§ Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total discharge into the sea per annum of plutonium, ruthenium and caesium from each United Kingdom nuclear establishment; and what progress has been made in the design of filtering techniques to avoid the need for open sea liquid discharge.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe table shows discharges to the sea in 1982 from United Kingdom nuclear establishments of isotopes of these substances. Figures for earlier years are contained in the additional tables to my Department's annual "Digest of Environmental Pollution and Water Statistics", which are obtainable from the Department and are in the Library of the House. At the Sellafield works of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. which is the source of the most significant discharges, considerable progress is being made in effluent treatment. Measures utilising an ion exchange procedure have halved caesium discharges and a major new plant, involving expenditure of more than £80 million, will reduce such discharges to one tenth of their peak level in recent years. Discharges of plutonium and its daughter products have also been reduced, and a further 15 per cent. reduction should be achieved by the use of filters which were installed this year. New plant and procedures are to be introduced progressively so that by 1985 discharges of all alpha bearing wastes should be reduced by at least four fifths of their current level.
154W
Site Radionuclide Annual Discharges (Curies) 1982 British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. Sellafield Ruthenium-103 458 Ruthenium-106 11,316 Caesium-134 3,736 Caesium-137 54,060 Plutonium-238 127 Plutonium-239+240 434 Plutonium-241 13,105 Chapelcross Ruthenium-106 0.21 Caesium-134 2.4 Caesium-137 29.4 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Winfrith Ruthenium-106 4.9 Dounreay Ruthenium-106 110 Caesium-137 336 Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) Berkeley Ruthenium-106 <0.5 Caesium-134 6 Caesium-137 55 Bradwell Ruthenium-106 <0.5 Caesium-134 10 Caesium-137 64 Hinkley Point 'A' Ruthenium-106 5 Caesium-134 4 Caesium-137 24 Hinkley Point 'B' Ruthenium-106 3 Caesium-134 2 Caesium-137 3 Dungeness 'A' Ruthenium-106 <0.05 Caesium-134 3 Caesium-137 53 Sizewell Ruthenium-106 <0.5 Caesium-134 4 Caesium-137 72 Oldbury Ruthenium-106 <0.5 Caesium-134 3 Caesium-137 46 Wylfa Ruthenium-106 1 Caesium-134 1 Caesium-137 18 Hunterston 'A' Ruthenium-106 2.9 Caesium-134 17.4 Caesium-137 53.6 Hunterston 'B' Ruthenium-106 3.9 Caesium-134 3.1 Caesium-137 4