The Celtic League have welcomed an inspection of the Wylfa nuclear plant on Anglesey carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).

However the League are pressing the RPII to say if their generally positive assessment of the plants safety means that concerns about fundamental defects in the plants reactors and also concerns about repeated extensions to its safe operational life can be set aside.

Prior to the Wylfa plant being allowed to reopen six years ago there was a major debate (promoted by Greenpeace) about long-term safety issues. In that debate independent nuclear engineer, John Large, highlighted the potential catastrophic consequences of defective welds inside the nuclear plant and the ageing and deterioration of other vital reactor components.

He also highlighted ongoing deterioration of the reactor system as the inevitable result of ageing, including:

The cracking of plates around pipework from the reactor boilers;

The corrosion of steel components inside the reactor, in particular the "core restraint garter" which surrounds the core of the nuclear reactor;

Corrosion or loss of volume in the graphite core of the reactor.

At the time Mr Large argued that the inevitable deterioration of these components mean it is increasingly difficult to predict what might happen in an accident. He stated that the 'worst case scenario' accident for Wylfa is in fact far more serious than has previously been admitted by the NII.

He concluded that a failure of the welds and the weakened reactor components could combine to result in uncontrolled, large-scale releases of radioactivity.

Mr Large also criticised regulation of nuclear safety regime by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) as secretive and lacking in rigour.

In its query to the RPII the Celtic League is specifically pressing the Institute to say if, in the light of its latest report, it now believes such warnings can be ignored.

"The Chief Executive Dr Ann McGarry Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland 3 Clonskeagh Square Clonskeagh Road Dublin 14 Ireland.

Dear Dr McGarry,

I read with interest the recent report by your Institute on the visit to the Wylfa nuclear power plant on Anglesey. Obviously given the safety concerns about the dangers such facilities pose to Irish sea communities the ability to have external independent scrutiny of such plants is a positive step forward.

I note that the RPII report is generally positive in relation to its assessment of safety at the plant.

However, I note that in the press release there is no mention of the serious operational difficulties that the plant has experienced in recent years. Specifically no reference is made to three forms of deterioration in the reactor cores which have been a particular cause of concern in recent years i.e.

Cracks in welds where superheated steam tailpipes from each boiler penetrate the steel liner of the reinforced concrete reactor pressure vessel.

Corrosion of the internal steelwork of the reactors, particularly the core restraint garter.

Radiolytic oxidation (corrosion) or loss of volume of the graphite core.

Can we take it from your release that these issues are no longer a problem?

You will of course be aware that a CEGB document in 1979 revealed that all Magnox plant could have a 25-year life except for Wylfa "where a 20-year life should be assumed because of higher gas coolant pressure causing increased steel and graphite damage." Despite this report economic pressures prompted the operational life of the plant to be extended to 30 years.

Wylfa which started in 1971 should therefore have closed in 2001 but the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) accepted that Wylfa was safe to continue operating only until 2004.

Can we take it from your release that the RPII believe no risk is posed by the continuing extensions of the plants operational life?

Yours faithfully

J B Moffatt

Director of Information Celtic League

cc John Gormley TD Minister of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government."

See also Celtic News articles at:

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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

20/10/07

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