6 December 2001 Edition
Government must maintain campaign to close Sellafield
Sinn Féin Environmental spokesperson Councillor Arthur Morgan said on Monday that people were disappointed that the Irish government have not been successful in their challenge to the opening of the MOX plant at Sellafield. "This is not the result that the Irish people wanted to hear and I would call on the government to continue the campaign to prevent the opening of the MOX plant and the closure of Sellafield itself," he said.
"While aspects of the ruling were positive there will be disappointment that the government was not successful. People living along Ireland's East Coast will not be reassured that the British government must now provide measures to prevent pollution of the Irish sea, given their record in relation to Sellafield Nuclear Plant.
"Only last week we had the damning indictment of Sellafield with the EU Commission admitting that it is not in a position to guarantee that basic safety standards are respected at the plant.
"Now that the government has begun to take legal actions in relation to BNFL I would call on Fianna Fáil to honour their 1997 election commitment to fund the case being taken by the four individuals from County Louth in relation to THORP. This is a case which is winnable and is only being only held up due to funding."
"While aspects of the ruling were positive there will be disappointment that the government was not successful. People living along Ireland's East Coast will not be reassured that the British government must now provide measures to prevent pollution of the Irish sea, given their record in relation to Sellafield Nuclear Plant.
"Only last week we had the damning indictment of Sellafield with the EU Commission admitting that it is not in a position to guarantee that basic safety standards are respected at the plant.
"Now that the government has begun to take legal actions in relation to BNFL I would call on Fianna Fáil to honour their 1997 election commitment to fund the case being taken by the four individuals from County Louth in relation to THORP. This is a case which is winnable and is only being only held up due to funding."