LETTER TO SANTA

Use No 35

Letter to Santa

Radiation Free Lakeland have been given a letter from a brave whistleblower: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

The Letter is addressed to Santa and says:

"Dear Santa,

We have been working VERY hard all year to convince Cumbrian Councillors that 'Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely' means mining a BIG hole to dump nuclear wastes in.

As you know, Santa, we need to SOLVE the nuclear waste problem in order to build more nuclear plants.

We have made sure that all the usual movers and shakers in Cumbria are ON MESSAGE OR SILENT.

Please, Santa, keep the GEOLOGICAL DUMP on track.

yours sincerely,
Charles Hendry on behalf of H.M. Govnt"

World's Biggest Hole

USE NO 34

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST HOLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IgGoMUS6t0

World's biggest hole :
The world’s biggest hole Mirny Diamond Mine is located in Russia. The giant hole is actually a diamond mine in Eastern Siberia. It is 525 meters deep and 1.25 km in the diameter.

Chris Huhne plans to trump that with a hole 1000 meters deep, 26 km square and filled with high level nuclear wastes.

Ever expanding vicious cycle / infinite loop

Border Control Harassment of Chernobyl Children's Charities

Use No 32

If you want new nuclear build the last thing you need is pesky charities bringing children over from Chernobyl. This reminds the carefully groomed UK that nuclear power leads to accident and incident.

The UK Border Agency is stepping up harassment of Chernobyl Children's charities - bizarre given the recent news stories about the failings of Border Control. Radiation Free Lakeland have written to Tim Farron MP to ask that this tactic of harassment is stopped.

At the conference of the European Chernobyl Network in Germany at the weekend, attendees were horrified to hear about the treatment of charities bringing children over from Chernobyl.
Most speakers stated the reason was the UK Government's strong pro-nuclear
stance: Chernobyl children and the snowballing effects of radiation through the generations are not a good advertisement for the development of nuclear power.

http://www.chernobyl-children.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Harrassment-of-Chernobyl-Charities-by-UKBA1.pdf

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/nov/07/border-control-row-gulf-theresa-may

Dumping Democracy

http://www.worldscibooks.com/environsci/7895.html


Use No 31

DUMPING DEMOCRACY

Extract from the excellent, myth busting book:
Contesting the future of nuclear power
Benjamin K Sovacool, World Scientific, 2011.

"In one of its most intractable problems, that of nuclear waste, the
industry has outright manipulated data and limited true public participation
to get its way. Some studies of consumer attitudes and public
opinions have shown that public groups will support nuclear power
expansion if assurances of safe waste disposal are provided, but will not
if the waste problem is not resolved.(113) Thus, nuclear power proponents - trade
groups, vendors, and utilities - have shifted from a technical
discourse, which is full of uncertainty, to a public discourse of inclusive
and respectful public consultation about siting as well as criterions of
acceptability and safety. Yet, one study of such efforts in Canada found
that they do not involve true consultation or participation, whereby
citizens have the chance to influence eventual decisions, and are instead
public relations exercises used to reinvent the industry.(114) Nuclear
groups employ public consultation sessions to (1) demonstrate consent
and approval when they do get it, or (2) construct the public as having
fragmented values and opinions that will never be overcome when they
do not get it, telling regulators they should ultimately defer to the
nuclear industry. This situation does not bode well for democracy, the
study concluded, as the public is co-opted either way. Public consultation
is converted from a means to inform public policy into an end
justifying nuclear expansion".

113 See Frans Berkhout, Radioactive Waste: Politics and Technology (London:
Routledge, 1991); A. Blowers, D. Lowry, and B. Solomon, The International
Politics of Nuclear Waste (New.York: Macmillan, 1991); A. Blowers, "Nuclear
Waste and Landscapes of Risk;' Landscapes Research 24(3) (1999),
pp. 241-264; and Peter Stoett, "Toward Renewed Legitimacy? Nuclear Power,
Global Warming, and Security:' Global Environmental Politics 3(1) (2003),
pp.99-116.

114 Darrin Durant, "Buying Globally, Acting Locally: Control and Co-Option
in Nuclear Waste Management," Science and Public Policy 34(7)
(August, 2007), pp. 515-528.

This extract has been published on 101 Uses.. with the kind permission of Professor Benjamin K Sovacool

MRWS - Halloween Special

Use No 30

MANAGING RADIOACTIVE WASTES SAFELY HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

The Scariest Halloween Story is the one where the nasties appear as
respectable types who say “Don’t Worry Everything is OK!” The viewer
has a hunch that there will be an inevitable doom laden slide to a scary
ending.

With nice timing for the scary Halloween season the Managing Radioactive
Wastes Safely Partnership have produced a draft consultation document
which will be used to continue promoting the “steps towards geological
disposal” of high level nuclear wastes in Cumbria’s leaky geology.

The document which will be discussed in Egremont this thursday says:
"We wanted to be ‘confident in the integrity of the BGS (British Geological
Survey) screening
work/report’.
Our initial opinions are:
BGS study. We are confident in the integrity of the BGS screening report
because it has been endorsed by two independent reviewers and there is no
significant criticism of the study’s integrity from elsewhere".
http://www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk/meetings_more.asp?news_id=30

Really? “No significant Criticism” ?

What about the significant criticism from:

The Nirex Inspector
http://www.nuclearwasteadvisory.co.uk/news-and-events/news/nirex-inquiry-inspector-attacks-nda/

Members of the original Committee on Radioactive Waste Management
http://www.nuclearwasteadvisory.co.uk/news-and-events/news/letter-from-corwm-members-on-new-build-waste/

Dr Helen Wallace- author of the Rock Solid? Scientific review
http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/1052

Dr Rachel Western – former employee of Nirex- researcher for Cumbrian
Friends of the Earth groups
http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/943

Professor David Smythe – former employee of Nirex
http://www.davidsmythe.org/nuclear/nuclear.htm

Tim Farron MP
http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/great-pyramids-spoil-heaps-in-cumbria/

There are many more significant criticisms!

The good news is that unlike the viewer or reader of a scary Halloween
story, Cumbria has the wherewithal to stop the slide into the unfathomable
void.

The Biggest Slag Heap in the World

Use No 29

West Cumbria is famous for being the place where you can find the World's Biggest Liar. Now the Department of Energy and Climate Change are pushing for West Cumbria to be the place where you can find the World's Biggest Slag Heap.

Nominations are already coming in for what this huge slag heap, ripped out of Lakeland geology, could be called:

Robson's Pile

Partnership Peaks (not forgetting the Partnership Pit!)

Teardrops o' Ruskin

Tremor Towers

Seismic Surprise

or perhaps "The Bung" ?


http://www.santonbridgeinn.com/liar/
http://davidsmythe.org/nuclear/nuclear.htm
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/michael-baron/public-servants-and-private-chats-about-dumping-nuclear-waste-in-west-cumbr



Below is a letter to Cumbria County Council from geoscientist Professor David Smythe

Sent to CCC by email – 6th Oct 2011

Dear Mr Kemp



I have just sent off a new paper to MRWS:Cumbria regarding the
unsuitability of the Eskdale granite as a host rock for a waste
repository, and attach a copy for your attention. It includes some
comments on the volumes of rock spoil to be created and then either
re-used later as backfill and/or taken off-site.



I believe that the letter you received from Mark Gough of NDA, dated
19 May 2011, is misleading on this point. Here are some
calculations, based upon the volumes of 'higher strength' rock spoil
which would be created.



The volume to be removed (if not left in Eskdale) is 6640921 cu. m.
(from ref. [5] of my paper). That is based on the volume of space to
be created underground, and therefore refers to solid rock. This
volume could be stored as a berm 1000 m long by 200 m across and 35
m high. Actually it will be about 50% greater in volume (e.g. 50 m
not 35 m high) because rock spoil is less dense than solid granite.
The NDA clearly can't leave that in Eskdale (along with the
additional rock spoil berms of about half this volume again) to
remain for up to 50 years and then re-used as backfill). NDA will
presumably ship it out - granite cuttings do have a value as
aggregate. But we have to address the road and rail usage of
removing it.



Multiply the volume by the density of solid granite (2.7 tonnes per
cu. m) to get the weight. That makes 17930487 tonnes. A road lorry
has a 44 tonne capacity, so that makes 407511 loads. Spread over 10
years (a maximum figure for the excavation phase), that means 112
loads per day - or a lorryload every 4 minutes during a working day
of 8 hours, every day of the week, for 10 years. The road traffic is
clearly double that because the returning empty lorries have to be
counted as well.



This is completely at odds with the assurances you have been given
by NDA:



"we have assumed that all of the excavated rock spoil could be
stored on the surface and then either re-used in construction and
backfilling, or for landscaping and site restoration. Under this
scenario there would be no requirement to transport rock spoil
off-site."



Please note that similar figures will apply if the host rock is some
other kind of 'higher strength'or 'lower strength' rock. Note that
the evaporite scenario (the third generic host rock type) does not
apply to West Cumbria.



So is CCC going to permit this kind of long-term environmental
damage within the National Park?



I await your comments with interest.



Yours sincerely

David Smythe

Jollies

Use No 28

Jollies

Rather than spending taxpayer’s money on a jolly this week to see France's
research into geological dumping the DECC sponsored Managing Radioactive
Wastes Safely (!) Partnership should go for a walk up Scafell. A walk up
Scafell would give the Partnership a sense of the scale of DECC’s proposal
for a huge hole in the ground. Radiation Free Lakeland would be happy to
organise a day guiding members of the Partnership to the top of Scafell.
We would, of course, avoid the "Bad Step." We could then look down to
get some idea of the depth of the geological dump proposed - 1000 meters.
Scafell is a mere 978 meters.

In looking for a Cumbrian dump for intermediate level nuclear wastes,
Nirex found in the 1990s that the geology of the Lake District leads to
upward waterflows into the aquifer surrounding the mountains. The Inquiry
revealed difficulties in identifying a large volume of rock in West
Cumbria to avoid fast routes for radionuclide escape through watery
fractures and faults. A much larger volume of rock would be needed for the
plan for a dump containing spent nuclear fuel and high level wastes which
being hotter and more volatile must be spaced further apart.

Residents of Bure, France, are "embracing" that underground research
laboratory about as much as Nevada welcomed the now abandoned Yucca
Mountain nuclear dump. Bure's aquifers run through the proposed storage
site. Public opposition to nuclear power in France is rising because of
the waste problem.

Maybe there isn’t enough rock in the world to isolate high level nuclear
waste from humans and the environment into eternity? No where in the world
has done this. Maybe it is more honest to say there is no ‘solution’ and
to just stop producing high level nuclear wastes? Certainly this
Partnership 'process' should be scrapped now before more public money is
spent on “steps towards” a worlds first, high level nuclear waste
geological dump,- located somewhere as yet unspecified (for DECC's sake
don't scare the horses!) in West Cumbria.

http://www.cumbriacrack.com/2011/09/29/fact-finding-repository-visit-for-west-cumbria-managing-radioactive-waste-safety-partnership-members/

http://www.greenpeace.de/fileadmin/gpd/user_upload/themen/atomkraft/GPI_nucl_waste_crisis_in_France_briefing_30may06.pdf

Protest

Use no 27

Protest - Stop New Nuclear

The Stop New Nuclear network website puts it very well....

"We can stop new nuclear
The government and the nuclear industry want us to believe that nuclear new-build in Britain is a done deal. They want to discourage us from protesting – the message they want us to swallow is clear: opposition is futile, and we will be going ahead anyway!
However, that couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, the government has introduced a framework which effectively will subsidise new nuclear at our expense – as electricity consumers and taxpayers. Yes, the government has effectively deprived local communities from having a say in the planning process for new nuclear and other major infrastructure projects thus dumping a crucial cornerstone of local democracy.
But nuclear new-build in Britain is already behind schedule and has faced legal and other setbacks. Public concern is mounting following the Fukushima disaster. If we can stop the building at Hinkley, we can stop the whole process. Now is the time to mobilise and take action.
New-nuclear in Britain is far from being a done deal, and we can still stop it!

NEW NUCLEAR — STOP IT AT HINKLEY!

The action:
A non-violent blockade of Hinkley Point nuclear power station in Somerset"

http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk/

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Campaigners-step-Hinkley-protest/story-13462638-detail/story.html

http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2011/hinkley-protests-10-09-11.php

Petitioning "Scaremongerers"

Use No 26

Petitions

Cumbrian Petition Opposes the World’s Top Trump Nuke Dump

Radiation Free Lakeland delivered a 1520 signature petition to Cumbria County Council offices in Kendal on Monday 5th September. The petition calls on Cumbria County Council and Copeland and Allerdale Borough Councils to halt the Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely process by their withdrawal. The government’s MRWS process has one agenda - “steps towards geological disposal” which means a newly mined area (or two or three) filled with high level radioactive wastes – in a hole(s) bigger than Lake Windermere and as deep as the Eiffel Tower. (see Refs below)

Despite the implications for Cumbria and its neighbours this petition has received almost no mainstream local or national press coverage apart from a Radio Cumbria interview on the morning of the hand over, where RAFL was accused repeatedly of “scaremongering” by the Leader of Copeland Borough Council. This set the tone of the interview which was topped off by the presenter (having taken his cue) shouting at volunteer Marianne Birkby. MRWS employ the services of a PR company to write speeches, letters and advise on “Crisis and Issues PR.” The PR Company is owned by Chair of Cumbria Tourism Eric Robson and Paul Gardner former political speech writer. Other 'facilitators' are also employed, costing the taxpayer £1M+ yearly Positive press coverage is one of the aims with adverts and multi page inserts into local press.

Many of the signatures were collected at Gosforth Show where the MRWS Partnership also had a stall. In 1995 Longlands Farm at Gosforth was chosen as the most likely location for an intermediate level waste dump. Following a public inquiry, the Nirex Inquiry Decision was that the site should be sought elsewhere - well away from the Irish Sea. In
2011 the vast majority of people at Gosforth Show who visited the Radiation Free Lakeland stall were keen to sign the petition and understood that Cumbria’s leaky geology is not safe, dry or remote enough from human habitation to keep high level radioactive wastes isolated into eternity.

A covering letter has been sent to Cumbria County Councillors and Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councillors. The full text of the letter
is below:

5th September 2011


To Cumbria County Council, Copeland and Allerdale Borough Councils.


Dear Cumbria County Councillor,

Cumbria County Council and Allerdale and Copeland Borough Council are absolutely right to object to the distribution of low level nuclear wastes in Cumbrian landfill sites such as Lillyhall and coal mines such as Keekle (1). Radiation Free Lakeland fully support these objections (2). Given the sensible objection to the dispersal of low level nuclear wastes, it makes no sense for Cumbrian councils to “express an interest” in the geological disposal of high level nuclear wastes (3).

We will be delivering a petition of 1520 signatures to CCC on Monday 5th September. The petition calls on Cumbria County Council and Copeland and Allerdale Borough Councils to halt the Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely process by their withdrawal (4). The MRWS process has one agenda -
“steps towards geological disposal” which means a newly mined area (or two or three) filled with high level radioactive wastes – in a hole(s) bigger than Lake Windermere and as deep as the Eiffel Tower (6).

In November 2008 Cumbria County Councillors were not allowed to vote on what they described as ‘the most important decision this council will ever take.” (7) Copeland and Allerdale were told: “This is the option being taken in the US at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where highly radioactive fuel will go underground. The Yucca Mountain project involves URS Washington, a key partner in Sellafield's parent body organisation”. (8) Sounds plausible but geological disposal of high level nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain is off the agenda because of contamination risks to that regions water, soil and air. URS Washington have now set up shop in Cumbria, a much wetter area than Nevada (9). Despite the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership’s reassuring rhetoric, there is in fact nowhere in the world with an operational high level waste geological disposal facility (10).

There are those with concerns about Cumbria’s geology who advocate geological disposal elsewhere (11). We agree that Cumbria is the wrong place but would go further and suggest that there is no place in the world safe, dry and remote enough to put high level nuclear wastes into the
ground and expect them to stay isolated from humans and the environment.

Certainly as far as Cumbria’s geology is concerned It is a massive waste of time, energy and taxpayers money for councils in Cumbria to “express an interest” in “volunteering” to host a high level nuclear waste repository. The Nirex Inquiry Decision was that the site should be sought elsewhere - well away from the Irish Sea. Eminent geologists have recently confirmed that this meant outside West Cumbria: and the Irish Government and others would inevitably lodge legal actions under EU Law to prevent inevitable radioactive pollution of the Irish Sea from a deep underground dump (12).

“Steps towards geological disposal” in Cumbria are being used as a front. The government is desperate to be seen to comply with the findings of the Flowers report that:

There should be no commitment to a large programme of nuclear fission power until it has been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a method
exists to ensure the safe containment of long lived, highly radioactivewaste for the indefinite future. (13)

BNFL (now the NDA) produced a video in 1999 which made a far stronger case against 'geological disposal' in Cumbria than any petitioner such as Radiation Free Lakeland could hope to. The video advises that areas of "high rainfall, permeable rocks and hills and mountains to drive the water flow" would guarantee high level radioactive wastes migrating to the surface (14). In other words geological disposal of high level nuclear
wastes in an area such as Cumbria would make that land too fiercely radioactive to sustain life.

We urge Cumbria County Council, and Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils to withdraw from the ‘Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely’ process as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,



Marianne Birkby
Volunteer* (dictionary definition)
on behalf of Radiation Free Lakeland

NOTE:
*The word ‘Volunteer’ as used in the MRWS process has mutated to: council
volunteering their region to site a high level nuclear waste repository in
return for taxpayer millions.
The dictionary definition of Volunteer is:
• of the volunteer's own free will and without coercion
• for no financial payment
• A person who performs or offers to perform a service voluntarily
• A person who renders aid, performs a service, or assumes an obligation
voluntarily
• without payment in fact or in kind
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/volunteer


REFS:
(1) Copeland Rejects Keekle Head Nuclear Waste Plan
http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/copeland-rejects-keekle-head-nuclear-waste-plan-1.869127?referrerPath=home/2.2837

(2) Radioactive Landfill at Keekle Head and Lillyhall? No Thanks!
Facebook group – 115 members
http://www.facebook.com/groups/119805971373120/

Bid to Oppose Lillyhall Landfiill Legalities
http://www.getnoticedonline.co.uk/news/general-news/bid-to-oppose-lillyhall-landfill-legalities.html

(3) “expressing an interest”
http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/underground-dump-not-a-done-deal-1.676384?referrerPath=home

(4) Petition – NO Underground Nuke Dump
http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/1368

(5) “We must progress implementation of geological disposal”
Charles Hendry MP
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn10_114/pn10_114.aspx

(6) Repository Footprint – slide 8
Would a deep nuclear waste repository in West Cumbria be safe? Dr Helen
Wallace
http://www.genewatch.org/uploads/f03c6d66a9b354535738483c1c3d49e4/HW_allerdale_fin.pdf

(7) Council Slammed in Nuke Dump Row
http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/news/council-slammed-in-nuke-plan-row-1.277316?referrerPath=news/1.117593

(8) Allerdale might host N-waste Dump
http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/business/1.282959

(9) Nevada Objects 229 Times
Las Vegas Journal http://www.lvrj.com/news/36489114.html

(10) Rock Solid – scientific review by Dr Helen Wallace
http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/Publications/2010/rock-solid-a-scientific-review/

(11) 13 Years on Nirex report makes compelling reading
http://www.getnoticedonline.co.uk/news/general-news/thirteen-years-on-nirex-report-makes-compelling-reading.html
Prof David Smythe
http://davidsmythe.org/nuclear/nuclear.htm


(12) Irish Action on Sellafield
http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=1466


(13) As part of its response to the Flowers report, the Government made
the Department of the Environment responsible for radioactive waste
management policy (Command Paper 6820)
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UZhCS7oaV2wJ:www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199899/ldselect/ldsctech/41/4103.htm+Flowers+report+nuclear&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=safari&source=www.google.com


(14) The Pangea Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjBSAlu0hjM

Pangea Project Sponsored by BNFL Rules Out Cumbria ie area of “high
rainfall, permeable rocks and hills and mountains to drive the water
flow.”
http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/2115

More Legal Challenges

Use No 25

More Legal Challenges (see uses no 14 and 15)

Excellent news that Greenpeace have launched a legal challenge to the government.

Greenpeace UK has served legal papers on the Government for
unlawfully failing to take into account the implications of the
Fukushima nuclear disaster in their future planning for the building of
new nuclear power stations at sites in Britain.

In a 1611 page legal submission to the High Court, Greenpeace is seeking
a Judicial Review of the government's decision not to take into account
specialist advice on the implications of the Fukushima disaster on
future reactors, which it has an obligation to do.

Legal Challenges are brilliant but the bottom line is that the government can and
frequently does change the law to suit its agenda.

The best challenge is a proactive campaign in the UK. Greenpeace and FOE have been proactively campaigning against nuclear in the rest of Europe and this has been successful with a German Nein Danke! Even the French are increasingly saying Non Merci!

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press-releases/greenpeace-takes-gover
nment-court-over-nuclear-power-expansion-20110826

Sacrificial Offerings

Use No 24

Sacrificial Offerings

The latest sacrificial offering is the violation of the rights of the children of Fukushima.

On the 17 August 2011 a submission was made to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"This submission concerns the violation of the human rights of the children of
Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. These children have been continually exposed to radioactive contamination since 11 March 2011, the start of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and urgent measures are needed to reduce this exposure.

The children of Fukushima have the same right as all other children in Japan to live
a life free from unnecessary, preventable radiation exposure. We urgently request that the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights/OHCHR come to Japan to investigate this matter.


Violation of the Human Rights of the Children of Fukushima
submitted by;
The Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation
Citizens Against Fukushima Aging Nuclear Power Plants (Fukuro-no-Kai)
FoE Japan (International Environmental NGO)
Green Action
Osaka Citizens Against the Mihama, Oi and Takahama Nuclear Power Plants (Mihama-no-Kai)
Greenpeace Japan

Posters

Use No 23

POSTERS

The anti-nuclear movement has produced an infinite variety of creative posters.

Here are some new posters opposing the proposal to dump high level nuclear wastes in Cumbria
Feel free to download and put up in shop windows, schools, businesses, houses, etc.

More Posters here:
http://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/oz/alliance/uranium-posters http://www.laka.org/protest/posters/posters.html
http://greennuclearbutterfly.blogspot.com/2011/07/available-now-in-high-resolution-for.html

Attracting UFOs

Use no 22

Attracting UFOs

Whatever UFOs are - there have been lots of sightings over nuclear installations...

Just a few examples below..

News & Star
GOVERNMENT NOT DOING ENOUGH TO INVESTIGATE SIGHTINGS, SAYS CUMBRIAN UFO EXPERT
Saturday, 13 August 2011
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/features/government-not-doing-enough-to-investigate-sightings-says-cumbrian-ufo-expert-1.867552?referrerPath=news/no_title_1_657546

April 2011
Giant UFO Hovering Over Fukushima Nuclear Plant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVyEhkq0-40

Pat Regan - "Are we being monitored?"


UFO Report Near Sellafield
February 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7884144.stm

Cumbria is UFO hotspot
February 2009
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.511181

Are Aliens Refuelling in the Lakes
Northern Echo February 2009
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4115457.UFOs_spotted_over_Lake_District/

Aliens Stopped Chernobyl Meltdown
http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=39465527&ID=infobrix&scategory=Business+and+Finance&

Create Dependency-withdraw supply-watch them plead for more

Use No 21

Create Dependency - withdraw supply -watch them plead for more..

The way in which the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (who are they kidding?) coldly announced the closure of the Sellafield MOX - without any talks with the workforce was in the tradition of the best drug pushers. The surprise announcement was designed to ensure pleading for new nuclear developments. Sure enough Jamie Reed MP and other nuclear shills are calling for MOX 2 (!) along with new reactors and geological disposal.

The NDA have said the closure of MOX is to end the financial burden to the taxpayer. The sincerity of this statement could only be believed if the NDA then went on to say:

No more spent fuel will be delivered to Sellafield

All jobs expertise and taxpayers money will now be put into looking after existing wastes which will not be dispersed into the environment by deep burial, dumped in landfill, recycled into pots and pans or as with MOX and Thorp turned from solid spent fuel into more dangerous and larger volumes of liquid high level wastes (reprocessing)

Then perhaps I would believe the NDA when they say they are concerned about taxpayer billions.

A Pox on Mox
http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/2152

Proliferation and Reprocessing
http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/reports/ProliferationBriefMay08.pdf


Sellafield's Mox plant is brought down by aftershocks of Japanese earthquakce
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/sellafield-s-mox-plant-is-brought-down-by-aftershocks-of-japanese-earthquake-1.864839?referrerPath=1.203635

Dodgy Hacking

Use no 20

Dodgy Hacking

Recent correspondence has revealed that no one will be prosecuted over the body hacking scandal carried out by the nuclear industry for over 40 years in collusion with government, hospitals, coroners and doctors. Heads are rolling over the phone hacking scandal - quite rightly - but there is a toxic blind eye turned to the morally and financially bankrupt nuclear 'industry' (is it really an 'industry' when paid for by the taxpayer).

I have seen correspondence from Cumbria Constabulary which says that despite the findings of the Redfern Inquiry that the relationship between the nuclear industry and fellow bodysnatching conspirators was "too close" no one will be prosecuted as it is not "in the public interest" Money has changed hands to smooth the way for 40 years of body snatching.

Extract from letter sent by "Special Operations" - Cumbria Constabulary
"the issues you raise which I have listed below;
1. That specific people and institutions have breached the Human Tissue Act and that this should be investigated.
2. That an investigation into whether there was any unlawful corruption of the coronial processes had taken place
3. The stipends made to mortuary attendants are also of particular concern.

This was a Government led review which involved both the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Ministry of Justice. As such any requirement on the police to investigate identified breaches as outlined above would be made by the Government. No such request has been made".

Surprise Surprise! No such request is likely to be made. Successive governments have been in collusion with an industry whose corruption takes your breath away - this government is continuing the toxic tradition.

Thousands of experiments - but Government insist "population mixing" is the cause of cancers...
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/inq_statement/inq_statement.aspx

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8138367/Organs-of-nuclear-workers-secretly-harvested-for-40-years-report-finds.html

Bodysnatching, Infanticide and Radiation Poisoning - Alarmist? Not really.
https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/uk/servlet/OpenMir?do=getpdf&id=437335&forIE=.pdf
https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/uk/servlet/OpenMir?do=getpdf&id=437335&forIE=.pdf

Leaked Videos

Use no 19

Leaked Videos

BNFL (now NDA aka the British Government) produced a video in 1999 which made a far stronger case against 'geological disposal' in Cumbria than any anti nuke film maker could hope to!

The video advises that areas of "high rainfall, permeable rocks and mountains to drive the water flow" would guarantee high level radioactive wastes migrating to the surface. This would make the land too fiercely radioactive to sustain life.

The Pangea Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjBSAlu0hjM


http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/2115

http://www.getnoticedonline.co.uk/news/general-news/opposition-mounts-to-new-nuclear-plants-and-waste-dumps.html

Use no 17. PR STUNT - "Geology Seminar"

PR STUNT - "Geology Seminar"


The best PR stunts are dressed up in expensive suits and paid for by the taxpayer.  Monday's "geology seminar" at Whitehaven was a brilliant example of nasty spin from a government who wants new nukes and desperately needs to be seen to have 'solved' the nuclear waste problem.  


Some have called for "more debate" but even if Cumbria's geology was perfect rather than leaky there are over 100 reasons why dumping high level nuclear waste in the ground is guaranteed to poison the land and us.  Here are just a few examples:

Repository is designed to be leaky

Rusting of the steel in the dump will create huge amounts of hydrogen which will have to be released undermining the so called "multi- barrier" system meant to protect people from leakage.  (issues 14 and 15)

Digging underground will create fast pathways for leaks

Rock would inevitably be damaged by digging to create huge caverns.  The danger caused by this "excavation damage zone" is not understood. ( issue 27)

New data shows copper will corrode faster than assumed

The NDA refer to a wall thickness of 5cm for the copper canisters holding  high level wastes.  Recent research shows that to achieve durability a wall thickness of one metre would be needed! (issue 39)

Nuclear Explosions in the Repository

The probability and impact of a "criticality" or mini nuclear explosion is not understood. ( issue 79)

NOTE- Issues Register from Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates

Summary ( 10 pages)

 http://www.nuclearwasteadvisory.co.uk/uploads/11953NWAAISSUESREGISTER%5BVersion1.1%5D.pdf

Commentary (30 pages)

 http://www.nuclearwasteadvisory.co.uk/uploads/11952NWAA%20ISSUES%20REGISTER%20COMMENTARY%20letterhead.doc

ACT OF FAITH

Use no. 16

ACT OF FAITH

Carlisle Cathedral is built to inspire awe.  Last time I went there was Chernobyl Day to ask Bishop Newcome (aka Nuke'm)  for a rethink on his outspoken support for new build and a deep nuclear dump in Cumbria.  A few of us supporters of a radiation free lakeland went in to the Cathedral.  When I opened my mouth to deliver a brilliant speech to  the Bishop's right hand man,  a tiny mouse squeak came out  "please give this important letter to the Bishop etc.."  

As soon as I got out of the Cathedral my voice was back to normal!  Thats not important  but what is important is that the Bishop has now replied to our letter saying:  

I am not prepared at this stage to withdraw my 
support for new build and geological disposal.

That Angel of Light sat above Carlisle Cathedral must be laughing his fiery socks off!    How many more lives will be snuffed out before The Bishop "withdraws his support" ? 

RUBBER STAMPS and ROTTEN JUDGEMENTS

Use no. 15

Rubber Stamps

We were at the High Court in Leeds last Thursday to support Rory Walker in his challenge to the Government's insane push for cancer factories. New nuclear build and radiation linked diseases are terrible twins.

Judge McCombe refused to allow the case to go ahead because in his esteemed opinion it is perfectly OK for the Secretary of State, Chris Huhne to be both cheerleader for new build and the person authorised to rubber stamp the *safety. Following new "fast tracking" of the planning system at no other point will the safety of new reactors be under scrutiny.

Rory was granted legal aid - but the Legal Services Commission has asked for £16,250 towards court costs if this case does eventually go ahead to "prove that there is public support for his case" This money was raised in a short space of time from ordinary people - not big NGOs - but the Judge had the brass neck to say that health detriment from new build was "of no public interest." He also looked over towards us in the public gallery and said that the case being brought with legal aid was "unattractive" Hmmm.

Rory's legal team are considering whether to recommend an appeal against the judge's decision.

http://www.irwinmitchell.com/search/pages/newsviewer.aspx?f=Government-Faces-High-Court-Challenge-On-Nuclear-Power-Plans.aspx

*safety - The Secretary of State's defence lawyer declared on Thursday in court that the "best evidence suggests that there is no increase in cancers near nuclear power stations - that is the end of it" I suppose the "best evidence" is the recently published government COMARE report which did not include Sellafield ! And the real evidence of increased childhood leukemias (every week in the Cumbrian papers another "story" of another child's "brave fight") and other radiation linked diseases is nothing more than an inconvenient truth to be airbrushed out of history.

http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/1319

LEGAL CHALLENGES

Use no. 14

Legal Challenge to Nukiller New Build

FUNDS NEEDED FOR LEGAL CASE AGAINST "JUSTIFICATION" OF NEW NUKES

Rory Walker, a community worker from Lancaster has been granted legal aid for a Judicial Review against the government's "justification" decision which is a preliminary stage of approval required by the EU Euratom Directive before a final decision can be taken to build more nuclear power stations.

A hearing will be held at the High Court in Leeds on May 12th to decide whether the challenge will proceed to a full judicial review hearing.

The case centres on whether the government should first have measured "health detriment" including radiation linked diseases being inflicted on people, especially children in the vicinity of nuclear power stations.

Although Rory has won legal aid for the case, the Legal Services Commission has made a requirement that £16,250 should be made by other citizens who would benefit, should the case be successful. Rory's solicitors, Irwin Mitchell are still arguing against this large amount but its becoming apparent that a large sum will need to be met.

If the contribution cannot be found Rory will lose his legal aid and the protection that gives should the case be lost.

The fighting fund now stands at £8000 - all through contributions by people who do not want their health and their children's health damaged from new nuclear build.

All contributions are needed however large or small.

***New Video on Justification Challenge***

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SANEFILMVIDEOS#p/a/u/0/Mq58l2CkySg   

Donations can be made direct to the Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance 

(HANA) bank account, 

as follows  Account name: Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance  

Account reference: 616 322 406  Account number: 10091267  

Sort code: 16-12-27  

Donors, who wish it, will be sent a copy of the Application for Judicial Review.   

Please get in touch if you would like further information.  

Email Rory Walker : youllneverwalkalone@riseup.net  Telephone: 01524 381 394  

or Email Radiation Free Lakeland: rafl@mariannebirkby.plus.com Telephone: 015395 63671  

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/25/chris-huhne-court-nuclear-cancer-children   

***Court Support***  On Tuesday 12th of May at the High Court in Leeds there will be a 

procedural hearing about Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance's challenge to the Governments 

'justification' of new nuclear power stations in the UK. 

(http://www.heysham-anti-nuclear-alliance.org/appeal.html) 

A judge will hear the arguments put forward by our QC and by the Government's QC 

and make a decision if the case should go to a full Judicial Review.

ANNIVERSARIES: WINDSCALE, CHERNOBYL, FUKUSHIMA - NEVER AGAIN?

Use 13

Anniversaries

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. We went to Carlisle Cathedral to lay three crosses:

Windscale- Never Again? Chernobyl - Never Again? Fukushima- Never Again?

A letter was delivered to the "nuclear is a green option" Bishop of Carlisle...

Dear Bishop Newcome,

CHERNOBYL - 25 YEARS ON.

Congratulations on your appointment as Lead Bishop on health care issues.

Today is the 25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Radiation Free Lakeland and representatives from other concerned groups will be laying three crosses outside Carlisle Cathedral. The crosses will read:

Windscale- Never Again? Chernobyl- Never Again? Fukushima- Never Again?

The Diocese is informed by the Churches Together Environment Group which is largely advised by Supporters of Nuclear Energy SONE. “Environment Group” publications reflect this pronuclear bias. We feel that the Diocese could do much more to seriously take on board legitimate concerns about nuclear power. For two hours on the morning of your enthronement in 2009 we spoke to 150 people who had come along specially to sign a letter voicing concerns at the Diocese’s pro nuclear stance. The letter asked:

“Will the Diocese of Carlisle consider listening to independent expert advice

(not from pro nuclear government or industry) on radiation risks of new build and geological disposal before making further pro-nuclear statements?”

Well, the Diocese did kindly agree to hosting a meeting on 6^th Feb 2010 We were however surprised that you chose at the meeting to reaffirm a commitment to new nuclear build. The hope was that people would have time to go away and reflect on all the points raised during the presentations. Even local Parish Newsletters present the Diocese’s pronuclear view as “the green route to secure, safe and reliable power” - no dissenting voices get a look in.

In July children from Belarus will be spending a month in the South Lakes to give their damaged immune systems a respite.

The damage will continue through the "children of irradiated parents for as many as seven generations." So "the genetic consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe will impact hundreds of millions of people."

Alexey V. Yablokov (Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow, Russia), Vassily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko (Institute of Radiation Safety, Minsk, Belarus). Consulting Editor Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger (Environmental Institute, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan).


““In Belarus cancer of the thyroid is so prevalent that the scar left after a thyroid operation is now chillingly referred to as a Belarussian Necklace, thus marking them forever as Chernobyl's victims. Since the disaster there has also been an increase of 800% in the incidence of cancers in children living near to the reactor plus there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of babies born with substantial physical disabilities. Babies born limbless, deformed and with severe brain damage.

There are so many other radiation related health crises occurring in the region that for the first time in Belarussian history , the death rate is HIGHER, than the birth rate”. The South Lakeland branch of Friends of Chernobyl’s Children

Given the ongoing Chernobyl catastrophe and since your enthronement, now Fukushima, will the Diocese of Carlisle withdraw its support for new build and geological disposal?

….. and join us in saying NEVER AGAIN!

Yours sincerely,

Marianne Birkby

On behalf of Radiation Free Lakeland

015395 63671

Note:

Sent by email attachment is the document :

Why a deep nuclear waste repository should not be sited in Cumbria: a geological review

by David Smythe Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, University of Glasgow 11 April 2011

Refs:

http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2010/10/bishop-of-carlisle-appointed-as-lead-bishop-on-healthcare-issues.aspx

http://www.sone.org.uk/content/view/394/30/

http://www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk/UK%20Energy%20Policy%20and%20the%20Environment%20paper.pdf

http://www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk/nuclear_energy_discussion.htm

Friends of Chernobyl’s Children

http://focc.org.uk/South_Lakes.html

Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment

Written by Alexey V. Yablokov (Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow, Russia), Vassily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko (Institute of Radiation Safety, Minsk, Belarus). Consulting Editor Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger (Environmental Institute, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan).
Volume 1181, December 2009

http://www.nyas.org/publications/annals/Detail.aspx?cid=f3f3bd16-51ba-4d7b-a086-753f44b3bfc1