Windscale.
Environment and Resources Association.
The obections ta sed are distorted, omitted or dismissed with a high handedness that reveals Parker's underlying assumption that the nuclear industry needs reprocessing and therefore it should have it.
We just don't have an energy policy in this country. We have had a series of ad hoc decisions made under pressure from the give us cnough power stations to generate 40 per cent more electricity than we ever use.
Senious doubt Has been Cast on the forecasts of future and Ikelihood is that we will only need 60 or cent or present energy consumption if we use the simple technologies already have to conserve and use fuels more efficiently.
While we have more energy than we need at present, we still have families and old people who cannot even afford to beat their homes properly. Generating more, CISC BUNCH electricity will not help them, Dur cReTEy conservanon would In fact, the 'need" for nuclear power is based on the needs of industry not the consumer, the decision to order 2 (NUCLEAR) and Drax B (coal) stations has indicated.
Reprocessing of spent fuel to produce plutonium and development of so-called fast breeder reactors' are the two key decisions which will lead us to a plutonium economy. Both these decisions will be made in the next year or so and the first why we need to be concerned MDOULECTSUCHUHI than a balancing act before recommending that British Nuclear Fuels should build its reprocessing plant at In the event he has produced a report so biased that it will eventually embarrass even hard line advocates of nuclear power, writes TONY WEBB of the Socialist Plutonium equals Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Windscale was originally built to provide plutonium for the weapons Throughout the industry there is a bazy line between military (security and secrecy conscious) and civil uses of nuclear fuels and especially Plutonium being around the globe will have one inevitable consequence: someone somewhere will try and probably succeed in making a nuclear bomb. It is these ICTTONS WOU CRESS BE BREESEA! governments who might wish to TO SAC WORETO TARONE No system of inspection systems, or Eccancal fixes' of the plutonium can safeguard us from the produc tion of a nuclear bomb built from reactor grade plutoniam.
In certain circumstances this could be done in a matter of hours on a change of government or a government's policy.
For Britain to go ahead now s more irresponsible when the United States has called a halt International Poety uation Programme; and when there are international efforts the Brazil which signed Proliferation Treaty Workers Power not Nuclear Power The threat of "terrorism" is | spiracy If Britain was the last major Western country to | programme.
plutonium. shipped treaties, trades union rents, Workers in the nuclear industry are subject to a wide range of legislation inclading tbe Act, the ANTONES (Special Constables) Act 1976 permanently police Force in the UK, and the Emergency Powers Acts, 1920 and 1964.
It is obviously a secrecy and when security ridden industry.
the I Cycle Eval- extent of this can be seen by the fact that both BNFL and the UKAEA contain *DO strike During the Tweek unofficia strike at Windscale last even not only were troops ready to and by Nob Пу in safety need for which was disputed b the strikers) and Tony Bean implicitly threatened troops, but one strike leader we talked to was threatened with imprisonment under the ConThe CND bad a big impact in being used to crode civil and Property Act 1975 We know of the Official Secrebs Energy the first mission armed private The agreements clauses infiltrators, усат opening equipment (tb wide range to usc activities, sabateurs recently appeal and Protection of person's ear.
of ployer from inquiry.
Wing tion, extent of personal and political velting backin that takes place in industry as a result of the Reinforced Steels occupation. The Flowers Comworkers in the nuclear industry герогі that that the and associated trades will be required to be screened before being employed and they may be subject to unusual surveil lance during the course of their General surveillance 'might include the use of informers, wire checking bank accounts, of mail". for Research has recently shown Windscale. how police computers are beans used to store information 0b a of political hunt and found to their cost. When after all thi power. dorisal, your daim may be combined "national security" in the chair.
The provisions for disclosure information to shop stewards for bargaining purposes under the Employmen Protection Act are similarl restricted by a 'security" clause. With the difficulty we bad getting any information on the Wind MOANCS COLLOCL scale, you can kiss this "night" goodbye as well. yards.
Finally, the Health and Safety at Work Act provides for disclosure of technical information to trade union appointsalety The Act specifically exempts the emsupplying any information the disclosure of which would be against the interests of national security.
In its evidence to the Parker the stated: "Safety representatives... hav met relevant secunity regulations should have access to health and safety informadetails of hazards and accidents and access to their members workplaces' If this was the price of TUC for the Windscale plant, Parker has repaid then by totally ignoring its suggesHe did, however, use the fact had given fix supporting evidence to disouss the points above as hearsay evidence and suggest that all the workers at the plant were happy with the arrangements.
Create Jobs not Plutonium Nuclear power is very capital Intensive. It will cost t600,000 cach massive insulation programme would cost less and would create more jobs Can the Dacia progn save more energy than could be produced by nuclear of smal heat and power heating) would create jobs for workers in the power engineer. ing industry and in the control systems, piping and domestic heating installations for many the alternative renewate alternative renewable resources we wave tea. geothermal, and solar power.
Wave power systems being developed at present would workers in the ship Wind-clectric systems could provide jobs for aero space workers. There's no end to the possibilities given the right funding and given that we can halt the growth of muclear power.
But the Government want nuclear power and most unions have bought the lie that nuclear power will WHACE PIR curity and prosperity The truth is very differen Nuclear power 1s very expen sive it will soak up what little investment capital there is and starve other developments and create few jobs. maint "virtues are that it reinforces me tenaches towards CELEBAL sed control, ensures long-term profits fOr big cherg: consortia and helps the Goveroment and CBI sidestep the power of the NUM.
Nuclear power is a lechnical for the problems There are viable alterontives which would be less which would pre sent less of 'a threat to organised labour and which would create more jobs in more areas of the country across a broader range of skills and be more amenabl to workers control, So who needs nukes!
Further details from SERA 9 Poland Street, London WI. Tel: 01-439 3749. The following pamphlets are available. "What choice Windscale Czech Conros, from Friends of the Earth, 9 Poland St, London W1 (£1.20 inci. p&p). *Meet your new industrial relutions SERA (25p ind mannger