Bird on a Wire at Sellafield by Marianne Birkby – painted in Egremont Red oil and charcoal – for sale -donation to Radiation Free Lakeland

Once again DECC has refused to honour its commitment to rule Cumbria out following the No vote. …. meanwhile the wastes continue to arrive at Sellafield. The plutonium continues to stack up from dodgy reprocessing. All the while DECC is wined and dined by the nuclear industry looking to pick up government contracts in the £billions. The taxpayer pays again and again for the privilege of being poisoned. http://www.jeremyleggett.net/2012/11/6632/

—————————- Original Message —————————-
Subject: RE: DECC Jokers have not accepted Cumbria’s NO
From: wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com
Date: Thu, May 9, 2013 2:55 pm
To: “Yates Tom (Office for Nuclear Development)”
————————————————————————–

Dear Tom,

Too early to rule Cumbria out??? How can you say that given what we know
about Cumbria’s geology and unwillingness.

I think that dump describes it very well -a careless and hurried dump.
The technology does not exist to contain this stuff into eternity, hence
the reliance on geology- rather than careful and unhurried curation (as
in museum curator) of the wastes into eternity.

best regards,

Marianne

> Dear Marianne,
>
> It’s simply too early to say what any future site selection process might
> be, or what if any mechanism it might include for ruling any areas out.
> But wherever the GDF ends up being sited, I would certainly expect
> Government to continue to engage with the Cumbrian local authorities, and
> hope that they would respond to any consultation on these matters – after
> all, most of the UK’s higher-activity waste is currently held in interim
> storage at the Sellafield site (and until a GDF is constructed, is likely
> to remain there), so they have a direct interest in the outcome, as well
> as experience of our existing site selection process.
>
> Thanks for the definitions! I think my reluctance to use the term “dump”
> is explained under the verb definition – “typically in a careless or
> hurried way”. Yes, we’re looking to dispose of waste – but in an
> exceptionally careful way (the whole point being to ensure public safety
> in the very long term), in a major infrastructure project that’s expected
> to last for well over a century.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Tom
>
> —–Original Message—–
> From: wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com
> [mailto:wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com]
> Sent: 08 May 2013 14:28
> To: Yates Tom (Office for Nuclear Development)
> Cc: wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com; tim@timfarron.co.uk
> Subject: RE: DECC Jokers have not accepted Cumbria’s NO
>
> Dear Tom,
>
> I really hope that I have misrepresented your position but the word
> “existing” suggests not.
>
> To clarify:
>
> Will DECC accept Cumbria’s No as final?
>
> Will DECC rule Cumbria out (advisory role excepted) of any future
> consultation process on site selection?
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Marianne
>
> dump
> Noun
> A site for depositing garbage.
> Verb
> Deposit or dispose of (garbage, waste, or unwanted material), typically in
> a careless or hurried way.
> Synonyms
> unload
>
>
> Radiation Free Lakeland
>
>
>
>
>
>> Dear Marianne,
>>
>> Apologies for my confusion about the NGO forum.
>>
>> I think your email misrepresents our position. Government accepts and
>> respects the decision that Cumbria County Council made on 30 January,
>> disappointing though it was, and as a result of it we ended the
>> existing site selection process in west Cumbria. We have said that we
>> will not make any changes to the site selection process without first
>> consulting publicly.
>>
>> We’re certainly not “rubbishing the qualifications of the Nirex
>> Inspector”
>> – it’s simply a question of what the Inspector was there to do – but I
>> understand that you disagree very strongly with our conclusions on
>> this matter.
>>
>> As for being “hellbent on geological dumping”, clearly we do remain
>> absolutely committed to geological disposal as the right policy for
>> the long-term management of higher-activity radioactive waste, as I
>> believe does every other country with a legacy of such waste.
>> “Dumping” is not of course a term we would use to describe a
>> multi-billion-pound high-tech underground facility. And we’re
>> certainly not tied to Cumbria – it’s a voluntarist process and the
>> invitation remains open to communities elsewhere in the country to
>> express an interest in joining the programme.
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Tom
>>
>> __________________________________
>> Tom Yates
>> Managing Radioactive Waste Safely
>> Office for Nuclear Development
>> Department of Energy and Climate Change
>> 3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2AW
>> 0300 068 5166
>> tom.yates@decc.gsi.gov.uk
>>
>>
>> —–Original Message—–
>> From: wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com
>> [mailto:wildart@mariannebirkby.plus.com]
>> Sent: 08 May 2013 12:47
>> To: Yates Tom (Office for Nuclear Development)
>> Cc: tim@timfarron.co.uk
>> Subject: DECC Jokers have not accepted Cumbria’s NO
>>
>> Dear Tom
>>
>> Thank you for your email. I have never been to a NGO forum.
>>
>> It is beyond disheartening to read that DECC refuses to accept
>> Cumbria’s NO to geological dumping in Cumbria
>>
>> Your replies do not answer the questions but they do indicate that
>> Cumbrians have not got through to DECC that we are:
>> a. Not willing (please don’t quote the Mori Poll – it is not even
>> representative of the poll never mind Cumbria) b. Fully aware of
>> Cumbria’s unsuitable geology
>>
>> It seems that DECC is now trying to rubbish the qualifications of the
>> Nirex Inspector saying “The Inspector and his Assessor were not
>> qualified to assess fully the safety case for a geological disposal
>> facility via a planning application..” This is disingenuous. A full
>> safety case would be made only after a suitable site had been
>> selected. Obviously the Nirex Inspector Chris McDonald and his
>> Assessor Colin Knipe were deemed by government to be more than
>> eminently qualified to appraise possible site selection earlier in the
>> process, including preliminary safety cases.
>>
>> The Nirex Inspector was absolutely right when he indicated that the
>> best site in Cumbria was not suitable. If the government is hellbent
>> on geological dumping investigations should be moved to a more
>> promising site elsewhere that are easier to investigate and
>> characterise.
>>
>> yours sincerely,
>>
>> Marianne
>>
>> Marianne Birkby
>> Radiation Free Lakeland

http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/decc-jokers-have-not-accepted-cumbrias-no/

DECC Jokers have not accepted Cumbria’s NO -

May 8, 2013

DECC, Geological Dump, High Level Nuclear Waste

1 Comment

The Joker by Robin Birkby

Radiation Free Lakeland have received a reply from the Department of Energy and Climate Change regarding geological dumping of high level nuclear waste. Their responses to our questions are not just evasive and disingenuous. The replies indicate that Cumbrians have not got through to these jokers in government that we are:
a. Not willing
b. Fully aware of Cumbria’s unsuitable geology

Having tried to rubbish the qualifications of those scientists blowing the whistle on a geological dump in Cumbria and failed, now it seems DECC is trying to rubbish the qualifications of the Nirex Inspector saying “The Inspector and his Assessor were not qualified to assess fully the safety case for a geological disposal facility via a planning application..” This is disingenuous. A full safety case would be made only after a suitable site had been selected. Obviously the Nirex Inspector Chris McDonald and his Assessor Colin Knipe were deemed more than eminently qualified to appraise possible site selection earlier in the process, including preliminary safety cases.

We have not got through to these jokers in government that the Nirex Inspector was absolutely right when he indicated that the best site in Cumbria was not suitable. If the government is hellbent on geological dumping, then investigations should be moved to a more promising site elsewhere that are easier to investigate and characterise.

The questions we asked and the replies are here:
130430 Tom Yates reply to Marianne Birkby
nb I’ve never met Tom Yates or been to a NGO forum meeting

The Wastwater Gnomes series of books now available in Kendal Library

May 8, 2013

Kendal Library, Swallows & Amazons, The Wastwater Gnomes, When the Water Flows

A Letter to Cumbria Wildlife Trust – Radioactive Castles in the Air

May 3, 2013

Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Moorcide, Plutonium Reprocessing, pylons, Radioactive beaches, St Bees

2 Comments

1980 – Image for Cumbria Wildlife Trust by teenage wildlife enthusiast

Beached Art – Radioactive Sandcastles

Cumbria Wildlife Trust – Nuclear Good – Pylons Bad

Child eating sand…

Dear Cumbria Wildlife Trust,

You won’t remember this, but as wildlife obsessed teenager I painted an exhibition for the junior branch of Cumbria Wildlife Trust to launch “Watch.” That was over 30 years ago. With great sadness I have just cancelled my subscription. While supporting much of what CWT has done over the years, I feel that the good work in protecting wildlife is meaningless while the trust continues to ignore and even condone the biggest threat to Cumbria’s human and wild ecology. The latest issue of the Trust’s members’ magazine effectively promotes new nuclear build with
“Power routes: the Trust takes an active role”.

This article is effectively saying that pylons are the biggest threat from new nuclear build and that CWT is working to find a suitable route. This is nuts! By focussing on pylons the Trust is ignoring the real detriments of which there are many not least the fact that the proposed ‘Moorcide’ plant would burn fuel for longer, resulting in much hotter waste which would require cooling for decades more than existing wastes. There is simply not enough freshwater in the Lake District to safely cool existing wastes without detriment to our freshwater resource. Rather than piffling about with the pylons the Trust should be actively opposing new nuclear build in Cumbria.

Then there is the front page of the latest “What’s On” with beaming faces of children digging in the sand and building sand sculptures at St Bees. St Bees along with all the West Cumbrian coast is beautiful and people do not need much encouragement to spend hours in the sand with happy toddlers and young children. I do not know of any toddler who has access to sand who will not put it in their mouths! Of course, normally this would not be too much of a worry but last year on St Bees beach 41 hot radioactive particles were recovered, including plutonium. That number does not include the airborne and unfound particles. The Trust is promoting a day of digging in this contaminated sand.

It has been known for many years that young children and unborn children are most vulnerable to terrible harm if radioactive particles are ingested. Over the last few years the number of radioactive particles found has been increasing probably as a result of the “crash programme” of reprocessing at Sellafield. Reprocessing is banned in every country apart from here and France because of the harmful radioactive emissions to air and sea and the production of weapons grade plutonium. St Bees was named after the Irish Princess, St Bega who brought Christianity to the area in 900AD. 1.3 million households in Ireland have asked for reprocessing at Sellafield to be stopped immediately. What’s the betting St Bega would agree that there are way too many radioactive particles on the beaches, in the air and in the sea already. Has Cumbria Wildlife Trust asked the Health Protection Agency for advice on the health impacts of ingestion of radioactive particles by young children spending hours digging in the sand at St Bees?

All of the world’s scientific authorities agree that there is no safe dose of radiation and the stuff from Sellafield reprocessing is the nastiest.
The Health Protection Agency have said that experiments are being done with the alpha particles found on the beach at St Bees. Meanwhile we are all taking part in an experiment, the results are being seen by all of us especially mothers and children.

When Cumbria Wildlife Trust finally opens its eyes to nuclear detriment and starts opposing, then me and the natterjack toads will celebrate by renewing my subscription.

yours sincerely,

Marianne Birkby
Wildlife Artist

http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/the-irish-princess-st-bega-and-sellafield-reprocessing/

Since this report more particles have been found with increasing regularity – it is worth noting that the HPA’s assessment criteria for advice given is narrow and does not include for example ingestion by toddlers digging sand sculptures…

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1296685585268

Despite increased finds the NUclear Decommissioning Authority (who are they kidding?!) has asked for reduced monitoring…In this document the Health Protection Agency is criticised for inconsistent response to health and safety of Cumbrians while closing beaches in Scotland….

http://www.comare.org.uk/documents/COMARE98minutes.pdf

The Irish Princess: St Bega and Sellafield Reprocessing..

April 28, 2013

Plutonium Reprocessing, Radiation Free Lakeland, Radioactive beaches, Radioactive Beaches Sellafield, St Bees

5 Comments

Yesterday Radiation Free Lakeland and 3 Weeks to Save the Lakes marked the anniversary of Chernobyl at St Bees. St Bees was named after the Irish princess who landed on the beautiful West Cumbrian coast about 900AD.

What is the betting that St Bega would join the 1.3 million households in Ireland in calling for an end to the illegal and immoral radioactive poisoning of the Irish Sea from reprocessing at Sellafield?

We handed out leaflets and spoke to people who supported the demonstration including those directly affected by Sellafield negligence – and we spoke to those who deny that radioactive particles pose any hazard including a local parish councillor.

Here are a selection of photographs from yesterday…

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200774449713023.1073741826.1516163749&type=1&l=6d37728d95

More actions from around the world to mark Chernobyl day
http://www.chernobyl-day.org/

Poster – Radioactive Particles have been found on this beach

April 26, 2013

3 Weeks to Save the Lakes, High Level Nuclear Waste, Plutonium Reprocessing, Radiation Free Lakeland, Radioactive beaches

Stop Dumping Radioactive Waste in Cumbrian Seas

April 18, 2013

3 Weeks to Save the Lakes, Plutonium Reprocessing, Radiation Free Lakeland, Radioactive beaches, Radioactive Beaches Sellafield, Sellafield contamination incident, Uncategorized

4 Comments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St_Bees_south_head_(Tomlin).JPG

“Beachcomber” Cumbrian artist Kevin Carr teams up with film maker Michael Cumming – brilliant and very moving. ( over 20 years ago the Arts Council felt able to fund powerful art projects critical of the nuclear industry – fat chance of a film like this receiving govnt sponsorship in this era of nuclear cheerleading!)

3 Weeks to Save the Lakes and Radiation Free Lakeland will be at St Bees on 27th April at 11 am to place visual reminders of the 41 radioactive particles found on the beach at St Bees last year. This number does not of course cover the unfound/airborne radioactive particles!

3 Weeks to Save the Lakes and Radiation Free Lakeland are calling on the government to stop their illegal activity of dumping radioactive waste at sea.

On 27th April Cumbrian groups will join with others worldwide who are taking actions to mark the anniversary of the on-going Chernobyl catastrophe. The catastrophes of Chernobyl and Fukushima are on-going, meanwhile here in Cumbria radioactive particles continue to accumulate.

Discharges of radioactive waste into the Irish Sea from nuclear fuel reprocessing at Sellafield in Cumbria are increasing because of an insane “crash programme” of reprocessing planned by the government’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). This is a likely cause of the record number of radioactive particles found on Cumbrian beaches in 2010-12.
In an activity that would not be out of place in a science fiction novel, workers spend hours beach combing for radioactive particles. They use specialist equipment to pick up radioactive particles from selected Cumbrian beaches.

In 2011 the Sellafield site itself raised concerns. The Beach Combers undergo routine tests and in 2011 “workers had provided urine samples in which 241Am was measured above reporting levels”. 241 Americium is a man-made metal a product of reprocessing and nuclear weapons detonations. People may be exposed to both alpha and gamma radiation by breathing in americium-contaminated dust, or drinking contaminated water. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency “Living near a weapons testing or production facility may increase your chance of exposure to americium-241”. It can stay in the body for decades increasing the risk of developing cancer.

Rather oddly the Health Protection Agency has reassured the Sellafield sites that the risks to the public are lower than the risks to the beach monitors “It should be noted that the probability that a beach worker would come into proximity with a radioactive object is quite different to the equivalent probability for a member of the public. The beach workers are using highly specialised and sensitive equipment to find and retrieve radioactive objects, so the probability that they would come into close proximity with such an object over an extended period of work on the beaches is high”.
There is a huge flaw in this argument as monitoring is stopped over summer and bank holidays in order not to frighten people using the beaches. Also members of the public are not solely made up of healthy, suited and booted men. Members of the public include young children and pregnant mothers, they include the elderly and those with already compromised immune sytems. Members of the public are not suited and booted, they are not undergoing routine testing for inhalation of a large cocktail of Sellafield’s dumped radioactive particles of which americium is only one.

Cumbrian seas and coastlines are suffering a double whammy of illegal radioactive waste dumping from Sellafield’s continued reprocessing and also from the Ministry of Defence’s continued dumping of depleted uranium shells into the Solway Firth. In the past 30 years, over 6,700 shells have been fired from the range, containing nearly 30 tonnes of depleted uranium. They pierce canvas targets on the cliffs, and then plunge in the sea. In both cases the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority at Sellafield and the MOD on the Solway are in breach of an international ban on the dumping of radioactive waste at sea.

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, known as the OSPAR convention, agreed by 15 governments, including the UK, said “it was illegal to dump waste into the sea.”

Radiation Free Lakeland and 3 Weeks to Save the Lakes are calling on the government to stop their illegal activity of dumping radioactive waste at sea.

Please join us.
note: be aware that the presence of radioactive particles mean a real and present danger especially for children and those with already compromised immune systems. This is the advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on radioactive particles found at Dalgety Bay
http://www.sepa.org.uk/radioactive_substances/dalgety_bay/q__a.aspx
Radioactive Particles on Beaches

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/04/radioactive-particles-beaches-sellafield

http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/radioactive-contamination-has-been-found-on-this-beach/

Dirty Old Man of Europe – Sellafield Reprocessing

http://www.robedwards.com/2011/02/britain-to-become-dirty-old-man-of-europe-again.html

Leaked document on reprocessing “in as yet to be constructed Windscale facilities” 1976

https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976LONDON00824_b.html

Americium

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/americium.html

Letter from HPA to Sellafield on contaminated workers

http://www.sellafieldsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/HPA-letter-to-Sellafield-12-May-2011.pdf

MOD dumping DU in the Solway

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/mod-places-its-toxic-tank-shells-in-solway-firth.20455827