Press release

Date: 31.10.01

Concern over Sellafield

Nordic environment ministers appealed to Britain Tuesday to stop isotope pollution from the Sellafield nuclear plant, and in particular said they were worried about the Technetium 99 isotope which has been found as far north as the Barents sea and around Svalbard.

• Radioactive discharges from Sellafield - Letter from Nordic Council to GB
• Follow 53rd Session of the Nordic Council

'(This Technetium) will also eventually end up in Icelandic waters,' the ministers said at a joint press conference as the 5-nation Nordic Council met in its 53rd session in the Danish capital.

The ministers went on to say that they were 'extremely concerned' at reports that the British government and its Environmental Agency planned to allow the Sellafield reprocessing plant to continue to operate and pollute until 2006.

'This will, in effect, mean an increase in isotope pollution in the affected areas,' the ministers said.

The Nordic countries have repeatedly expressed their concern over Sellafield and publicly and privately called on the United Kingdom to close the plant. This year's appeal comes as the United Kingdom and others see an increased danger to nuclear installations from terrorists following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

Contacts

Fredrik Theisen, tel, 22246055
Trygve Hallingstad, tel, 22246036