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| Sellafield nuclear site has 'elevated levels of radioactivity' | Sellafield nuclear site has 'elevated levels of radioactivity' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Sellafield nuclear site is being operated at "reduced manning levels" following "the detection of elevated levels of radioactivity" overnight. | |
| Non-essential staff are being told not to come to work, although a spokesperson for the site said this was a precautionary measure. He said it was unclear how long the plant would operate with reduced staffing and added that the radiation levels were too low to be a danger to staff or the public. | |
| The operator, Sellafield Ltd, said in a statement: "As a result of a conservative and prudent decision, the Sellafield site is operating normally but with reduced manning levels today. | The operator, Sellafield Ltd, said in a statement: "As a result of a conservative and prudent decision, the Sellafield site is operating normally but with reduced manning levels today. |
| "This follows the detection of elevated levels of radioactivity at one of the on-site radiation monitors at the north end of the site. Essential workers only are being asked to report for work. | |
| "Levels of radioactivity detected are above naturally occurring radiation but well below that which would call for any actions to be taken by the workforce on or off the site. | "Levels of radioactivity detected are above naturally occurring radiation but well below that which would call for any actions to be taken by the workforce on or off the site. |
| "The site is at normal status and employees and operational plants are continuing to operate as investigations continue. All our facilities have positively confirmed there are no abnormal conditions and are operating normally." | "The site is at normal status and employees and operational plants are continuing to operate as investigations continue. All our facilities have positively confirmed there are no abnormal conditions and are operating normally." |
| A Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) spokeswoman confirmed the elevated levels of radioactivity but said they were "well below levels of concern". The plant was still operating and not offline, she said, but all non-essential staff had been asked to leave the site. | |
| The News and Star newspaper reported that around 8,000 workers were affected, but the Decc spokeswoman was unable to confirm that figure. | |
| A worker on the site said an air sampler on a perimeter fence had detected a problem, which led to staff being told to stay away. | |
| The management at the Sellafield plant has come in for fierce criticism over the past year from the Public Accounts Committee. | The management at the Sellafield plant has come in for fierce criticism over the past year from the Public Accounts Committee. |
| In a report in February last year MPs said that Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), the private consortium managing Sellafield, had failed to stem rising costs and delays in dealing with waste and the decommissioning of facilities. | In a report in February last year MPs said that Nuclear Management Partners (NMP), the private consortium managing Sellafield, had failed to stem rising costs and delays in dealing with waste and the decommissioning of facilities. |
| Margaret Hodge MP, the committee's chair, said at the time that taxpayers were not getting a good deal. "It is unclear how long it will take to deal with hazardous radioactive waste at Sellafield or how much it will cost the taxpayer. Of the 14 current major projects, 12 were behind schedule in the last year and five of those were over budget." | Margaret Hodge MP, the committee's chair, said at the time that taxpayers were not getting a good deal. "It is unclear how long it will take to deal with hazardous radioactive waste at Sellafield or how much it will cost the taxpayer. Of the 14 current major projects, 12 were behind schedule in the last year and five of those were over budget." |
| The MPs' committee is suspicious that the NDA, a public sector body established to oversee the safe dismantling of the UK's old nuclear power stations and deal with waste, does not have a tight enough rein on NMP – a consortium made up of Amec of Britain, Areva of France and the US firm URS – to properly control costs. | The MPs' committee is suspicious that the NDA, a public sector body established to oversee the safe dismantling of the UK's old nuclear power stations and deal with waste, does not have a tight enough rein on NMP – a consortium made up of Amec of Britain, Areva of France and the US firm URS – to properly control costs. |