The Bradwell Power station barrier

[DavidofMersea]

I thought they were going to remove the barrier, but part of it is still there. I am not sure why they wanted to move any of it, it was not in the way

 

[MoodySabre]

I recall seeing something about removing it in 2015. Having spent so much to bring the discharge pipe back into use I expect they will leave it for longer. As you say, not in the way. I'm not expecting to see any scenic improvement in my sailing lifetime.

 

[Burnham Bob]

useful landmark though - it's a good sight to steer to from a long way away to find bradwell creek. not the most difficult navigation task i admit but i do always aim fro the barrier

 

[Gitane]

Agreed. The whole wall always got in the way, but what remains is fine and a good aiming point when coming back to bradwell.

Gitane

 

[tillergirl]

I thought they were discharging waste from that pipe for a while. I think the local school 'marched' about it last week?

 

[Burnham Bob]

the whole 'discharge into the river' is a panic founded on a conspiracy theory. Magnox, the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Responsibility have made public statements that there is nothing untoward being discharged into the river. a local pressure group called BAANG (Blackwater against new nuclear generation) consistently frightens the local people with conspiracy theories that we will all suffer undisclosed disastrous consequences from toxic discharges and that the powers that be are lying to us when they say that's not happening. that's not helped by the local media who pick up these unfounded scare tactics for want of any real stories. the local school really didn't know what it was protesting about - but whatever it was they were against it......

we need real debate about our future energy policy but irrationalities peddled by people with the same blind commitment to their own point of view as the flat earth society don't really help.

rant over and i like the barrier anyway as I said above

 

[DavidofMersea]

the whole 'discharge into the river' is a panic founded on a conspiracy theory. Magnox, the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Responsibility have made public statements that there is nothing untoward being discharged into the river. a local pressure group called BAANG (Blackwater against new nuclear generation) consistently frightens the local people with conspiracy theories that we will all suffer undisclosed disastrous consequences from toxic discharges and that the powers that be are lying to us when they say that's not happening. that's not helped by the local media who pick up these unfounded scare tactics for want of any real stories. the local school really didn't know what it was protesting about - but whatever it was they were against it......

we need real debate about our future energy policy but irrationalities peddled by people with the same blind commitment to their own point of view as the flat earth society don't really help.

rant over and i like the barrier anyway as I said above

Despite saying that the discharge from Bradwell Power Station is dangerous, Andy and Varrie Blowers, Chairman and secretary of BANNG, swim in the Blackwater

 

[tillergirl]

But what are they discharging into the Blackwater then?

 

[DavidofMersea]

But what are they discharging into the Blackwater then?

They are discharging Tritium - an isotope of hydrogen. I am not a physicist and I had not heard of it until recently, and I know nothing about it, although Burnham Bob does as he is/was a nuclear physicist. SWMBO is a physicist and says it is harmless and swims in the Blackwater almost every day

 

[Marmalade]

I've been swimming on and off in the Blackwater for most of my life and Bradwell was there all the time and active for much of it. Apart from the extra head and glowing in the dark I'm just fine!!

 

[penfold]

They are discharging Tritium - an isotope of hydrogen. I am not a physicist and I had not heard of it until recently, and I know nothing about it, although Burnham Bob does as he is/was a nuclear physicist. SWMBO is a physicist and says it is harmless and swims in the Blackwater almost every day

Magnox and AGR stations generate tritiated water in the primary coolant circuit which is removed by dryers and then released according to the site licence conditions; if it bothers people they shouldn't fly in planes(exposes you to cosmic radiation) or have an open coal fire(exposure to radium and thorium in coal ash). I doubt there's much if any discharge now as it's only produced when the reactor is live; as Bradwell was decommed in 2002 any tritium on site will have decayed long ago.

Cool video of Bradwell being built https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuZNkbV9Whk

 

[Koeketiene]

I've been swimming on and off in the Blackwater for most of my life and Bradwell was there all the time and active for much of it. Apart from the extra head and glowing in the dark I'm just fine!!

Welcome to the forum, Zaphod Beeblebrox :encouragement:

 

[Burnham Bob]

thanks for the endorsement tillergirl, but it was one of the other posters who is actually a physicist. I'm just someone who is reasonably curious and likes to do my own research before accepting the views of single issue pressure groups. BAANG is so tranparently biased - it simply refuses to accept assurances from ONR, MAGNOX and the Environent Agency - that I wonder of the truth is really out there on the Blackwater and we need Mulder and Scully on the case.

My real claim to fame is that I was in Footlights with Simon Jones (Arthur Dent) and Mark Wyng-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox) although Mark only had the one head at that time

 

[tillergirl]

thanks for the endorsement tillergirl, but it was one of the other posters who is actually a physicist. I'm just someone who is reasonably curious and likes to do my own research before accepting the views of single issue pressure groups. BAANG is so tranparently biased - it simply refuses to accept assurances from ONR, MAGNOX and the Environent Agency - that I wonder of the truth is really out there on the Blackwater and we need Mulder and Scully on the case.

My real claim to fame is that I was in Footlights with Simon Jones (Arthur Dent) and Mark Wyng-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox) although Mark only had the one head at that time

I share your view regarding BAANG but it is also clear that there have been some untruths spoken regarding the Bradwell site such as (quite a while ago), there will be no waste material brought onto the site from elsewhere. Penfold's post shows that to be misleading. I have worked sufficiently with civil servants in the past NEVER EVER to trust them and what they say. the joke about Yes Minister was that it wasn't a joke! Anyway, I think the remains of the baffle wall is there for the duration. I am not sure I can share its popularity with other forum members; strikes me as ugly and always in the way.

 

[penfold]

I share your view regarding BAANG but it is also clear that there have been some untruths spoken regarding the Bradwell site such as (quite a while ago), there will be no waste material brought onto the site from elsewhere. Penfold's post shows that to be misleading. I have worked sufficiently with civil servants in the past NEVER EVER to trust them and what they say. the joke about Yes Minister was that it wasn't a joke! Anyway, I think the remains of the baffle wall is there for the duration. I am not sure I can share its popularity with other forum members; strikes me as ugly and always in the way.

With luck you might get a replacement power station on the site, which makes sense as the grid connection is there, as is access to cooling water and reasonable proximity to a rail line for fuel transport. I'm not sure what would be brought onto the site, there's enough stuff already there for the chaps to clean up; unfortunately Magnox was not designed for easy decommissioning.

 

[DavidofMersea]

I share your view regarding BAANG but it is also clear that there have been some untruths spoken regarding the Bradwell site such as (quite a while ago), there will be no waste material brought onto the site from elsewhere. I have worked sufficiently with civil servants in the past NEVER EVER to trust them and what they say.

I am not here to defend civil servants, but that was more a change of plan, rather than incorrect facts

 

[Burnham Bob]

i agree penfold - with any luck we might get a replacement power station. nuclear power has to form part of our future energy mix. maybe if we had politicians with the nerve to stand up to BAANG's sympathisers and their ilk a long time ago and not to all intents and purposes closed the british muclear industry we wouldn't need to be fracking now. i also agree with tillergirl about civil servants - indeed i've used one of Sir Humphrey's wonderful obfuscations as part of a training programme. however, there are enough real debating points where we do need sensible discussion and BAANG simply muddies the water (if that's possible on the East Coast) by crying wolf at every possible opportunity regardless of the facts.

but whatever you think of the baffle wall, the Blackwater is still a beautiful plce to sail

 

[NUTMEG]

There. I knew if I waited there would be something we could agree on!

but whatever you think of the baffle wall, the Blackwater is still a beautiful plce to sail[/QUOTE]