§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the leak of acid at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield on 29 March; what investigations have been undertaken by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; and what risk was posed to the Sellafield work force from the accident.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe spillage of nitric acid, a standard industrial chemical, occurred in a room housing tanks supplying chemical reagents for use in THORP operations.
The operator informed Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution about the spillage and initiated an investigation into its cause. The HMIP site inspector attended the plant on the same day and was briefed about the circumstances and the precautionary actions taken. HMIP is awaiting the results of the operator's investigation before deciding if any further action needs to be taken.
The Health and Safety Executive is also investigating the incident and will include an assessment of any potential risk to Sellafield employees.