Argument over Thorp, the reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria,
is expected to move from Whitehall to the courts now that John Gummer, Britain鈥檚
environment secretary, has given his blessing for the plant to open. Gummer
approved limits for the amounts of radioactive substances that can be released
from the Sellafield complex with a few minor changes.
British Nuclear Fuels has only 28 days to wait until it can press the
green button, provided no one successfully challenges Gummer鈥檚 decision.
Greenpeace says it will ask for a judicial review on the grounds that the
environment secretary has failed to justify the radioactive releases as
required by law.
Friends of the Earth is threatening to take the European Commission
to the European Court of Justice for not forcing Gummer to justify the releases
under the EURATOM Treaty.
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John Guinness, chairman of BNFL chastised environmental groups for
contributing to a massive waste of money without any benefit to the environment.