Press Releases | Ciaran Cuffe

Press Releases: 30 September 2005 Environment
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	30 September 2005 Sellafield to be sold to Private Operators British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) announced yesterday that it plans to sell off major nuclear installations, including Sellafield.
Today the Guardian newspaper announced that Gordon Brown was likely to approve the sale in order to fund other commitments. It is expected that the sale would generate Ł10 billion for the British Government. American nuclear operators Halliburton and Fluor are seen as likely potential buyers. Ciarán Cuffe Green Party Environment Spokesperson said that he feared that the privatisation confirmed that a new reactor building programme was imminent: "I think the privatisation of BNFL assets signals that a new reactor building programme is quite likely. There has been considerable speculation in the British media and amongst British nuclear experts for the past few months that a major privatisation of BNFL was being planned in advance of a new reactor building programme." "Stringent government regulation and scrutiny of nuclear installations is crucial for environment and human safety. While my Green Party colleagues and I have been critical of British authorities' supervision of activities at Sellafield and other nuclear plants, we are horrified at the prospect of the weakening of government regulation that privatisation would lead to". "I don't think that those British and Irish citizens concerned with Sellafield's past safety record are going to reassured by Halliburton being in control at Sellafield".