Trouble at the world's nuclear dustbin

Radioactive discharges from the Windscale nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in England's lake district temporarily closed 15 miles of shoreline and continues to raise safety questions in this recreational area. The plant receives high-level radioactive wastes and spent fuel from 36 power plants around the world for reprocessing. The site is also a storage point for 1550 tons of oxide waste waiting for additional reprocessing capacity. Pipelines carry 2.2 million gallons of low-level wastes into the Irish Sea each day. Five hundred pounds of weapons grade plutonium also entered the sea from a World War II munitions depot. Accidents have also contributed to the radioactive debris that has accumulated on sandy beaches. Pressure from Greenpeace and the Barrow Action Group helped to expedite an extensive cleanup program, but activity on the beaches is still highly restricted. British Nuclear Fuels remains undaunted by its negative public relations problems. 4 figures