Sellafield waste found in landfill

The Environment Agency confirmed on Monday that it is investigating the incident, which was apparently the result of a faulty scanner passing the waste as safe.

So far one of the bin bags of waste has been recovered from the Lillyhall landfill site near Workington but the other four have yet to be found.

The disposal of all bagged waste from the site has been suspended as a result.

The incident comes just days after unions exposed the company's plans to axe up to 1,200 jobs and reduce spending on "low-hazard work" as part of an "efficiency drive."

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: "The Environment Agency has been informed by Sellafield that five bin bags of low-level radioactive waste have been disposed of in error to a local landfill site.

"We are investigating how this happened and working with representatives from Sellafield and with the landfill site operator to decide the best course of action."

A spokesman for Sellafield said: "Sellafield Ltd is conducting an investigation into its arrangements for categorising and disposing of low-activity process wastes following an incorrect activity assessment by a purpose-built bag monitoring machine.

"The investigation has identified that five bags of low-activity process wastes have been incorrectly consigned as exempt material rather than as low-level waste.

"An initial analysis of the potential consequences of this incident has shown that there are no environmental implications."

But anti-Sellafield campaigners responded with horror to the admission.

Martin Forwood of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment said: "This begs the question, if it has happened this time, how many other times could it have happened?

"We are absolutely opposed to the plans to increase the amount of nuclear waste going to landfill. Some of the sites are not just for very low-level waste but low-level also.

"By allowing nuclear waste to go to landfill the government is letting the nuclear industry off the hook.

"What they are doing is scattering the waste all around this country. It is completely irresponsible."

CND chairwoman Kate Hudson said: "It is shocking that there is now radioactive waste lost somewhere within an ordinary landfill site.

"That such confusion can occur underlines why this toxic waste must be kept separate from other waste streams.

"Licensing commercial landfills to take lower-end hazardous material, as the government is currently considering, would make such accidents all the more likely, with the potential for more radioactive substances to become mixed in."

She said the incident highlighted the "madness" of government proposals for a new generation of nuclear power stations.