Sellafield clean up too slow costly and plagued by workplace issues

Members of Parliament have voiced ongoing concerns about the speed and cost-efficiency of the nuclear clean-up operation at Sellafield, sparking broader concerns over public safety, environmental risks, and taxpayer value. According to a detailed report by the public accounts committee (PAC), the decades-long project to decommission the ageing Sellafield site is falling behind schedule and incurring substantial cost overruns.

The PAC described the infrastructure at Sellafield as presenting “intolerable risks.” The sprawling facility in Cumbria houses hazardous materials from nuclear weapons programmes and decades of atomic power generation. Yet, targets to retrieve waste from dangerous buildings, including the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS), have been predominantly missed. As a result, hazardous materials will remain unsafe for considerably longer than planned, MPs warned.

Estimates suggest that decommissioning Sellafield could exceed £136 billion and take more than a century to complete. The PAC report cautioned that delays heighten the risks associated with ageing assets nearing the end of their operational life. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the public accounts committee, described the situation as a “race against time” and criticised the apparent lack of urgency in addressing safety hazards and spiralling expenses.

Compounding these challenges is a “suboptimal workplace culture” at Sellafield. Previous investigations brought allegations of a toxic working environment to light, including evidence of bullying, harassment, and missed opportunities to address safety issues effectively. Settling employment-related claims cost the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) £377,200 during 2023-24. The parallels between these cultural concerns and underperformance in key safety obligations highlight critical management failings.

Adding to existing hurdles, the timeline for establishing a government-backed deep underground storage site for nuclear waste has been delayed. Originally estimated for completion by 2040, this target has now slipped to the late 2050s. This postponement exacerbates existing frustrations, leaving long-term waste management plans in limbo.

Sellafield’s operations have also strained finances at the national level, putting government spending under pressure. With almost £3 billion in new funding deemed insufficient to address spiralling costs, tensions between the Treasury and Sellafield’s management remain high. Additionally, MPs referenced £127 million of taxpayer money wasted on a stalled laboratory replacement programme.

Despite sporadic improvements, MPs insist that long-term accountability measures are essential. Recommendations include annual progress reports from Sellafield on risk mitigation, stricter government oversight of the NDA’s management, and greater transparency around workplace issues. Commenting on the report, a government spokesperson reaffirmed that safety and scrutiny remain top priorities, stating that stronger oversight measures are now in place to counteract these systemic issues.