Angleterre : Sellafield : Fuite d’effluent contenant du plutonium

2 février 2011

Au cours d’une inspection de routine, le 2 février 2011, Sellafield Ltd a découvert une petite flaque d’environ 25 ml d’un liquide brun au point bas d’un conduit de ventilation dans l’usine de purification du plutonium. Sellafield Ltd a confirmé que le liquide contenait du plutonium à une concentration qui a dépassé la limite légale d’un facteur d’environ 5.

Available in english only.

"Sellafield Ltd" found plutonium in a ventilation duct

During a routine inspection on 2 February 2011, Sellafield Ltd found a small pool of approximately 25 ml of a brown liquid underneath the lowest point in a ventilation duct in the redundant Plutonium Purification Plant (a legacy plant). It was discovered in an area designated as having low levels of contamination. The facility had been emptied of redundant plant pending final decommissioning. The ventilation system is safety related ; it is required to support containment, by preventing the movement of radioactive material from areas of high contamination.

Sellafield Ltd’s analysis has confirmed that the liquor contained plutonium at a concentration that exceeded the statutory limit of Schedule 8 of the Ionising Radiation Regulations (1999) by a factor of about 5.

We have investigated the incident and we are satisfied that neither the public nor workers were adversely affected by the incident. We are content that the incident was properly reported, the contamination correctly analysed and safely cleaned up, and that Sellafield Ltd carried out an appropriate internal investigation that identified the cause of the event.

Sellafield Ltd has confirmed that contaminated condensation leaked out through a gasket in a joint in the ventilation system, which was designed about 20 years ago. The incident has highlighted a number of shortfalls in the design of the ventilation system and the company is currently taking action to address these.

We have judged this incident against HSE’s Enforcement Management Model and concluded that no further enforcement action is necessary. However, Sellafield Ltd does not intend to finish decommissioning this plant until 2058 and we are pursuing the development of a safety case that takes account of this incident to underpin its continued safety throughout this period.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/quarterly-stat/2011-1.htm

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