Republican News · Thursday 30 January 2003

Visiting councillors not told of Sellafield leak

Sinn Féin councillors Martin Meehan and Willie Clarke, representig Antrim and Down, were part of a delegation of councillors visiting the Sellafield Nuclear Plant last week when a lithium nitrate leak led to workers in part of the plant being evacuated. The Sinn Féin councillors were among eight councillors who were visiting the Cumbrian plant on Wednesday 22 January in a visit organised by the Six-County Local Government Association (NILGA).

Unsurprisingly, they subsequently called for the closure of the plant and the end of dumping of nuclear waste in the Irish Sea.

Meehan told An Phoblacht the delegation was only informed the next day about the incident. "We were told we were not in any danger, but to be honest I'm far from convinced. It makes our calls for the closure of this plant even stronger, given the fact that a leak actually occurred when we were there".

Sellafield employees told Meehan that less than two weeks before the delegation arrived at Sellafield, a worker at the nuclear site had died due to a fall and that his body had to be decontaminated before being removed from the plant.

Meehan said he demanded reassurances for his constituents, who blame Sellafield for high cancer levels.

"Despite such occurrences at the plant, the Public Relations team at Sellafield continue to push a very hard line that the plant is super safe. But the facts keep showing an entirely different picture.

"This plant must close and the concerns of the Irish people must be addressed by the British government."