Unite shocked by decision to close Mox plant
3 August 2011
Unite, Britain's biggest union, has expressed shock at the
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) decision to close its Mox
plant at Sellafield.
Unite is calling for the government to intervene to stave of the
closure until the government can decide upon building a second Mox
plant (Mox 2) . Its plutonium consultation is long overdue and
Unite believes it should lead to a decision to build a second
Sellafield Mox plant (see notes to editors).
The NDA claims it made its decision because Japan (its main
client) has indicated that it no longer requires the services of
Mox due to cost.
However, the closure of Mox leaves huge questions over how
Britain will dispose of its stockpile of plutonium. Mox fuel is a
way of utilising surplus plutonium, which would otherwise be stored
as nuclear waste.
Britain needs a Mox plant to recycle the UK plutonium stockpile
and burn it in new UK reactors.
800 jobs will be affected by the NDA's decision. Unite will be
working with Sellafield to ensure these jobs are redeployed and
that there will be no compulsory redundancies.
Unite national officer, Kevin Coyne, said: "This is a shocking
and frankly bizarre decision. The government is currently deciding
whether to give the go ahead for building a new Mox plant. So where
is the rationale in closing the current one now? The unions are
calling for an urgent meeting with the energy minster, Charles
Hendry and the NDA. We want the government to intervene to stave
off the closure until a final decision has been made on the future
of Mox. Britain needs a Mox plant to recycle the UK plutonium
stockpile and burn it in new UK reactors. The NDA's decision is
short sighted and ill conceived and we hope it will think
again."
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
Notes to editors:
Update on the launch of the plutonium consultation – 7 February
2011
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn11_011/pn11_011.aspx
