In 2007, The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) pled guilty to four counts of illegal dumping of nuclear waste. The UKAEA was created in 1954 by the UK government. It was charged with responsibility for the entire UK nuclear program, including military and defense. It was also given authority over all nuclear sites in the UK. The UKAEA advanced nuclear technology and the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. In the 1970s, the UKAEA began turning over different aspects of its work to other government agencies and to private firms. Currently, the UKAEA has primary responsibility for nuclear fusion research in the U.K.
The illegal dumping occurred at Dounreay while it was under the authority of the UKAEA. Dounreay is located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands. There are ruins of a castle in the area. Since the 1950s, Dounreay has been the location of several nuclear research laboratories. A prototype fast breeder reactor was built there and nuclear submarine engines were also developed there. Most of these facilities have either been decommissioned or are in the process of being decommissioned.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency issued a report that revealed illegal dumping that took place between 1963 and 1984. The UKAEA was charged with illegally dumping solid nuclear waste in a land fill at Dounreay. Three other charges were that the UKAEA allowed irradiated fragments of nuclear fuel to enter the liquid effluent pipes that carried water from the plant to the Pentland Firth which is a strait that separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness. The UKAEA pled guilty to all four charges.
The lawyer for UKAEA admitted that the dumping and discharges should not have happened. He said that "mistakes were made" during the early years of fast breeder research. This is a serious understatement when the global record of fast breeder research is examined. Japan is just in the process of shutting down its fast breeder reactor at Monju because of many problems. The old Rocketdyne site in southern California is still contaminated with the results of "mistakes" in their fast breeder program from decades ago.
Sentencing was deferred after the prosecutors discussed the situation with financial officials from UKAEA. The UK taxpayers will have to pick up the cost of dealing with the contamination that resulted from UKAEA activities. This is another example of a government agency carrying out illegal activities that UK taxpayers must pay for. This situation can be found many times when studying the early years of nuclear research in the world's nuclear nations. Often, it has been excused on the basis of the necessity of cutting corners in the nuclear arms race of the Cold War. Be that as it may, many organizations both public and private as well as many individuals have escaped responsibility or penalty for such illegal activities.
Dounreay nuclear site:
