Sellafield
David Cameron’s Radical Plan To ‘Burn Up’ UK’s Mountain Of Plutonium
– David Cameron’s radical plan to ‘burn up’ UK’s mountain of plutonium (Independent, Nov 28, 2013):
A radical plan to dispose of Britain’s huge store of civil plutonium – the biggest in the world – by “burning” it in a new type of fast reactor is now officially one of three “credible options” being considered by the Government, The Independent understands.
However, further delays have hit attempts to make a final decision on what to do with the growing plutonium stockpile which has been a recurring headache for successive governments over the past three decades.
The stock of plutonium, one of the most dangerous radioactive substances and the element of nuclear bombs, has already exceeded 100 tonnes and is likely to grow to as much as 140 tonnes by 2020, bolstered by a recent decision to include foreign plutonium from imported nuclear waste.
Read moreDavid Cameron’s Radical Plan To ‘Burn Up’ UK’s Mountain Of Plutonium
The 10 Most Radioactive Places on Earth
– 10 Most Radioactive Places on Earth (brainz):
While the 2011 earthquake and worries surrounding Fukushima have brought the threat of radioactivity back into the public consciousness, many people still don’t realize that radioactive contamination is a worldwide danger. Radionuclides are in the top six toxic threats as listed in the 2010 report by The Blacksmith Institute, an NGO dedicated to tackling pollution. You might be surprised by the locations of some of the world’s most radioactive places — and thus the number of people living in fear of the effects radiation could have on them and their children.
10. Hanford, USA
The Hanford Site, in Washington, was an integral part of the US atomic bomb project, manufacturing plutonium for the first nuclear bomb and “Fat Man,” used at Nagasaki. As the Cold War waged on, it ramped up production, supplying plutonium for most of America’s 60,000 nuclear weapons. Although decommissioned, it still holds two thirds of the volume of the country’s high-level radioactive waste — about 53 million gallons of liquid waste, 25 million cubic feet of solid waste and 200 square miles of contaminated groundwater underneath the area, making it the most contaminated site in the US. The environmental devastation of this area makes it clear that the threat of radioactivity is not simply something that will arrive in a missile attack, but could be lurking in the heart of your own country.
Sellafield MOX Nuclear Fuel Plant Will Be Shut (50% Of Output Was For TEPCO)
– Sellafield Mox nuclear fuel plant to close (Guardian, August 3, 2011):
The mixed-oxide fuel plant will be shut as a consequence of the Fukushima incident, with the loss of about 600 jobs
The Mox nuclear fuel plant at Sellafield was closed on Wednesday , with the loss of around 600 jobs.
Read moreSellafield MOX Nuclear Fuel Plant Will Be Shut (50% Of Output Was For TEPCO)