It has been announced that the Fukushima nuclear plant will start releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean from the … read more
Japan has announced the plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific on Thursday. … read more
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have stated that their report finds Japan’s plans to release treated water stored at … read more
Starting later time this year, Japan is preparing to release over a million tonnes of treated waste water from the … read more
It has been reported that the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled area of southern Ukraine has collapsed. Prof … read more
Reactions to the new Government policy on the disposal of radioactive waste. Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Royal Institution, … read more
The board of the French energy firm EDF has approved the funding of a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset. These comments were issued following that decision but the UK government has subsequently decided to review the project with a decision expected in the autumn. read more
The fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster is on 11th March 2016 and is being marked by a special edition of the journal Clinical Oncology. read more
Sellafield has amassed around 140 tonnes of plutonium on site – the largest stockpile of civil plutonium in the world. For now it is being stored without a long-term plan, which is costly and insecure. At some point a decision will need to be taken on how it is dealt with. Should we convert it into useable fuel or get rid of it? What are the options? How insecure is it in its current state? How long can this decision be put off, and why does it matter? read more
It has been announced that a deal has been agreed for Britain’s first nuclear power plant in a generation to be built at Hinkley Point in Somerset. read more
Every society generating electricity through nuclear power shares the same issue of how to safely manage and permanently dispose of those wastes which remain highly radioactive over a long period of time. Over the past 30 years there has been significant research and analysis across the world on how best to approach and resolve this issue. A common consensus has emerged in science that geological disposal is the safest known way to manage these wastes but the issue remains controversial and recent local government decisions suggest that the public remain unconvinced by reassurances about safety. In the UK, an independent committee of experts, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), reviewed the evidence and options and recommended in 2006 that the UK adopt geological disposal. Successive Governments of all Parties have re-affirmed the policy, and a new White Paper was published last summer setting out a revised process for selecting a site for a geological disposal facility (GDF) based on the continuing principle of ‘volunteerism’ – ie a GDF cannot be imposed on a community, but that the community hosting a GDF must be a willing partner. read more
Government plans to find a site for an underground nuclear waste store in the Lake District were rejected by Cumbria County Council. read more
The International Atomic Energy Agency detected levels of radioactive iodine-131 in the Czech Republic. read more
Tests indicated the release of radioactive xenon at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan. read more
An explosion occurred at a nuclear fuel processing facility in France. Although one person was killed, there was no leak of radioactivity and damage was limited. read more
The Japanese government raised the severity level of the Fukushima incident to 7, the highest on the scale. read more
Senior scientists and engineers, including representatives from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) discussed a project that examines the safety factors required for consideration when developing a deep underground storage facility for nuclear waste. read more
An accident at an aluminium plant in Hungary led to the spillage of thousands of cubic meters of toxic red sludge. read more
In their new report, Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) presented early plans for development of a deep geological storage facility for nuclear waste, subject to selection of a suitable site. read more
The Government’s White Paper on Nuclear Waste Disposal set out plans to invite UK communities to volunteer to store radioactive waste from the country’s nuclear power programme in geological repositories. read more
