WRITTEN QUESTION No. 800/98 by Nuala AHERN to the Commission. Second disposal shaft/silo at the Dounreay plant in Caithness, Scotland
Date: 1998-03-26
Institutions: AHERN, European Parliament
Subjects: EAEC Treaty, Scotland, United Kingdom, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, radioactive waste, storage of waste

C 386/44

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.98

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 1998)

In the light of the experience in dealing with BSE, the Commission has transferred the entire personnel of the
phytosanitary and veterinary office to DG XXIV, that is 42 A, 7 B and 13 C, plus 3 national experts attached to the
office, as well as additional staff amounting to 5 A and 14 C. As compensation, 8 A posts were allocated to DG VI.

The measures for assuring the availability of a sufficient number of veterinarians for recruitment as permanent
staff are currently being examined. In order to avoid short-term problems, an appeal has been made to Member
States to provide lists of veterinary experts who would qualify for temporary agent status.

According to the 1999 draft budget, 10 permanent posts shall be made available to DG VI. DG VI planning
foresees to allocate 4 of these posts for the clearance of accounts (increase of staff in this field is considered a
priority also by the Parliament). Most of the remaining 6 posts will be used for reinforcing the units dealing with
public health, animal health and phytosanitary matters, which are an absolute priority.

(98/C 386/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0800/98

by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission

(26 March 1998)

Subject: Second disposal shaft/silo at the Dounreay plant in Caithness, Scotland

In the light of the admission by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on 2 February 1998 that there is a
second disposal shaft/silo at the Dounreay plant in Caithness, Scotland, into which unregulated radioactive waste
has been dumped since 1971, will the Commission update the details provided to Parliament in its answer to
written question P-3167/96 (1) on 16 December 1996?

(1) OJ C 87, 14.3.1997, p. 124.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 1998)

The silo at Dounreay is an approved storage facility subject to regular monitoring by the British regulator, the
Nuclear installations inspectorate (NII). A description of the silo and its contents are contained in the publicly
available document (1) which was referenced in the reply to written question P-3167/96 by Mrs Bloch von
Blottnitz (2). The British Government has also announced that the wastes are to be retrieved from both the
intermediate based shaft and the silo at Dounreay for treatment.

The Commission would also like to draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the answer given to Written
Question P-661/98 by Mrs Bloch von Blottnitz (3) on the same subject. The silo and its contents have been under
Euratom safeguards since the accession of the United Kingdom to the Community and the Commission has been
and is being provided with all the information required to perform the safeguards activities foreseen by the
Euratom Treaty.

(1) DOE/RAS/96.001 (UK Nirex Ltd Report No 695 of May 1996).
(2) OJ C 83, 14.3.1997.
(3) OJ C 310, 9.10.1998, p. 113.