Stop Hinkley Press Release

EA license radwaste recycling and landfill

23rd December 2008

In response to the news that Hinkley Point 'A' station is in the process of shipping radioactive waste for 'recycling' in America, Stop Hinkley spokesman Jim Duffy said:

"This radioactive metal should be isolated from the environment. Magnox might save money from the long-term management of this waste by sending it for use in US nuclear power stations but those who handle it during smelting and nuclear construction may inhale dangerous radioactive particles."

"The nuclear industry has lobbied hard to loosen the regulations on radioactive waste metal to the point where, if they succeeded, we would be cooking with slightly contaminated pots and pans made from recycled radioactive metal. The UK scrap metal industry has voiced its concerns at handling it but this move takes us a step further in a process where the public may unknowingly get contaminated."

"This adds to the new risk from allowing low level radioactive waste being dumped in local council landfill sites. The Government has run out of options for securing this waste, mainly concrete, which is accruing in huge volumes from cleaning up nuclear sites like Hinkley 'A'. So the Environment Agency has appallingly caved in and granted licenses to dump the waste in our municipal landfills (1)."

"Shipping contaminated waste thousands of miles might be one of the reasons the Environment Agency says the nuclear industry's carbon footprint increased by five percent last year (2)."

Jim Duffy, Stop Hinkley Coordinator