Windscale
Sir: British Nuclear Fuels Managing Director Con Allday says (10 February) that Friends of the Earth 'have made no secret of the fact that they intend to try and delay a government decision on the (Windscale) reprocessing plant for as long as possible'. Mr Allday is confused. What we have said is not that the Government should delay its decision, but that it should decide to delay approval for the plant. Not only have we made this 'no secret', it was the keystone of our case as presented to the Windscalc inquiry. Furthermore we adduced a considerable body of factual and informed evidence to support our contention.
BNFL and their adherents habitually imply that FOE's concern in this affair is somehow quirkish — that we are merely seeking some obscure self-gratification by impeding BNFL's clear-eyed pursuit of benefit for all. We, on the contrary, find it difficult to understand BNFL's emotional commitment to an undertaking which seems to have no technical or economic justification, and which will further exacerbate the already threatening problem of nuclear weapons proliferation.
We are this week publishing What Choice Windscale?, an analysis of the opposing submissions, quoting extensively from the Windscale transcript and relevant documents. It is not, to be sure, the Parker report. But it may nevertheless be of interest to those who wish to consider the facts, including Mr Leo Abse and his fellow MPs (4 February). All 635 MPs will be receiving courtesy copies. Only on the basis of accurate information, and by open and reasoned public discussion, can we hope to arrive at the right political decision on this profoundly political issue.
Walter C. Patterson.
Friends of the Earth, 9 Poland Street, London W1
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