t.rowe@bepp.co.uk

Low-level radioactive gas and effluent could be released into the sea under proposals for decommissioning a West nuclear power station.

The proposals, by Magnox, the company which manages the decommissioning of Hinkley Point A in Somerset, are still being developed.

The effluent and hydrogen gas would be byproducts of a process to reduce the bulk of some intermediate level nuclear waste by dissolving it in acid. Outer fins from Magnox fuel casings would be among the material to be reduced. The sludge which remained after processing would be stored on site before finally being stored at a national site which has yet to be established.

The effluent would be treated by existing site water treatment plant before being discharged into the sea.

Magnox says the level of radioactivity in the discharged gas and effluent would be "very, very low" and well within safety levels, with no risk to public health or the environment. If a weak acid is used Magnox says there would be no radioactivity in the gas discharged.

A similar process has been used at Dungeness Nuclear Power Station in Kent for many years.

Trials of the proposed process for Hinkley A, which would be more technologically advanced, are under way at Bradwell Power Station in Essex.

The final proposals would have to be approved by both the Office of Nuclear Regulation and also the Environment Agency.

But a nuclear expert has questioned the controls in place at Hinkley Point and local anti-nuclear groups are concerned.

John Large, a nuclear consultant who has worked with power companies and Greenpeace, said: "If you look at the history and the development of the British nuclear industry, and look at the calamity that was caused by radioactive discharges around Sellafield, if the past practice is a sign I don't think sufficient guards and controls will be in place at this station."

The acid reduction method of dealing with solid intermediate waste is the preferred "Best Practical Environmental Option" put forward by a regulators and site stakeholders group.

The group is a mixture of industry experts and the local community, including parish and district councils and concerned local groups including Stop Hinkley. It considered around 18 options.

Cecily Collingridge, of Green Audit, who is also a member of local action group Stop Hinkley, said he was concerned about the possible impact on the local environment.

He said: "We do not like this disposal route. Emissions will go into the environment, and we must be concerned about the non-nuclear toxins going into the sea, a highly sensitive eco-system.

"Neither do I have faith in the regulators who are being squeezed by the cuts, like others. I think the intentions are there to be open and transparent but we will have to wait until the final decision to see."

Colin Patchett, deputy chief inspector at the Office for Nuclear Regulation, said: "Our mission is to protect people and society from hazards of the nuclear industry and it's up to Magnox to prove to us that it is safe to carry out these activities."

A spokesman for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, said: "Our mission is to safely and cost-effectively clean up Britain's nuclear legacy.

"Safety comes first. Magnox have to prove to the Office of Nuclear Regulation that the process is safe and they have convince the Environmental Agency."

Hinkley Point currently has one working nuclear power station, Hinkley B.

Plans by EDF Energy to build another reactor are currently at the consultation stage.