Sellafield start-up is shelved

British Nuclear Fuel's request to start using its pounds 1.8bn THORP (thermal oxide reprocessing) plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, to process radioactive material has been rejected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution - for the time being.

The inspectorate is soon to start public consultation on a new authorisation allowing THORP to discharge radioactive waste into the sea and air.

BNFL wanted permission to start running the plant, completed in February, with uranium now under the terms of an old authorisation which referred to other parts of the site.