ARGUABLY the most toxic substance found at the former Irish Steel site in Cork is chromium 6, a deadly chemical which became the focus of a multi-million dollar lawsuit in America and later the subject of an Oscar-winning film.

Nuclear power station operator British Energy was today said to be weighing up an £11bn (€13.7bn) takeover approach from German utility business RWE.

Union leaders in the UK were today seeking talks with the British government over reports that clean-up work at a number of defunct nuclear reactors is to be halted because of funding problems.

Nuclear power company British Energy faced more output problems today after complications during a planned inspection at its Hartlepool site.

Power generator British Energy warned today that output problems would continue to plague the company while repair work is carried out on key nuclear reactors.

A lawyer who tried to extort $310,000 from Erin Brockovich and her boss has been sentenced to four months in jail.