Letter: Nuclear clean-up
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: It is a travesty of the truth to suggest that the German government's decision to delay cancelling reprocessing contracts will save "thousands of jobs" at Sellafield (report, 27 January).
German utilities have contracts with Sellafield's Thorp reprocessing plant for around 1,900 tonnes of spent fuel, which represents around 18 per cent of the Thorp order book (by weight). In the unlikely event that the plant were able to get back on schedule following recent breakdowns, Thorp would still only have enough work to keep it going until 2009 unless it wins new orders. In the meantime, the plant continues to increase the international stockpile of weapons-useable plutonium.
On the other hand, BNFL is a major world player in dry storage technology and decommissioning and radioactive waste clean-up work. If BNFL approaches the forthcoming talks with Germany in a constructive and conciliatory manner, it can expect to be able to capitalise on these areas of expertise and gain new work from the German utilities.
It is clear that reprocessing is a dying industry. BNFL should seize the opportunity presented by the German decision to get out of reprocessing, and diversify into nuclear services such as waste storage, clean-up and decommissioning which its customers actually want. It makes neither business nor environmental sense to insist that customers continue to separate plutonium against their wishes.
PETE ROCHE
Campaigner
Greenpeace UK
London N1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments