(October 13, 1995) The discovery of radioactive contamination on the outside of a flask used to transport high-level reprocessing radioactive waste from La Hague (France) to Japan has raised fears that safety procedures may not be as stringent as the French reprocessor Cogema has claimed.
(441.4343) WISE Amsterdam - It was the first of many transports scheduled to take place over the next two decades, from La Hague and Sellafield reprocessing plants to Japan, and was viewed by the industry as an inportant test run to prove to the world that such shipments are safe (see also WISE NC 425.4211).
The radioactive contamination was found during a series of tests carried out on the 28 flasks used in the transport. One flask was found to have radioactive caesium on its outer skin.
While Cogema believes that the caesium was spilt when the flasks were being filled, some Japanese officials are saying that the flask leaked during transport.
Source: Safe Energy Journal (UK), Sept/Nov 1995
Contact: Citizen's Nuclear Information Center, 302 Daini ake Bldg. 1-59-14 Higashi-nakano, Tokyo 164, Japan, Tel +81-3- 5330 9520, Fax +81-3-5330 9530
Nuclear transport trouble #2
The British company Mainline Freight, which is soon to be privatised, has expressed great concern over the lack of safety procedures in nuclear transports. An inquiry conducted by four senior railway managers after an incident in March involving a flask carrying spent nuclear waste from Sizewell to Sellafield, has highlighted many areas where the response from management fell short of what could be expected. The inquiry revealed that the flask had been left in a perilous position after a 30-year-old crane which was transferring it to a freight train wagon failed, dropping the flask back onto the lorry. It was left dangling off the back of the lorry for twelve hours, while railway managers argued about who was responsible for dealing with it.
The operators of the UK's nuclear trains, Transrail Freight Ltd, stressed there was no danger of the flask releasing its deadly load. All nuclear traffic on the railways was stopped for a week while all of the cranes used for lifting nuclear flasks were checked for faults.
Source: Safe Energy Journal (UK), Sept-Nov. 1995
Contact: Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (CORE), 98 Church Str., Barrow-in-Furnes, Cumbria LA14 2HT, UK, Tel +44-229-833 851, Fax +44-229-812 239