Eddie McGrady MP calls for the Closure of Thorp the failing Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield and the abolition of Government plans for two new Nuclear Power Stations and enormous Nuclear waste depositories at Sellafield

“Once again we receive news of failures at the Sellafield plant, this time the technical and safety failures are so persistent that the owners of the Thorp reprocessing plant are considering closing it down.

Since its beginnings in 1997 the Thorp reprocessing plant has been plagued by failures and to date has not met any of its reprocessing targets. As a result of these technical and safety failures over the years Thorps capacity has been cut by a sixth.

This ailing plant is working for no one. It has failed to meet with operational requirements of the owners and it is failing the community with its recurring safety failures and the safety risk it poses on a daily basis.

Given the continuous technical and safety failures of nuclear power the Government need to take stock of the success of nuclear production and nuclear waste reprocessing, and urgently review their plans to build two new enormous waste depositories, as well as two new nuclear power stations on the Cumbrian coast only a few miles from the Northern Ireland coastline.

I will be taking this case to both Governments in Ireland for their support in the call for the closure of Thorp and an end to the plans to build the new Nuclear Power Stations and nuclear waste depositories only a few miles from our coast.

Ends.