The decision to permit the Thorp nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield to go into full production exposes Ireland to "unacceptable risk" of a nuclear accident, according to the Government. Following yesterday's decision in favour of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, a Government spokesman said it remained "committed to using all means at its disposal to protect the health interests of the Irish people" from BNFL's operations in Cumbria.
The British Nuclear Installation Inspectorate (NII) yesterday granted BNFL "consent to operate" the plant, built at a cost of £1.96 billion. This is formal recognition of its view that the facility "can reprocess [spent nuclear fuel] safely". Thorp has an order book valued at £12 billion.
BNFL previously obtained permission to gradually increase reprocessing while the plant's operation was monitored by the NII.
The legal representative of a group of Co Louth residents said yesterday's decision would not deter them in their attempt to close the plant through an action in the Irish courts. A BNFL spokeswoman said that the company would fully defend any action brought in Ireland.
The Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise, Mr Joe Jacob, who has responsibility for Sellafield issues, described the Thorp decision as "objectionable".
The extent of accident risk was such that the plant could never be considered safe, he said. "We see Thorp as the type of operation which increases proliferation risk and causes potential hazard because of the transport of spent fuel to Sellafield and the return of reprocessed uranium/plutonium to its point of origin."
Mr James McGuill, a solicitor acting for the Dundalk-based Stop Thorp Alliance (STAD), which has been granted leave by the Supreme Court to take a case to the High Court, said that the announcement would not deter their campaign.
Mr McGuill said that Fianna Fail had made a commitment to fund the STAD case fully. "We have looked for confirmation of that. We have been told a proposal will be issued to us in September. We believe the litigation will be successful, but it needs to be resourced. We do not want to go in with just a sling in a David and Goliath situation."
Mr John Gormley, the Green Party TD, said the Government should take over full responsibility for the case given the risks posed by the Thorp plant.
BNFL confirmed that Thorp has more than 15 years' worth of orders, two-thirds of them from overseas. It predicts profits of £500 million within 10 years.
