Safety worries over Forsmark nuclear waste
The Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (Statens strålskyddsinstitut - SSI) has ordered the cessation of all deposition of nuclear waste at the Forsmark final storage facility. According to SSI, the company in charge of the deposition - Svensk Kärnbränslehantering - has failed to meet radiation protection requirements.
"SSI makes very tough demands with regard to depositing waste for final storage. It has to happen in a way that is safe for humans and the environment both now and in a thousand years' time," said SSI's Anders Wiebert in a statement.
SSI claims that Svensk Kärnbränslehantering (SKB) has repeatedly delayed handing in reports, while also supplying insufficient material for the authority's investigations. And the reports that it has supplied suggest inadequate radiation protection.
"Among other things, SKB exceeds the prescribed radiation protection limits, while the methods it uses to measure the composition of radioactive matter are deficient," according to SSI.
The authority added however that these deficiencies do not present any immediate danger. SKB has been ordered to suspend all depositions from June 21st.
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"SSI makes very tough demands with regard to depositing waste for final storage. It has to happen in a way that is safe for humans and the environment both now and in a thousand years' time," said SSI's Anders Wiebert in a statement.
SSI claims that Svensk Kärnbränslehantering (SKB) has repeatedly delayed handing in reports, while also supplying insufficient material for the authority's investigations. And the reports that it has supplied suggest inadequate radiation protection.
"Among other things, SKB exceeds the prescribed radiation protection limits, while the methods it uses to measure the composition of radioactive matter are deficient," according to SSI.
The authority added however that these deficiencies do not present any immediate danger. SKB has been ordered to suspend all depositions from June 21st.
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