sellafield source is attributed to the progressive mixing with older contaminated and uncontaminated sediments. (author)

Case law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2006-01-01

Five articles are tackled: in France, the judgement of the Court of Appeal of Limoges concerning the dumping of radioactive waste by Areva N.C.(2006). The Court of Appeal of Limoges ruled that Areva N.C. was not guilty of dumping radioactive waste, and neither had it infringed radiation protection regulations or general mining industry regulations. there was no proof of damage to fish fauna. In Sweden, judgement on Plans for the dismantling of Barsebaeck (2006). This court case resulted from a dispute between the operator and the Swedish government Swedish radiation Protection Institute. The Swedish Government wanted decommissioning to commence immediately whereas plant management at Barsebaeck had indicated its intention to wait until 2020, when the radiation dose to workers during decommissioning work would be lower. The court approved the plans to commence dismantling in 2020, when a repository for large reactor components will be ready at the national final repository for radioactive waste at the Forsmark plant. In United Kingdom, on October 2006, British Nuclear group Sellafield Ltd. (B.N.G.S.L.) was fined 500 000 pounds (G.B.P.) plus G.B.P. 68000 in costs in a case brought by the UK health and Safety Executive (H.S.E.) for failing to identify and stop an eight-month long leak of 83 400 litres of radioactive liquid at the Thermal Oxide reprocessing Plant (T.H.O.R.P.) at Sellafield in Cumbria. The fine was levied at Carlisle Crown Court after B.N.G.S.L. pleaded guilty, at an earlier hearing, to the three counts of breaching conditions attached to the Sellafield site licence, granted under the 1965 Nuclear Installations Act as amended. These conditions require the licensee to make and comply with written instructions; to ensure safety systems are in good working order; and to ensure radioactive material is contained and, if leaks occur, they are detected and reported. In Usa, in accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended (N.W.P.A.) the US

Effects of cellulosic degradation product concentration on actinide sorption on tuffs from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, Sellafield, Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baston, G.M.N.; Berry, J.A.; Bond, K.A.; Boult, K.A.; Linklater, C.M.

1994-01-01

The Nirex Safety Assessment Research Programme includes an investigation into the effects of cellulosic degradation products on the sorption of radioelements onto geological materials. Previous batch sorption studies have shown that the presence of high concentrations of both authentic cellulosic degradation products (produced by alkaline degradation of wood/tissue) and the well-characterised simulant, gluconate, can cause marked reductions in actinide sorption. This work has now been extended to cover a range of concentrations of both authentic cellulosic degradation products and their simulants, gluconate and iso-saccharinate. Geological samples were from the proposed Nirex underground radioactive waste disposal site at Sellafied, Cumbria. The nuclides studied were thorium and plutonium. In the presence of gluconate or iso-saccharinate, at concentrations above 10 -4 M, the present work has confirmed the trends shown by earlier experiments, with a significant reduction in actinide sorption (R D values reduced by less than a factor of two), and in some cases the results suggested a slight increase (R D values increased by up to a factor of four). (orig.)

Effects of cellulosic degradation product concentration on actinide sorption on tuffs from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, Sellafield, Cumbria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baston, G.M.N. [AEA Technology, Decommissioning and Waste Management, Harwell (United Kingdom); Berry, J.A. [AEA Technology, Decommissioning and Waste Management, Harwell (United Kingdom); Bond, K.A. [AEA Technology, Decommissioning and Waste Management, Harwell (United Kingdom); Boult, K.A. [AEA Technology, Decommissioning and Waste Management, Harwell (United Kingdom); Linklater, C.M. [AEA Technology, Decommissioning and Waste Management, Harwell (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

The Nirex Safety Assessment Research Programme includes an investigation into the effects of cellulosic degradation products on the sorption of radioelements onto geological materials. Previous batch sorption studies have shown that the presence of high concentrations of both authentic cellulosic degradation products (produced by alkaline degradation of wood/tissue) and the well-characterised simulant, gluconate, can cause marked reductions in actinide sorption. This work has now been extended to cover a range of concentrations of both authentic cellulosic degradation products and their simulants, gluconate and iso-saccharinate. Geological samples were from the proposed Nirex underground radioactive waste disposal site at Sellafied, Cumbria. The nuclides studied were thorium and plutonium. In the presence of gluconate or iso-saccharinate, at concentrations above 10{sup -4} M, the present work has confirmed the trends shown by earlier experiments, with a significant reduction in actinide sorption (R{sub D} values reduced by less than a factor of two), and in some cases the results suggested a slight increase (R{sub D} values increased by up to a factor of four). (orig.)

An unusual cluster of babies with Down's Syndrome born to former pupils of an Irish boarding school

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheenan, P.M.E.; Hillary, I.B.

1983-01-01

The authors report an unusual cluster of babies with Down's syndrome to six young mothers in a total of 26 pregnancies, whose only common feature was that they attended school together in Dundalk, an eastern coastal town in the Republic of Ireland, during the 1950s. An outbreak of illness similar to influenza occurred in the school in October 1957. Another possible time related causative factor was the nuclear accident at Windscale 10 October 1957. Irish meteorological reports are consistent with radioactive fallout having reached Ireland at a time of heavy rainfall in the Dundalk area. (UK)

Disposal of radioactive waste in the marine environment: a review from a national perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, P.I.

1983-01-01

The marine disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from the peaceful uses of atomic energy is examined as it relates to Ireland. International agreements covering the dumping of radioactive materials at sea are discussed and the functions of the responsible international organizations are outlined. The legal aspects, licensing procedures and government policies in relation to the dumping of low-level radioactive wastes in the North-East Atlantic and the discharges into the Irish Sea from the nuclear reprocessing plant at Windscale are discussed. Exposure pathways, population exposure and monitoring programs resulting from these practises are also examined

Accidents with damage to nuclear core. A perspective for TMI-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, A.

1980-01-01

The most direct consequence of the TMI-2 accident was the destruction of substantial fraction of the fuel element cladding. With the aim of given a certain perspective to that accident, an analysis is made of the causes by which the fuel element clad may lose its integrity. The Windscale, SL-1 and Enrico Fermi accidents constitute important examples to that end. These accidents are analyzed giving special emphasis to those aspects which apear later on at TMI-2. The general consequences of the latter are examined with a certain details, including the social, institutional, technological and economic aspects of the accident. (author)

International conference on non-military radiation emergencies: [Final technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The subject of this report was limited to non-military radiation emergencies because such events needed to be addressed and the topic was considered to be manageable. The Conference theme developed around the lessons learned from the radiation emergencies at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Windscale. Specific topics to be considered included acute and long-term effects of radiation exposure; frequency and nature of radiation emergencies; national standards for exposures to ionizing radiation; plans and procedures for responding to emergencies at the hospital, community, and national levels; and responsibilities of physicians and other health professionals regarding radiation exposures and emergencies

Environment annual report 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

In the 1993 Environment Annual Report for BNFL, data are presented for radioactive discharges to the environment and their associated doses to the criteria group members of the public in the vicinity of Sellafield, Drigg, Chapelcross, Springfields and Capenhurst. Similarly, data are also presented for non-radioactive discharges to water and air for each site. (UK)

Transport of plutonium nitrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-02-01

This leaflet discusses the subject under the headings: why do we need plutonium; why must we transport it; what action is carried out; how is it moved; what are the risks. The transport of the material in specially designed containers, from Dounreay in Caithness by road and sea to Sellafield in Cumbria, is described. (U.K.)

Product evaluation phase 1 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearsey, H.A.; Hornby, J.

1984-01-01

This report concerns the intermediate-level radioactive waste arisings from the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield. Headings are: general introduction (origin of waste; current stocks and future arisings); characteristics of the waste stream; alternative matrices (for solidification of waste in form suitable for disposal); waste simulation; relevance of other Phase II studies. (U.K.)

Glass-Ceramic Waste Forms for Uranium and Plutonium Residues Wastes - 13164

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, Martin W.A.; Moricca, Sam A.; Zhang, Yingjie; Day, R. Arthur; Begg, Bruce D.; Scales, Charlie R.; Maddrell, Ewan R.; Hobbs, Jeff

2013-01-01

A program of work has been undertaken to treat plutonium-residues wastes at Sellafield. These have arisen from past fuel development work and are highly variable in both physical and chemical composition. The principal radiological elements present are U and Pu, with small amounts of Th. The waste packages contain Pu in amounts that are too low to be economically recycled as fuel and too high to be disposed of as lower level Pu contaminated material. NNL and ANSTO have developed full-ceramic and glass-ceramic waste forms in which hot-isostatic pressing is used as the consolidation step to safely immobilize the waste into a form suitable for long-term disposition. We discuss development work on the glass-ceramic developed for impure waste streams, in particular the effect of variations in the waste feed chemistry glass-ceramic. The waste chemistry was categorized into actinides, impurity cations, glass formers and anions. Variations of the relative amounts of these on the properties and chemistry of the waste form were investigated and the waste form was found to be largely unaffected by these changes. This work mainly discusses the initial trials with Th and U. Later trials with larger variations and work with Pu-doped samples further confirmed the flexibility of the glass-ceramic. (authors)

135Cs/137Cs isotopic composition of environmental samples across Europe: Environmental transport and source term emission applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snow, Mathew S.; Snyder, Darin C.

2016-01-01

135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic analyses represent an important tool for studying the fate and transport of radiocesium in the environment; in this work the 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotopic composition in environmental samples taken from across Europe is reported. Surface soil and vegetation samples from western Russia, Ukraine, Austria, and Hungary show consistent aged thermal fission product 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotope ratios of 0.58 ± 0.01 (age corrected to 1/1/15), with the exception of one sample of soil-moss from Hungary which shows an elevated 135 Cs/ 137 Cs ratio of 1.78 ± 0.12. With the exception of the outlier sample from Hungary, surface soil/vegetation data are in quantitative agreement with values previously reported for soils within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, suggesting that radiocesium at these locations is primarily composed of homogenous airborne deposition from Chernobyl. Seawater samples taken from the Irish Sea show 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotope ratios of 1.22 ± 0.11 (age corrected to 1/1/15), suggesting aged thermal fission product Cs discharged from Sellafield. The differences in 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotope ratios between Sellafield, Chernobyl, and global nuclear weapons testing fallout indicate that 135 Cs/ 137 Cs isotope ratios can be utilized to discriminate between and track radiocesium transport from different nuclear production source terms, including major emission sources in Europe. - Highlights: • 135 Cs/ 137 Cs useful for tracking anthropogenic environmental radiocesium releases. • European surface soils/vegetation have uniform ratio consistent with Chernobyl. • 135 Cs/ 137 Cs in Irish sea represents thermal fission ratio distinct from Chernobyl. • Can distinguish between major source terms in Europe based on 135 Cs/ 137 Cs.

Live to Work or Love to Work: Work Craving and Work Engagement

OpenAIRE

Wojdylo, Kamila; Baumann, Nicola; Fischbach, Lis; Engeser, Stefan

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: According to the theory of work craving, a workaholic has a craving for self-worth compensatory incentives and an expectation of relief from negative affect experienced through neurotic perfectionism and an obsessive-compulsive style of working. Research has shown that workaholism and work engagement should be considered as two distinct work styles with different health consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying the adoption of these work styles have been neglected. The prese...

Rock solid: the geology of nuclear waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, Elspeth.

1990-01-01

With a number of nuclear submarines and power stations due to be decommissioned in the next decade, stores of radioactive waste, and arguments about storage increase. Whatever the direction taken by the nuclear industry in Britain, the legacy of waste remains for the foreseeable future. Geology is at the heart of the safety argument for nuclear wastes. It is claimed that rocks should act as the main safety barrier, protecting present and future generations from radiation. Rock Solid presents a clear, accessible and up to date account of the geological problems involved in building a nuclear waste repository. The author describes the geology of some of the possible UK repository sites (Sellafield, Dounreay, Altnabreac, Billingham), explains how sites are investigated (including computer models), and finally considers the crucial question: 'would geological containment of radioactive waste actually work?'. (author)

Thermal fuel research and development facilities in BNFL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, V.A.; Vickers, J.

1996-01-01

BNFL is committed to providing high quality, cost effective nuclear fuel cycle services to customers on a National and International level. BNFL's services, products and expertise span the complete fuel cycle; from fuel manufacture through to fuel reprocessing, transport, waste management and decommissioning and the Company maintains its technical and commercial lead by investment in continued research and development (R and D). This paper discusses BNFL's involvement in R and D and gives an account of the current facilities available together with a description of the advanced R and D facilities constructed or planned at Springfields and Sellafield. It outlines the work being carried out to support the company fuel technology business, to (1) develop more cost effective routes to existing fuel products; (2) maximize the use of recycled uranium, plutonium and tails uranium and (3) support a successful MOX business

Statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations. Third quarter 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

A statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations in Britain during the third quarter of 2001 is published today by the Health and Safety Executive (copy attached). It covers the period 1 July to 30 September 2001. The statement is published under arrangements that came into effect from the first quarter of 1993, derived from the Health and Safety Commission's powers under section 11 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. Normally each incident mentioned in HSE's Quarterly Incident Statements will already have been made public by the licensee or site operator either through a press statement or by inclusion in the newsletter for the site concerned. The locations of the installations mentioned in the statement are as follows: Heysham 1 (British Energy Generation plc), Sellafield (British Nuclear Fuels plc), Chapelcross (British Nuclear Fuels plc)

Integrating stakeholders' issues and concerns into Nirex's technical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atherton, Elisabeth

2004-01-01

This note outlines some of the activities that Nirex has undertaken to try and integrate stakeholders' issues and concerns into the technical research we have undertaken and how we are attempting to address their issues. Nirex arranges a range of dialogue activities including workshops, meetings, interviews and focus groups with a wide range of stakeholders. These events are coordinated under what is called the Nirex Involvement Programme. The feedback and inputs we have received at these events have been used to influence the work that we undertake. Nirex's interactions with stakeholders, particularly members of the public and local councillors in the aftermath of losing the 1997 rock characterisation facility public inquiry at Sellafield, has been fundamental to changing our whole approach. We are now trying to understand people's issues and recognising that Nirex is accountable to a wide constituency of stakeholders, but particularly the general public and their elected representatives. It has also enabled Nirex to attempt to integrate people's issues and concerns into its work programmes. Specific examples of where stakeholders' issues have impacted on the technical work Nirex undertakes are outlined. (author)

British Nuclear Fuels - a dirty business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunyard, P.

1983-01-01

The radioactive discharges from British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield, Cumbria, reprocessing plant to the sea are discussed. Statements that have been made by various individuals and groups about the contamination of the sea, the coast and places inland, and the biological effects of plutonium and americium, are discussed in detail. Particular stress is placed on statements about increased incidence of cancers. (U.K.)

Analysis of the RB1 gene in children with retinoblastoma having residential connections to West Cumbria, England

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowell, J K [Department of Cancer Genetics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263 (United States); Morris, J A [Department of Pathology, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster LA1 4RP (United Kingdom); Tawn, E J [Westlakes Research Institute, Moor Row, Cumbria CA24 3JY (United Kingdom)

2005-03-01

Six of eight cases of retinoblastoma previously identified as having a residential association with West Cumbria, England, in which the Sellafield nuclear installation is situated, were examined for the presence of a constitutional RB1 mutation. No mutations were detected, thus providing strong evidence against an environmental or occupational genotoxic effect causing germline mutations in the parents of these children. (note)

Product evaluation phase 1 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, M.

1984-01-01

This report concerns the intermediate-level radioactive waste arisings from the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield. Tokai Mura end caps arise when the fuel from the Japanese Tokai Mura reactor is decanned prior to fuel processing. Headings are: introduction (origin and arisings); waste characterisation; alternative matrices for encapsulation of waste in form suitable for disposal. (U.K.)

Health and safety annual report 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This 1989 annual report on Health and Safety in BNFL is intended to give the public a general review of the impact of the Company's activities on its workforce, the public and the environment. The activities at Sellafield, Springfields, Chapelcross, Drigg and Capenhurst are outlined, together with sections on medical services and transport, and radiation monitoring of workforce and the environment. (author)

Public understanding: can we make an atom of difference?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harding, C.

1990-01-01

The Chairman of British Nuclear Fuels Limited proposes a fresh marketing approach for the image of nuclear power generation in the United Kingdom, in an attempt to woo public opinion. Openness and honesty are essential, and environmental issues, while important, should not be cynically exploited. The Visitors' Centre at Sellafield is cited as a good example of how this might be achieved. (UK)

Balancing Machine Work, Comfort Work, and Sentimental Work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Maria Ie; Hansen, Magnus; Hertzum, Morten

2011-01-01

and attention. We investigate ambulance care in three of Denmark’s five healthcare regions, which staff ambulances with emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and physicians. Using the concept of illness trajectory we analyse how the ambulance crews balance machine work, which involves continuously...... monitoring the equipment, comfort work, which is actions taken to relieve the pain or discomfort of the patient, and sentimental work, which is care for the patient’s physical and mental well-being, often verbal in nature. The analysis shows that comfort and sentimental work often takes priority over machine...... work, but also that this has negative consequences. Equipment for use in ambulances should aim at supporting the ambulance crews in competently and dynamically balancing the different types of work and should, consequently, avoid binding the crew’s attention for unbroken periods of time....

Lessons learned from a criticality safety case for historic PCM waste retrieval

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkwood, David

2003-01-01

Plutonium Contaminated Material arises as a solid waste at the United Kingdom Sellafield Site. Its disposal route entails it being packaged into 200 litre mild steel drums which are currently placed in interim surface stores in large multi-layered arrays. Within one of the original Sellafield buildings, a large number of such drums accumulated in an area known as the South Solvent Cells during the late 1960s and early 1970s. They have remained there largely untouched until retrieval operations commenced in 2002. From the out-set, significant operational difficulties were encountered which led to a cessation of the retrieval operations after the processing of only twelve historic drums. These difficulties had their origins in the requirements of the criticality safety case and calibration of the plutonium assay instrumentation which supported the retrieval operations. This paper describes the remedial actions taken to address these difficulties which have allowed a successful resumption of waste retrieval operations and highlights learning points which have general applicability to any decommissioning or historic waste retrieval project that involves the fissile assay of plutonium (and 235 U) contaminated plant. (author)

Studies of environmental radioactivity in Cumbria - Pt. 18

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, W.A.; Walker, M.I.

1989-04-01

A small fraction of the radionuclides discharged into coastal waters is blown back onto land in seaspray. Man is exposed directly through inhalation of the spray and indirectly via inhalation of resuspended soil and consumption of food stuffs. Sea to land transfer is most readily observed in Cumbria, and for the actinides plutonium and americium, where doses at the μSv year -1 level result. Another exposure route for some members of the population of the Cumbrian coast is the ingestion of actinides in seafood, particularly in winkles. In predicting the magnitude of sea to land transfer and uptake in seafood and their radiological consequence in the short and long term, some understanding of the processes controlling radionuclide levels in the adjacent near-shore waters is necessary. A recent study of Pu and Am concentrations in the coastal waters near Sellafield, Cumbria is described and discussed in this report. The results suggest that the actinides remain available for sea-to-land transfer in these near-shore waters for more than 6 years following their discharge from Sellafield. During this time, variations in suspended particulate loadings appear to be the most important influence on the seawater concentration. (author)

The risks of leukaemia and other cancers in Seascale from radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stather, J.W.; Dionian, J.; Brown, J.; Fell, T.P.; Muirhead, C.R.

1986-04-01

Including new data in the radiation dose calculations for the Seascale study population of 1225 children and young persons, followed to 20 years of age or 1980, has, with modifications to dosimetric models, increased the predicted number of radiation-induced leukaemia resulting from Sallafield discharges from 0.01 to 0.016. Risk to the average child in the study, from the discharges, is now calculated as about 1 in 75,000 with a maximum risk of about 1 in 30,000 for children born in the mid-1950s. For the four fatal leukemias to be attributed to the Sellafield operations, the calculated average risk for all the children would have to be increased about 250 times. Estimate of the overall risk of radiation-induced leukaemia in the study population, from combined sources, has increased by less than 10% of the previous estimate and the total number of cases is still rounded to 0.1, as in R171. Risk to the average child is now calculated as about 1 in 12,250, about two thirds from natural background, 16% from Sellafield discharges, and 9% each from weapons fallout and medical exposure. (U.K.)

Radiological implications from the temporal development of radioactivity in marine food from the North Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanisch, G.; Nagel, G.; Krueger, A.; Kellermann, H.-J.

2000-01-01

A subject of the revision of authorised limits in 1994 for the discharge of liquid radioactive waste by the reprocessing plant Sellafield (UK) was an increase of these limits for certain radionuclides ( 3 H, 14 C, 60 Co, 99 Tc and 129 I). It is investigated now how the radioactivity in marine biota from the North Sea and subsequently the public radiation exposure of seafood consumers has developed in the years since 1994. This is based on a compartment model for dispersion in the North-East Atlantic. Discharges from the reprocessing plants Dounreay (UK) and La Hague (F) are included in the assessment. It is deduced that about 60% of 137 Cs in the North Sea originate presently in the remobilisation of old Sellafield discharges from the Irish Sea sediment. A comparison with measured biota data shows that the model is conservative in most cases. The public radiation exposure (artificial radionuclides) from ingestion of fish, crustaceans and molluscs from the central North Sea as the sum over 12 considered radionuclides has decreased from 1992 to 1998 from 0.13 to 0.08 μSv y -1 . (orig.)

Assessment of the present and future implications of radioactive contamination of the Irish Sea coastal region of Cumbria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkins, B.T.; Simmonds, J.R.; Cooper, J.R.

1994-10-01

An assessment has been made of the doses that could be received by people who make use of the Cumbrian coastal area. Current doses have been estimated for residents and visitors to different parts of the area. By making assumptions about changes in waste management practices at the BNFL Sellafield plant and in the geography of the coastal area, the development of doses over the next 200 years has been assessed. The study was confined to exposure pathways in the terrestrial environment, although the influence of liquid discharges on terrestrial pathways was taken into account. Consumption of marine foodstuffs was outside the scope of the study. As expected, the highest doses would be received by those people who live closest to Sellafield. However, in all cases doses to average individuals were well below the present limit for members of the public specified by ICRP. The general future trend was for doses to decline. Doses were also estimated for particular population groups such as those who spend more time on beaches. While the resultant values were higher than those for average individuals, they were still well within the ICRP limit in all cases. (author)

Reprocessing business in the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkinson, W L

1985-01-01

The development of the process for separating uranium, plutonium and fission products from irradiated fuel began in Britain in late 1940s, and the first separation plant was operated at Sellafield in 1952. This plant was operated very well for more than 12 years with the overall availability over 95%. The second separation plant to meet the needs of the growing nuclear power program became operational in 1964. This plant has been extremely successful, but the significant improvement was made to extend the operating life of the key items. In mid 1970s, by the introduction of uranium oxide fuel reactors, significant reprocessing capacity became to be required. Therefore, it was decided to embark upon the development of a thermal oxide reprocessing plant (THORP) to complement the existing facilities at Sellafield. The THORP is a very large complex of plants. The first duty for the THORP is to reprocess 6,000 t U of oxide fuel in 10 years. But the plant is designed for the life of 25 years. The plant has the capacity of 1200 tes/year. The scope covered by the THORP, the plant processes and the wastes produced from the THORP are described. (Kako, I.).

Sellafield - the achievements and lessons of 40 years experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heafield, W.; Hexter, B.C.; Livesley, G.

1996-01-01

BNFL's operations, which support a global nuclear fuel cycle business and serve many companies in Pacific Basin countries, have been the subject of refinement from 40 years of experience. Many of the Company's operating philosophies are consistent with the principles of sustainable development. The paper acknowledges the important role that the nuclear industry can play in satisfying energy demands within economies of diminishing natural resources and societies which are becoming increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment. It explains how reprocessing can meet many of the criteria of sustainable development through recycling and the optimization of resources. It describes how BNFL have reduced the impact of its operations on the environment through the treatment of discharges and the minimization and stabilization of wastes requiring disposal. The establishment of BNFL Engineering Ltd as an outlet to the world markets for BNFL's engineering expertise and technology is covered. The paper looks at the responsible approach that BNFL is taking to liabilities management ensuring that no surprises are left for future generations. BNFL's commitment to the present and future of nuclear electricity generation is illustrated in the extent to which it is committed to making it operations safer and more cost effective through investment in research and development. The paper describes BNFL's commitment to the development of its employees and to the development of the communities in which it operates. The paper considers how BNFL has met its many challenges and draws out examples of sustainable development in practice. (author)

Fruit of the atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, E.

1978-01-01

This article first appeared in the August 1977 issue of the journal 'Third Way' and is reprinted with permission. Its author worked in the Chemistry Division of UKAEA Harwell from 1950 to 1960, but is now Vicar of a Liverpool parish and also an adviser on Social and Scientific Affairs. The article discusses the case of the British Council of Churches and UK religious leaders in opposing proposed extensions of the reprocessing facilities of the UKAEA Windscale works in respect of the setting up of an oxide reprocessing plant, at the public enquiry which is to be held. The opposition is connected with the Churches' decision to urge the UK Government not to go ahead at present with the building of a commercial fast reactor (CFR-1) and not until prospects for international co-operation have been further explored and a solution has been found for the problem of waste disposal and the problems connected with Pu. The article endeavours to present a balanced opinion on controversial nuclear matters, including a theological approach. Attention is paid to the problem of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is emphasised, however, that we must accept the fact that we now live in a nuclear age, but alternative energy technologies, notably sun, wind and wave power must receive consideration for the future. (U.K.)

Environmental monitoring in emergency situations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1966-01-01

This manual gives technical guidance on emergency monitoring procedures to those who would have to assess the situation after an accident leading to the uncontrolled release of radioactive substances to the environment. Its aim is to draw attention to the important factors that should be considered in formulating emergency plans. The seven annexes contain inventories of fission products and possible releases; dispersion, deposition and dose-exposure relationships for airborne releases; α-, β- and γ-radiation surveys; information on sample collection and field evaluation; and brief descriptions of the environmental monitoring procedures adopted in previous emergencies (Windscale 1957, AERE Harwell 1961 and NRTS Idaho 1961).

Ecological and toxicological aspects of the partial meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Eisler, Ronald; Hoffman, David J.; Rattner, Barnett A.; Burton, G. Allen; Cairns, John

1995-01-01

the partial meltdown of the 1000-MW reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine, on April 26, 1986, released large amounts of radiocesium and other radionuclides into the environment, causing widespread radioactive contamination of Europe and the former Soviet Union.1-7 At least 3,000,000 trillion becquerels (TBq) were released from the fuel during the accident (Table 24.1), dwarfing, by orders of magnitude, radiation released from other highly publicized reactor accidents at Windscale (U.K.) and three-Mile Island (U.S.)3,8 The Chernobyl accident happened while a test was being conducted during a normal scheduled shutdown and is attributed mainly to human error.3

Session 1984-85. Radioactive waste. Minutes of evidence, Monday 20 May 1985. Greenpeace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The Environment Select Committee of the House of Commons received a memorandum from Greenpeace on radioactive waste, including the following aspects: UK nuclear power programme; Government policies; origins and inventories of waste; fuel reprocessing plants; waste storage, processing and disposal; classification of active wastes; transport; functions of some organisations concerned with radioactive wastes in UK; relevant international law; ICRP safety standards; London Dumping Convention; dispersal of radioactive wastes from Windscale - radiological impacts; discussion of particular proposals for disposal sites; sea dumping; deep sub-seabed disposal. Representatives of Greenpeace were examined on the subject of the memorandum and the Minutes of Evidence are recorded. (U.K.)

Annual report 1986-1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority operates seen sites: the Harwell Laboratory, Nuclear Power Development Establishments at Risley, Dounreay, Springfields and Windscale, the Winfrith Atomic Establishment and the Culham Laboratory. These are supported by Central Services of finance, administration, safety, etc. 1986/87 was the UKAEA's first year of financial operation as a Trading Fund and the accounts are, therefore, an important part of this report. The General Report includes information on finance, members, organisation, staff and information services. The Technical Report covers the UKAEA's interests in advanced gas-cooled reactors, water cooled-reactors, fast reactors, safety, fusion, underlying research and industrial and environmental technology. (U.K.)

Torness: proposed nuclear power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

The need for and desirability of nuclear power, and in particular the proposed nuclear power station at Torness in Scotland, are questioned. Questions are asked, and answered, on the following topics: position, appearance and cost of the proposed Torness plant, and whether necessary; present availability of electricity, and forecast of future needs, in Scotland; energy conservation and alternative energy sources; radiation hazards from nuclear power stations (outside, inside, and in case of an accident); transport of spent fuel from Torness to Windscale; radioactive waste management; possibility of terrorists making a bomb with radioactive fuel from a nuclear power station; cost of electricity from nuclear power; how to stop Torness. (U.K.)

An atomic empire a technical history of the rise and fall of the British atomic energy programme

CERN Document Server

Hill, C N

2013-01-01

Britain was the first country to exploit atomic energy on a large scale, and at its peak in the mid-1960s, it had generated more electricity from nuclear power than the rest of the world combined.The civil atomic energy programme grew out of the military programme which produced plutonium for atomic weapons. In 1956, Calder Hall power station was opened by the Queen. The very next year, one of the early Windscale reactors caught fire and the world's first major nuclear accident occurred.The civil programme ran into further difficulty in the mid-1960s and as a consequence of procrastination in

Nuclear regulatory challenges of who should we train and why - a regulatory perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furness, J.

2000-01-01

The understanding by the staff who design, construct, commission, operate and decommission our nuclear installations of the safety cases for the plants is crucial to nuclear safety. The lack of such understanding has been a major contributor to accidents at Windscale, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, and may also have played a role in the recent criticality accident at Tokai-Mura. Competence is not only a matter of knowledge, but also of behaviour at the level of the individual and the organisation. It is also important for those in Government departments who sponsor or regulate nuclear power. The right competence is an essential ingredient in achieving a health safety culture at all levels. Staff turnover will be high over the next 5-10 years and the long experience of those who will be retiring must somehow be transferred to those who remain and who will be recruited. Competitive pressures may accelerate this process, increasing the stresses on the staff concerned. Plants are ageing and work-loads increasing, making safety culture all the more important. 'Soft skills' are as important as technical knowledge and should be included in training programmes at all levels. (author)

National report of Great Britain. Risks and risk assessment according to British legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieweg, K.

1980-01-01

Who has got the competence in Great Britain to decide about criteria to be applied and methods to be taken in the prevention of damage thus ensuring the required safety standards and definine the maximum acceptable risk to be taken due to the operation of industrial and other facilities. The answer is laid down in the legal regulations covering virtually all industrial and technical installations. The author discusses the skeleton regulations of the 'Health and Safety at Work Act 1974', which is to be considered as the basis of British industrial law. Giving numerous examples, the author explains the legal status and administrative practice concerning the wide range of conventional technical facilities. Furthermore, he describes legal status and administrative practice concerning nuclear facilities and aircraft. After discussing methods of environmental pollution control, especially air pollution, the author enters into the regulations governing planning procedures of great relevance in Britain's legal practice, and the administrative procedures, shown by the example of the Windscale Inquiry. Finally, the author describes methods of risk assessment in other fields of law and some possible approaches to use risk analyses in the framework of the legal system. (orig./HSCH) [de