Nuclear power stations `unsafe' Source: The Observer

Publication date: Jan 23, 2000

BRITAIN'S nuclear power stations are being run unsafely and the company operating them has been told to make radical changes or lose its Government licence.

A damning report by Government safety inspectors warns that management failures and severe job cuts have jeopardised key operations and could lead to a catastrope.

The report by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate is highly critical of British Energy, the privatised company that now runs most of Britain's nuclear power stations. The inspectors say the firm cut the number of expert staff before working out the jobs and skills needed to operate safely. The report, marked `restricted' but obtained by the Observer, states: `Our judgment is that in key safety areas staff levels are at, and in a limited number of areas, below that required to sustain the work load and discharge the requirements of licencees.' It attacks British Energy's headlong rush to replace staff by outside contractors which it believes could `erode' its ability to remain in control.

The watchdog offers 103 recommendations which highlight concerns over crucial operations. The NII's report will be a huge blow for British Energy directors who criticised earlier drafts. British Energy has now been forced to accept all of the report's recommendations.

Dr Helen Wallace, head of Greenpeace's nuclear campaign, said: `This is a shocking indictment of the state of the British Nuclear industry. They are gambling with people's lives. We need an urgent review of how to phase out nuclear power in Britain.'

Since its privatisation British Energy which runs nine nuclear stations has made nearly 1,800 job cuts, and seen profits rise from pounds 61 million to pounds 298 million. The NII has demanded an immediate halt to staff cuts, but British Energy is planning further reductions.

A British Energy spokesman said the company had accepted the NII recommendations and was working on a plan to implement them before the end of January deadline.

Publication date: Jan 23, 2000 ) 1999, NewsReal, Inc.

Link to story:

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-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 26, 2000

Answers

Interesting.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000.

The TIMING is interesting. It sounds like DOE Richardson's warnings in teh 2nd week, about the unreliability of the E-infrastructure ....

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-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina..palmtree), January 26, 2000.