Secret document reveals new breed of nuclear reactors vulnerable to terrorist attack

more nuclear power stations means grater risk of terrorist attack

A document leaked from Electricite de France (EDF) exposes the vulnerability of one of the designs for the "new generation" of nuclear power stations proposed for the UK to terrorist attack.

The leaking of the document has caused a furore in France, after terrorist police arrested a leading anti nuclear campaigner for possessing a copy of it. In response Greenpeace, leading unions and anti nuclear groups have all posted the document on their websites.

The internal EDF document is an analysis of whether the AREVA designed Generation III European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), would be able to withstand a terrorist strike using a civilian airliner (1).

Leading nuclear expert Dr John Large has analysed the document on behalf of Greenpeace and concluded that there are severe flaws in the reports safety analysis.

EDF, already a major player in the UK energy market, has indicated its interest in building ten EPR reactors across the UK. They are presently building an EPR in Olkiluoto, Finland and a second one is planned for a site at Flammanville, Normandy, France. On 18th April, Energy Minister Malcolm Wickes joined his French counterpart Francois Loos on a secret 2 hour tour of La Hague and Flamanville.

Flaws in the report analysis identified by John Large include:

1. The assumption that the impact of a 250 tonne commercial jet aircraft is comparable to the impact of a 2-5 tonne military aircraft.

2. The assumption that terrorists would have insufficient skills to pilot an aircraft directly into a nuclear power station. This despite the deadly accuracy of the 9/11 attacks.

3. The assumption that up to 100 tonnes of aviation fuel from a commercial aircraft would burn up within two minutes.

4. The failure to include the possibility of fuel vapour forming within the reactor structures and exploding - a scenario which Dr Large judges would severely damage the shield and the reactor within.

The downplaying of the potential impact of any radioactive materials being released following an attack on the reactor and completely ignores the impact an attack could have on spent fuel stores.

"This document shows an almost total lack of preparation to defend against the inevitability of terrorist attack on a reactor on the part of EDF," said Dr Large.

"The fact is if a commercial airliner was deliberately flown into one of these reactors it would cause a total calamity with the release of large amounts or radioactivity."

Greenpeace nuclear campaigner Jean McSorley said, "The secrecy of the nuclear industry has been shown time and again to hide pure incompetence. This time it's being used to hide the fact that it's impossible to make nuclear power and materials safe from terrorist attack".

"That's why its crucial that civil society has the right to review these type of documents."

Dr Large and Stephane Lhomme with a delegation from Greenpeace are visiting the proposed site for the new EDF EPR reactor at Flammanville today.

ENDS

For further information contact the Greenpeace UK Press Office on 020 7865 8255.

1. Stephane Lhomme, an activist from the French Nuclear Phase-out network (Sortir du Nucleacute;aire), was interrogated over 14 hours on Tuesday after ten anti-terrorist police and others raided his home in Paris, removing documents, computers and phones. He has been accused of violation of France's nuclear Secret Defence for having a copy of the EDF document.(2)

2. The leaked EDF document (available from www.greenpeace.org/france) is a 2003 report from a senior EDF official, Bruno Lescoeur, to the French nuclear safety regulator, IRSN. The Greenpeace commissioned study "Asssessment of the operational risks and hazards of the EPR when subject to aircraft crash" (Demarche de dimensionnement des ouvrages EPR vis-a-vis du risque lie aux chutes d'avions civils), Large & Associates, May 18th 2006, for Greenpeace International.

A video scenario of the vulnerability of a nuclear reactor to terrorist attack is available here.

3. Under a French government Arete from 2003, "Secret Defence", the French state has sought to prevent details on nuclear safety and security from being disclosed. Greenpeace documentation of the vulnerability of plutonium transport's in France have been challenged by the French state in recent years (www.stop-plutonium.org)

Download a review of the leaked EdF document here.