UK nuclear workers told to stay home as radioactivity rises

rt.com...

This just showed up on RT tonight. Hope it isn't as bad as it sounds. Sorry for the lack of info, but this is breaking. Maybe some brits can update us.

reply to post by aarys


Oh boy. Here we go again.

No worries folks just a little extra radiation.

The picture looks like it has grave stones siting there. I know they aren't but it is fitting.

reply to post by aarys


oh boy, that's a bit to close to my comfort zone... stuxnet anyone?

No but seriously whats with all the powerplants going haywire?

I hope this turns out to be nothing serious.

reply to post by Grimpachi


When are these clowns in power going to wake up and see how they are playing roulette with peoples lives. Ggggggrrrrr.

Friendly advice, if you hear any stories about large black birds/winged creatures seen in the immediate area of this reactor then just run.

reply to post by MessageforAll


Actually the Sellafield Reprocessing facility does not, as far as I am aware, produce power. So it is not a power plant. It is in fact dedicated to the management of nuclear waste products, like spent up magnox from the UK's functional nuclear power plants, and the spent up oxide fuels used by other nations, as well as some of the more deeply buried waste from military tests in the fifties. It has been there for sixty eight years, and is in the process of being decommissioned.

If radiation levels are rising there, that means that there must have either been a spillage of radioactive liquid, perhaps some form of coolant (which for all I know, they may also dispose of or reprocess at the site) or some manner of containment failure at one of the 1,300 buildings on the site, responsible for storing waste before it is reprocessed. I would like to think that if anything truly disturbing was happening, that the government would be all over it like pox on a person from the dark ages, but recent events in other nations have left me somewhat skeptical on that score.

Also, I think it is worth pointing out that Sellafield will never be the focus of a Fukushima grade nuclear event, because of the difference between the purposes of these two installations. Sellafield is essentially a dump for nuclear material, where as the Fukushima Daiichi plant was an actual reactor. Totally different issues surround both, but there will not be any manner of explosion at Sellafield, assuming no one starts throwing blocks of C4 around like party favours.

reply to post by TrueBrit


I see, well that's good to know, the article on RT provided by OP didn't really specify it wasn't a nuke plant.

reply to post by TrueBrit


That's why I love ATS. Always great to hear from someone who knows his stuff. I just get a bit worried when they try to down play the news. Like Fukushima. But good to hear its nothing like the Fukushima plant.

reply to post by aarys


It's also worth noting only one of the 20 odd perimeter sensors has given any indication of higher than normal radioactivity, which could be a faulty sensor or just background radiation. Certainly nothing major to worry about, either way - we're not going to see a meltdown or a major release of radioactivity.

Hiya guys.

Here's the latest info from the BBC. Like others have said it only seems to be one perimeter alarm that has tripped.

BBC News

barwars47
Here's the latest info from the BBC. Like others have said it only seems to be one perimeter alarm that has tripped.

BBC News

Interesting. So basically they say there's nothing to worry about ... and then tell everyone to stay home. I know that's what I tell my staff everyday. "Everything's fine ... so take the day off." They love me BTW. /Sarc off/

Nothing personal barwars. All of my comments were specific to the BBC's spewage.

TrueBrit

Also, I think it is worth pointing out that Sellafield will never be the focus of a Fukushima grade nuclear event, because of the difference between the purposes of these two installations. Sellafield is essentially a dump for nuclear material, where as the Fukushima Daiichi plant was an actual reactor. Totally different issues surround both, but there will not be any manner of explosion at Sellafield, assuming no one starts throwing blocks of C4 around like party favours.

Well....

A very good friend of mine works at Sellafield. And just the other day he was telling me that there is a known scenario where should a certain event occur, the site and surrounding areas (to which he intimated that it would be quite a distance) would have 12 hours to evacuate before a rather sincere event.

I'm going to email him right now and find out what the situation is. I'll follow it up with a phone call once I am awake.

I'll let everyone know what I find out.

reply to post by Snarl


It is just standard H&S stuff - until they know the source of the radiation, it is best to keep all non-essential staff away from the site.

reply to post by zeroBelief


I think it is safe to say that the other poster meant there would be no meltdown - that isn't to say the site couldn't have a disaster as it does hold within it a sizeable amount of spent nuclear fuel which is still hazardous

reply to post by zeroBelief


I would be very interested to know what this scenario is, although I can understand that for reasons of site, and indeed national security, such information would have to be distributed in a minimal fashion. What I stand by however, is that where as an actual nuclear power station contains not only nuclear material, but nuclear material in the process of fission, which is where a runaway chain reaction can cause problems, Sellafield does not perform fission reactions anymore, which means that the exact nature of any radiological emergency will be very different, and less serious by definition.

This thing is about 20 miles from my house!

TrueBrit
reply to post by zeroBelief

 

I would be very interested to know what this scenario is, although I can understand that for reasons of site, and indeed national security, such information would have to be distributed in a minimal fashion. What I stand by however, is that where as an actual nuclear power station contains not only nuclear material, but nuclear material in the process of fission, which is where a runaway chain reaction can cause problems, Sellafield does not perform fission reactions anymore, which means that the exact nature of any radiological emergency will be very different, and less serious by definition.

You have no argument from me there. Never did.

I knew that long before this thread ever made it to the light of day.

Same thing happened a couple of years ago...there was a thread here about it....
Nothing serious then either...
Rainbows
Jane

It is only the matter of a bit Time until the next massive
Release of Radiation!

We can assume that we see Chernobyl or F'Shima Style Accidents
at least every 20 Years, the Accident in Japan happened 3 Years
ago and you have only 17 Years left!
(Empiric Data)

It is up to you to work for a alternative Solution and to protect
the Hive from a real Apocalypse!