Sellafield budget cuts risk “devastating consequences” – GMB

According to the GMB Union, budget cuts at nuclear site Sellafield increase the risk of “devastating consequences” at the world’s biggest plutonium stockpile.

In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the Budget this week, the union highlighted the “risks posed by reducing funding for such a complex and hazardous site.”

The correspondence, signed by Sellafield worker Roger Denwood and GMB Regional Secretary Denise Walker, said: “Sellafield houses vast quantities of radioactive materials, including the ‘largest stockpile of plutonium in the world, at over 140 tonnes.”

The letter added that funding cuts would reduce safety standards, increasing the likelihood of serious incident, including contamination of land and water resources.

Roger Denwood, branch secretary at GMB Sellafield and Denise Walker, regional secretary at GMB, wrote: “The health risks of radiation exposure, including cancer and other serious illnesses, are well-documented.

“Any reduction in funding would inevitably result in fewer resources for maintenance, monitoring, and emergency preparedness – heightening the risk of a serious incident.

“Funding cuts could also directly impact the highly skilled workforce at Sellafield, reducing the number of personnel available to carry out critical safety-related tasks.

“These skills, honed over decades and passed on through generations, are irreplaceable.