§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what information he has concerning a third leak at Wind-scale; what steps are being taken to correct this; what dangers it poses; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if, in view of the leaks that have been occurring at Windscale, he will set up a public inquiry to look into the operations there;
(3) what steps he will take to assure the public that the leaks at Windscale pose no danger to life or health.
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§ Mr. Norman LamontThe Nuclear Installations Inspectorate—NH—was informed on 25 February that routine monitoring had indicated an increase in the radioactivity in water samples taken from one of the boreholes used for testing groundwater at the Windscale works. Similar variations of activity have since been found in a second borehole, but there is evidence that this radioactivity is decreasing. Investigations are continuing and indicate that a possible source of activity is an intermittent leak in a valve in a pipe system carrying low-active contaminated water from an irradiated fuel storage pond to a settling tank prior to discharge to the sea. The valve has been repaired and the leak stopped.
I am advised that, while the boreholes in question are not a source of drinking water, the highest observed concentrations were lower than the appropriate limits in drinking water for occupationally exposed persons, but comparable with those for water which could be drunk continuously by members of the general public. There is, therefore, no hazard to the work force or members of the general public.
As to the two other leaks which I think the hon. Member has in mind, I explained the position in my reply to her of 10 December. I have been advised, on the basis of close and careful investigations by the NII, that there is no evidence that these constitute a hazard to workers at Windscale; to the environment beyond the immediate vicinity of the buildings concerned; or to the public generally. One of those leaks was stopped immediately it was identified; the other, of contaminated water from the B38 storage silo, is the subject of a report by the HSE published on 28 February.
I remind the hon. Member that the Health and Safety Executive—HSE—is undertaking an independent and comprehensive evaluation of safety arrangements at Windscale and that the evaluation teams report will be published when it is complete, later this year. In these circumstances a public inquiry would seem to serve no useful purpose.