'Significant' Incident at Torness Nuclear Power Station Uncovered - - Safety Failures Criticised by Investigators Report
Sun., June 26, 2005. 11:30.
A Nuclear Installations Inspectorate report has revealed that the accident at Torness power station in May 2002 which shut down the nuclear reactor for six months was much more serious than previously acknowledged and that plant operators did not give a high enough priority to nuclear safety.
A Nuclear Installations Inspectorate report has revealed that the accident at Torness power station in May 2002 which shut down the nuclear reactor for six months was much more serious than previously acknowledged and that plant operators did not give a high enough priority to nuclear safety. (1)
The report is made public for the first time after South Scotland Green MSP Chris Ballance used Freedom of Information legislation to obtain it.
At the time, British Energy reported the accident as "vibration problems in one gas circulator”, but in fact a 'loud noise' and 'heavy vibration' caused 'significant damage' to the cooling gas circulation system with 'many loose parts', 'significant deformation' and 750 litres of oil leaking into the 'lower reactor area'. According to the report “the operators’ ignorance of the local plant vibration monitoring system is not acceptable and there seems to be little attention afforded to vibration alarms...”
The NII investigation revealed 'communication problems' between maintenance and operating staff and that a three week delay in assessing the accident 'doesn't demonstrate a high priority is given [to] nuclear safety'. Maintenance engineers were not on hand to deal with the incident because they had been removed from shifts in a drive to cut costs. Instead, an engineer had to be called in.
Green MSP Chris Ballance said: "This was a serious accident, damage was 'significant' and there were failings on safety and training, yet we were led to believe it was simply 'vibration problems'. It's unacceptable. The whitewash on the seriousness of the incident reveals yet another reason why the nuclear lobby cannot be trusted, nor its technology relied upon.
"It demonstrates the folly in trusting to nuclear power to keep the lights on. Nuclear power is the dirty, risky technology of last century and creates waste that we do not know how to deal with. The uneconomic state of nuclear power also risks nuclear operators trying to cut costs, with real and frightening safety implications. Nuclear power is a mistake we must never repeat."
The revelations are another blow to the nuclear industry following the recent radioactive leaks at Sellafield which will cost Britain's waste clean-up programme £300 million. The industry is supposed to contribute to dealing with existing waste but leaks and subsequent closures jeopardise these contributions. (2)
In a further blow to the nuclear industry, economic think tank Oxera will tomorrow report that a new generation of nuclear power stations would cost the tax-payer billions of pounds. (3) Ballance said, “This is further proof of what Greens have been saying all along. Nuclear power costs the earth – both financially and in terms of health and safety. The only solution for sustainable, safe energy for the future rests with renewable energy and energy efficiency. Yet both the Labour government and G8 leaders are considering nuclear power as a method of tackling climate change - this is a nonsense. In any case the energy involved in building, fuelling and running the things creates significant carbon emissions - never mind the billions of pounds of taxpayers money that would be, is, and has been, denied to the renewable energy industry."
Notes
1. The report by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate was released to Chris Ballance MSP after a request under the new Freedom of Information Act. Copies are available by fax only from the press office. Also see http://www.sundayherald.com/50446
2. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1504985,00.html
3. The Times 26th June 2005 - http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1669187,00.html
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.