[cdn-nucl-l] BNFL insists nuclear cargo is safe

["Adam McLean" <adam.mclean@utoronto.ca>]

Posted in the Evening Standard on September 15, 2002 and at:
http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=696924&;
in_review_text_id=670141
"And even a terrorist would need something akin to a very large assembly
facility such as the one at Sellafield to remove the plutonium, so
saying that the plutonium is 'weapons usable' is several stages from
reality."
Something Greenpeace doesn't seem to realise...

Adam

-----------------

BNFL insists nuclear cargo is safe

The energy company transporting two nuclear shipments to Britain from
Japan has hit back at claims that the cargo is a target for terrorists.

British Nuclear Fuels Ltd has received a storm of criticism over the
transportation of radioactive plutonium from Takahama for recycling at
its nuclear power plant in Sellafield, Cumbria.

Environmental campaigners Greenpeace claim the ships' five-tonne cargo
contains enough plutonium to make 50 nuclear weapons should it fall into
terrorist hands.

A BNFL spokesman said Greenpeace was entitled to protest but insist a
terrorist attack on the nuclear shipments or a radiation threat to other
countries during transportation was "far beyond the bounds of reality".

Greenpeace however claims the radioactive cargo has also endangered the
environment as the ships sailed across the globe en route to a port at
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, where they are expected to dock.

"There is plutonium within this fuel and that is why we are taking the
security measures that we are taking, but it is misleading that
Greenpeace say it could be used to make nuclear weapons," a BNFL
spokesman said.

"It's really whether or not you believe that somebody who wanted to get
their hands on the plutonium could do so is credible or not, and I would
say that it's not credible.

"Security assessments have concluded that there is no credible threat to
these shipments as we have multiple and many layers of defence which
would impede an attempt at removal of the cargo.

"And even a terrorist would need something akin to a very large assembly
facility such as the one at Sellafield to remove the plutonium, so
saying that the plutonium is 'weapons usable' is several stages from
reality."

Safety measures include the fuel on board the ships being stored inside
100-tonne armoured casks, which are bolted down, and the ships being
armed and escorted by armed police.


C Associated Newspapers Ltd., 15 September 2002
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