gns.theplutopact-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nuclear　Stations　throughout　the　country。　We　are　entering　a　new　era　。　。　。　'
　　
　　'Fair　enough。'　Coyle　lit　one　of　his　own　cigarettes。　'But　now　let's　get　on　to　this　business　of　nuclear　waste。　That's　what　I　want　to　know　about。'
　　
　　'Of　course。'　The　other　smiled　with　an　air　of　contained　patience。　'The　spent　nuclear　fuel　will　be　dealt　with　in　our　own　plant　here…which　will　be　constructed　surprisingly　quickly；　as　you　will　learn。　From　it　we　shall　produce　uranium；　which　will　also　be　invaluable。　Let　us　consider　our　present　atomic　power　stations；　where　the　spent　radioactive　fuel　is　stored　in　tanks　under　water。　This　spent　fuel　is　transported　to　a　reprocessing　plant　to　be　broken　down。　We　obtain　our　vital　plutonium；　but　we　now　have　a　highly　radioactive　plutonium　waste　which　will　be　dangerous　for　thousands　of　years　to　e。　Our　new　plant　here　will　deal　safely　with　this　substance；　known　as　oxide。　Oxide　is　an　extremely　dangerous　material；　but　the　risks　here　will　be　minimal；　nonexistent　in　fact。　Our　nuclear　laundry；　for　want　of　a　better　term；　will　be　the　first　in　the　world　to　operate　on　a　fully　mercial　scale；　and　the　fuel　can　be　stored　almost　indefinitely。'
　　
　　'If　it's　as　safe　as　all　that；　why　don't　these　other　countries　reprocess　it　themselves；　instead　of　paying　us　to　do　their　dirty　work　for　them？'
　　
　　'Simply　because　they　do　not　have　the　technology　and　the　resources　which　we　have　in　this　very　place。　The　Japanese　are　well　aware　of　the　perils。　We　can　bat　these　dangers；　and　it　would　be　a　sad　day　for　our　economy　if　they　decided　to　do　it　for　themselves。　Indeed；　Windscale　will　be　obsolete　once　this　place　is　operating　fully。　There　they　have　been　reprocessing　Japanese　waste　since　1969；　on　a　very　limited　scale　pared　to　that　which　we　shall　be　capable　of。　In　all；　they　have　dealt　with　something　like　a　thousand　tons　of　old　fuel　from　foreign　countries；　half　as　much　again　as　has　been　reprocessed　from　solely　British　power　stations。
　　
　　'We　can　double；　even　treble；　that　amount　in　half　the　time。　Look　at　their　antiquated　system。　The　fuel　containers　arrive　on　a　single…track　railway！　The　first　reprocessed　nuclear　fuel　is　stored　in　ponds　eighteen　feet　deep。　These　ponds　are　now　filled　to　overflowing。　Now　that　does　represent　a　hazard。　The　longer　the　fuel　remains　there；　the　greater　the　difficulty　of　reprocessing；　and　the　greater　the　danger。
　　
　　'Improved　reprocessing　facilities　are　needed。　We　shall　provide　them　here；　a　pletely　different　reprocessing　plant　to　deal　with　the　more　radioactive　oxide　fuel。　It　is　a　well…known　fact　that　Windscale's　pilot　oxide　plant　ran　into　trouble。　We　have　learnt　from　their　mistakes。　There　were　reports　of　an　accident　there　in　1973；　which　resulted　in　the　plant　being　shut　down。　In　1976　the　contaminated　area　was　still　sealed　off。　I　am　confident　that　I　know　what；　went　wrong。　In　effect；　the　plant　broke　down；　but　the　dangers　were　greatly　exaggerated　by　the　media。　It　was　an　old　military　plant　which　had　been　renovated…case　of　putting　a　highly　radiated　fuel　into　something　totally　inadequate　for　the　purpose。　I　am　more　than　confident　that　our　new　plant　will　be　adequate。
　　
　　Take　American　Nuclear　Fuel　Services　as　another　example　of　failure。　The　West　Valley　Reprocessing　Plant　was　never　able　to　operate　on　a　mercial　scale。　It　lost　money　instead　of　making　it。　It；　too；　was　closed　down　in　1972；　because　it　was　too　radioactive　to　work　in。　The　cost　of　closing　down　the　plant　and　clearing　up　the　remaining　waste　is　already　running　into　millions　of　dollars；　good　money　thrown　after　bad。　All　the　waste　had　to　be　solidified　before　it　could　be　removed；　at　a　cost　of　540　million　dollars。　The　burial　ground　for　the　solidified　waste　had　to　be　made　one　hundred　per　cent　safe；　at　an　estimated　cost　of　a　further　billion　dollars。
　　
　　'Waste　products　at　Windscale；　too；　present　a　major　problem。　Fortunately　British　Nuclear　Fuels　have　learnt　how　to　cope　with　oxide　reprocessing；　something　which　no　other　country　in　the　world　has　so　far　achieved。　That　reprocessing　system　will　be　transferred　here；　but　on　a　scale　of　greater　magnitude。　More　reprocessing　means　more　nuclear　waste；　and　this　waste　will　remain　radioactive　for　something　like　a　quarter　of　a　million　years。　Lorries　leave　Windscale　daily；　carrying　sealed　containers　of　low…level　nuclear　waste。　This　stuff　is　not　highly　dangerous…just　dangerous。　Mostly　these　containers　are　filled　with　gloves；　clothing；　etc。；　which　have　been　in　contact　with　contamination；　and　are　transported　to　Britain's　〃burial　ground〃。　It's　a　somewhat　haphazard　operation；　the　lorries　not　being　escorted　en　route；　but　simply　checked　at　their　destination。　In　time　this　burial　ground　will　bee　a　forgotten　tract　of　derelict　ground；　the　low…level　waste　buried　deep　beneath　it。　Perhaps；　foolishly；　houses　will　be　built　upon　it。
　　

　　'Windscale　also　deposits　low…level　liquid　waste　into　the　sea；　something　like　five　hundred　thousand　litres　every　day。　Of　course；　radioactive　levels　are　kept　strictly　within　the　permitted　limits；　but　the　risk　is　still　there。　A　few　miles　south　lies　the　Ravenglass　Estuary；　and　this　waste　is　being　washed　back　by　the　currents　on　the　sea…bed。　The　plutonium　is　being　picked　up　by　fish；　and　that　plutonium　will　still　retain　its　radioactivity　in　a　quarter　of　a　million　years'　time。　Bear　this　in　mind；　Coyle；　next　time　you　eat　fish　and　chips！　Mankind's　food　is　being　polluted　at　a　time　when　not　enough　is　known　about　plutonium　waste。　Therefore；　how　can　the　level　of　radioactivity　which　goes　into　the　Irish　Sea　be　contained；　especially　when　even　more　waste　is　still　being　deposited　into　it？
　　
　　'Radioactivity；　therefore；　can　only　increase；　and　the　original　intention　of　those　at　Windscale　is　to　ensure　that　the　radioactivity　discharged　into　the　environment　does　not　increase。　So　99。9　per　cent　of　the　radioactivity　remains　in　the　works；　and　does　not　enter　the　environment。　Our　concern　is　that　remaining　0。1　per　cent。　At　Windscale　the　bulk　of　that　99。9　per　cent　radioactive　waste　is　stored　behind　4…feet…thick　walls；　seven　hundred　cubic　metres　still　seething　with　radioactivity。　The　tanks　which　contain　these　poisonous　liquids　are　stainless　steel；　and　more　tanks　are　now　being　built　to　take　waste　which　has　been　accumulating　for　a　quarter　of　a　century。
　　
　　'Here；　though；　in　this　place　which　you　have　chosen　to　call　〃Holocaust〃；　some　further　one　hundred　tanks　will　be　constructed。　The　liquids　inside　these　tanks　are　so　radioactive　that　they　would　burn　if　it　were　not　for　the　cooling　systems。　There　will　be　seven　separate　systems　in　each　tank。　In　January　1976；　one　of　the　tanks　at　Windscale　sprang　a　radioactive　leak；　and　as　a　result　the　system　had　to　be　shut　down。　High…active　waste　is　still　accumulating　at　Windscale；　simply　because　they　have　been　unable　to　dispose　of　it。　We　have　that　method　of　disposal；　and　much　of　it　will　be　transferred　here。
　　
　　'A　technique　for　turning　the　liquid　into　glass　has　some　promise　of　success。　Already　we　have　achieved　it　experimentally；　and　soon　it　will　be　done　on　a　mercial　scale。　We　believe　that　we　shall　be　able　to　solidify　radioactive　liquids；　and　once　they　can　be　turned　into　cylinders　or　blocks　of　glass；　on　a　mercial　scale；　then　we　have　here　the　means　to　dispose　of　them　safety。　Consequently；　the　need　to　acquire　the　remaining　part　of　this　valley　is　paramount。　Britain's　Hazardous　Materials　Group　has　been　searching　for　such　a　place；　a　last　resting　place　for　Britain's　high…active　nuclear　waste；　for　a　long　time　now。　I　cannot　over…emphasise　the　urgency。　It　is　incredible　that　the　very　place　has　been　discovered　in　such　close　proximity　to　our　latest　reprocessing　plant。
　　
　　'Granite；　Coyle；　is　the　answer。　We　shall　bury　this　waste　in　the　granite　of　this　very　valley；　at　least　a　thousand　feet　below　ground　level；　to　ensure　that　no　changes　in　the　Earth's　crust　will　disturb　it。　A　last　resting　place；　and　with　no　danger　to　mankind。　That　is　why　we　cannot　allow　anyone　to　stand　in　our　way。'
　　
　　Coyle　drew　deeply　on　the　last　half　inch　of　his　cigarette；　leaned　over；　and　stubbed　out　the　butt　in　Dyne's　ashtray。
　　
　　'Very　convincing；'　he　murmured；　'but　it　does　not　nullify　the　dangers　involved　before　this　waste　is　actually　mitted　to　its　grave。'
　　
　　'The　risks　are　minimal。'
　　
　　'Like　sitting　permanently　on　top　of　a　few　hundred　atom　bombs；　trying　to　lead　a　normal　life；　and　all　the　time　hoping　that　we　won't　be　blown　to　kingdom…e。'
　　
　　'Again　you　are　resorting　to　sensationalism。'
　　
　　'I'm　being　practical。'
　　
　　'It　is　not　practical　to　imperil　the　country's　economy；　particularly　in　these　times。　Another　thing；　Nature's　fuel　supplies　will　run　out　one　day。　You　don't　think　North　Sea　oil　will　last　forever；　do　you？'
　　
　　'One　mistake　here；　and　it'll　all　be　lost　in　one　mighty　whoosh。　You　can't　get　away　from　the　fact　that　this　could　be　the　biggest　nuclear　blow…up　in　history。　And　that's　when　history　es　to　a　stop。'
　　
　　'In　theory；　but　not　in　practice。'　A　fresh　edge　of　annoyance　was　creeping　into　Winston　Dyne's　tone。　The　schoolmaster　having　his　facts　queried　by　a　raw　pupil。
　　
　　'And　there's　something　else。'　Coyle　exhaled　cigarette　smoke　slowly。　'Suppose　a　foreign　power　got　in　here；　terrorists　even。　They　could　hold　the　whole　world　to　ransom。'
　　
　　'Not　a　ch