Leafy Cheshire is host to the start of the nuclear fuel cycle in the UK where campaigners say the regulators and industry are carrying out dangerous new developments without public scrutiny.
Video from the vigil at Capenhurst on 11th March 2020
Campaigners Invite people to join them on 11th March 2025 at 2pm to bear witness to the ongoing catastrophe at the beginning of the nuclear fuel chain at URENCO Capenhurst, Cheshire.
Keir Starmer says he will relax the already inadequate planning rules on new nuclear. Meanwhile in leafy Cheshire at the beginning of the uranium fuelled nuclear industry in the UK, dangerous new developments to process European Depleted Uranium including from the biggest producer, Russia have already been carried out with plans for further expansion. There has been no meaningful public scrutiny.
A letter has been sent to local and district councils in Cheshire and Justin Madders MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, from campaign groups and leading nuclear experts on dangers at URENCO’s new “tails” ie depleted uranium enrichment facility.
The letter states we are "concerned about the size of the reference accident considered by the REPPIR report which deals with merely two cylinders being crushed as a source term for the releases. It seems to us that given the nature of the plant and the presence of hydrogen in the process, a fire would be a more likely reference accident, or a violent explosion which could result in releases of a very large number of cylinders worth of toxic and radioactive gases."
image Example Plume from the Tails Management Facility - note it does not sit neatly over the site as does the reference plume used to justify the TMF.
Full letter below:
Dear Capenhurst and Ledsham Parish Council
CAPENHURST CONCERN
We are concerned that the regulators have abdicated responsibility for public safety with regard new developments to produce higher enriched uranium. We note that the Urenco’s “Capenhurst Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information)Regulations REPPIR 2019 Consequence Report” states that “Downwind distances (km) for chemo-toxic effects… are estimated to result in a significant likelihood of death (SLOD) out to a downwind distance of 200 m –400 m.” (see attached REPPIR report)
INADEQUATE MODELLING OF PLUME RELEASE
The modelling for this is based on ‘perfect’ weather conditions rather than a wind-driven plume (see attachment) out towards the conurbations of Ellesmere Port or Chester. The regulators say “the local authority would have to make some decisions about where to draw the line with respect to a number of houses just outside the (emergency planning) zone”. Leaving the arbitrarily drawn lines to local authorities smacks of putting expediency and the protection of the uranium enrichment industry ahead of public safety.
VIOLENT EXPLOSION RELEASING TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE GASES
We are also concerned about the size of the reference accident considered by the REPPIR report which deals with merely two cylinders being crushed as a source term for the releases. It seems to us that given the nature of the plant and the presence of hydrogen in the process, a fire would be a more likely reference accident, or a violent explosion which could result in releases of a very large number of cylinders worth of toxic and radioactive gases. (see Plume Example attached)
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION QUESTIONS
We have recently sent a set of Freedom of Information questions to the Environment Agency the answers are below and reinforce our concerns that the public have been given no meaningful opportunity for scrutiny on the development of the Tails Management Facility and planned expansions with regulatory permissions appearing to be a matter of rubber stamping.
£1 BILLION NOT ENOUGH FOR URENCO -HMRC IN COURT OVER "ADDITIONAL' RADIATION SHIELDING EXPENSES
We also note with alarm that URENCO having recieved £1Billion of public money (without consultation with the public) to build the TMF to “treat Urenco's European inventory of depleted uranium” then took HMRC to court over “additional” expenses for the radiation shielding necessary to try and protect the public from the Tails Management Facility emissions both routine and accidental.
INVITATION
On March 11th at 2pm campaigners from Radiation Free Lakeland and Close Capenhurst will be holding a vigil outside the URENCO plant for the 14th Fukushima anniversary. We would like to invite members of the local Parish Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and the local MP to join us.
Yours faithfully,
Marianne Birkby, Radiation Free Lakeland
(address supplied)
Martyn Lowe, Close Capenhurst
Dr Paul Dorfman, Associate Fellow, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex ; Chair, Nuclear Consulting Group; Member of the Irish Govt. Environment Protection Agency Radiation Protection Advisory Committee.
Anita Stirzaker, Lakes Against Nuclear Dump LAND
Elfed Jones , CAN. WE CAN. CYMRU CAN and the future generations of Wales who live just over the border
Dr Chris Busby, expert on the health effects of ionizing radiation. Qualified in Chemical Physics at the Universities of London and Kent, Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk based in Brussels. chrisbusbyexposed.org, greenaudit.org llrc.org
Richard Outram, Secretary, UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/about/the-team/
Irene Sanderson, North Cumbria CND
Philip Gilligan, South Lakes and Lancaster District CND
Cc Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council
Justin Madders MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
image Example Plume from TMR - note it does not sit neatly over the site as does the reference plume used to justify the TMF
Freedom of information questions and answers
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GMMC Info Requests, Environment Agency 3 February 2025
Dear Marianne,
Thank you for your enquiry which was received on 20/01/2025
We respond to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Please see the below responses to your requested information from our relevant officer
Question 1: Why was the Plant Built BEFORE the Permit issued?.
The Environmental Permit (ZP3835TX). is required for the operation of an activity as listed in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales Regulations) Regulations 2016 as amended. The construction activity is a planning issue which is a matter for the local authority.
Question 2: Why was the EA Permit issued 3 months BEFORE the Consequence Report was signed off ?
The consequence report is a requirement of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 to enable the Local Authority to fulfil their emergency planning duties. The Environmental Permitting Regulations have different requirements which relate to the application of the Best Available Technique. The Local Authority was consulted as part of the determination of permit ZP3835TX.
Question 3: Were there any fully advertised public consultations on the new Tails Management Facility and Consequences report from 2008 - 2019 ?
The Environment Agency consulted on the application for an Environmental Permit which was subsequently issued as ZP3835TX (see attached). The application was advertised in accordance with policy at the time which included an advert in the London Evening Standard. Consultation on a REPPIR19 Consequence Report is not within the scope of our duties .
Question 4: In 2023 Urenco announced it “has selected Bechtel “ for a new expansion of the TMF. Given the public money involved and the extreme hazards is there a Public Consultation on the proposed expansion of the new Tails Management Facility?
New permit applications and substantial variations would be subject to public consultation. More details on how and when we consult are available at the following link
Please refer to the [2]Open Government Licence which explains the permitted use of this information.
Please get in touch if you have any further queries or contact us within two months if you’d like us to review the information we have sent.
Kind regards,
Lauren Blackley
Customer and Engagement Officer
Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire
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Further references
TMF Development built before sign off of permits https://www.neimagazine.com/news/bechtel...
"In the UK, Urenco ChemPlants has built the 10,000 t/yr Tails Management Facility (TMF) at Capenhurst to treat Urenco's European inventory of depleted uranium, which is stored there. The total investment was about £1 billion. It enables the recycling of about 5000 tonnes of HF per year for industrial use. In November 2023 Urenco announced that it had selected Bechtel to support a proposed expansion of the facility” https://wna.origindigital.co/information...
2023 Expansion Announced of TMF https://wna.origindigital.co/information...
After £1Billion of public funding Urenco quibble about provision of radiation sheilding - "HMRC’s appeal regarding Urenco’s assets used in shielding, containment and seismic qualification (‘Disputed Items’)." https://blogs.law.ox.ac.uk/oblb/blog-post/2023/01/court-appeals-rejects-capital-allowances-urenco-nuclear-waste-facility
UK and US Investing
Thu, Aug 1, 2024, 3:30PMNuclear Newshttps://www.ans.org/news/article-6260/the-us-and-uk-are-both-investing-in-haleu-how-do-the-programs-compare/
From March 2020
Campaigners Mark 50 Years of “Enriching the Future”
At the invitation of campaign group Close Capenhurst, representatives of groups including Japanese Against Nuclear, Radiation Free Lakeland and South Lakeland CND gathered to mark the anniversary.
Most shocking was the contrast between musicians carrying their violins and instruments, reminiscent of the Titanic, into Capenhurst for their staff 50 year celebration – and the four lorries outside with a radiation reading of 0.88. For context, a mammogram is 0.40.
Bechtel to build plant https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/bechtel-wins-work-on-expansion-of-key-uk-depleted-uranium-processing-plant-06-11-2023/
“Whilst there is no shortage of enriched fuel in the industry today, we are planning for the future as more governments put stable policy frameworks in place that are in favour of nuclear energy – and we grow our customer base,” Urenco said. https://www.neimagazine.com/news/bechtel-to-support-urencos-expansion-activities-in-the-uk-11282460/
£300 Uranium programme https://newsfromthenorth.co.uk/2024/05/20/pay-dispute-goes-nuclear/
The high levels of security are easily understood. The recipe to make nuclear fuel is one of mankind’s most-guarded secrets: its dual-use technology means the same methods for feeding reactors also apply to building bombs. For years, the US has refused to share or transfer fuel-manufacturing technologies — first developed for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s that made the bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But now, Washington is urging more countries to develop that capacity.
MOD “There is also an amount of uranics material stored and managed on behalf of MoD
(comprising metal, MDU and UF6 tails), and an additional quantity of MDU which is
owned by overseas utilities. Other future arisings will comprise a further ~2,600 teU of
NDA-owned MDU from future Magnox reprocessing.”https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upload
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