Sellafield action - Shut down this nuclear danger

YESTERDAY’S long-overdue decision by the EU to take legal action against Britain over the Sellafield nuclear plant is to be applauded.

For Brussels to accuse the British Government of “unacceptable failings” in dealing with nuclear waste at the controversial reprocessing plant in Cumbria is stating the obvious.

As the operating company, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) has been responsible for a litany of blunders. While the EU believes it is meeting standards for tackling nuclear waste, serious doubts hang over the safety of spent nuclear fuel stored in a “pond” there.

The people of Ireland, particularly those living on the East coast, will be heartened that the commission now accepts their genuine concerns about the operation.

But unless aggressive legal action is taken against BNFL, it will continue to ignore the justifiable fears of those who see Sellafield as a nuclear time bomb.

Ultimately, the answer is to shut it down.