By
Joachim Ezeji
What else could be more damning than the recent report - “Doing business in Nigeria 2010” which was launched last week in Abuja by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)?
An irony that played out within the week was that while the report was being launched in Abuja; an investment forum was also being held in Owerri. Ironically, the Abuja report had ranked Imo and Ogun States as the most difficult states to do business in Nigeria based on four indicators of: Starting a business; dealing with construction permits; registering property and in enforcing contracts etc. Conversely, Jigawa state topped the table on ‘ease of doing business in Nigeria’, with Gombe and Borno following closely.
I do not have the statistics to appropriately discuss issues such as corruption as a basic factor the makes doing business ultra-difficult in Imo State. However, one glaring factor in Imo is the sheer state of poor governance and abysmal management of state resources by those in authority. The result is ill-motivation and dampening of the spirit of all those who become casualties as a result.
A visit to the Imo State secretariat to transact a business or secure any document is pretty a herculean task. Everybody seems annoyed and on a revenge mission. The result is that we have all become aliens in our own state as nothing simply works. There are neither simplified procedures nor clear – cut and transparent pathways to guarantee any sure expectation. In Imo state, everything has become a gamble as hawks have taken over its leadership.
One retired Permanent Secretary, a lady, in one of the top ministries had told me how she was almost beaten up by her commissioner, a man. The commissioner had shouted and called the poor woman names, threatening to slap the hell out of her; simply because the poor woman had insisted on adherence to procedure. But the Commissioner, an Almighty commissioner and appointee of an Almighty Governor Ohakim would have none of that.
When Ikedi Ohakim was foisted on Imo as Governor, the signs of hard and tough things to come were well ominous. It took off with the appointment of Willy Amadi and the subsequent destruction and vandalism of people’s properties in the utter disguise of environmental sanitation.
But one really amazing thing is the enhanced futility and waste that has become the resources so far expended by Ikedi Ohakim, travelling all over the world to look for investors to develop Imo. The Governor has in the past one year alone, had combined visits to the USA and South Africa more than any past Imo Governor, in their entire tenures. A friend had told me that the governor is merely using his position to expand his private business interests.
It is germane to remind Governor Ohakim that there is a lot of work waiting to be done in other areas such as improved electricity, water supply, education, positive investment policy and intensive agriculture; if other Nigerians and even other Imo citizens are to stop seeing Imo as economically backward.
Beyond all the rhetoric, it remains to be seen how determined the Imo State Government is, at providing a conducive environment for investment to thrive, and addressing the infrastructure challenges militating against the sustainable growth of the real sector of the state’s economy beyond all these “New Face of Investment in Africa Summits”. We need to see actions, not hear words on mere plans and intentions; because Imo is in a hurry to develop.
I am doubtful of the capacity of the summit at guiding the future of the state in becoming the Investment Capital of Africa. Till basic things are achieved, all these summits and trips would simply remain self-serving.
While I do not disagree with Mr. Ikedi Ohakim that all the strides of his administration like Clean and Green Initiatives, Operation Festival Security Outfit, Imo Rural Roads Maintenance Agency (IRROMA), are not ends in themselves, but instead means to open up the state to investors and propel the economic development of the state; it is germane to however remind him that these things can never work in isolation of the people. Imo people must be able to trust their governor in order to buy into his programs and move in tandem with them. The new face should become real, not abstract.
For example, despite being an oil producing state with increased revenue from federal sources, much greater than many other states of the Nigerian federation, Imo State is still reeling under common ills such as those of limited electricity and water supplies. Imo State is one state in Nigeria where residents and consumers of electricity i.e. customers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) still contribute money to either buy new transformers or repair faulty ones. Just like in other places elsewhere, lack of access to modern energy services entails more than our not being able to enjoy some of the comforts of life that are taken for granted in developed countries. In Imo State, it is indeed, one of the greatest impediments to social and economic progress including doing business or residency.Verily, energy poverty stalls progress on Imo development programs including the quest to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is a vicious cycle as ensuring sustainable and affordable energy is already beyond the reach of the average poor in Imo.Another case is the issue of water supply in Imo. Just like electricity, Imo households and businesses have to provide their own water supply. The result today is arbitrary sinking and developing of private water wells and boreholes. This no doubt, imposes difficulties or high budgetary costs for businesses. A task that ordinarily should have been provided by the state water corporation is now being informally driven. No big cities or societies ever achieved growth with such arrangements.One friend of mine once described poverty as the non-availability of basic needs of life, and as the inadequacy of the means to satisfy the basic necessities of a healthy living. He went ahead to identify food, housing, clothing, health, education etc as some of those basic necessities. People who are no longer involved in economic activities are also in the poverty bracket. Also people with low educational qualification are likely to be grouped in the poverty bracket. This same friend of mine further argues that poverty exists because there is great inequality in money and opportunities occasioned by social, economic, political and cultural environments. And that poverty is rife in Imo State, despite huge resources via federal allocations, internally generated revenue, ecological funds, informal revenue in form of deductions etc. because amongst other factors that the per capita income is low, greatly because human and land resources of this State have remained under utilized; and that population of Imo State is roughly 4.5 million people hence contributing to the poverty of the people. He was however mute on outright looting of limited state resources by those in government and the near state of anarchy via rising cases of criminality and insecurity.
I had wondered the irony of a damning report coinciding with an important event like the Imo investment forum, both holding back to back in the same week and country. The World Bank/IFC report is timely and should really serve as a mirror for all those currently calling the shot or those with interest and potential to do so in the future. But, whatever, it still behooves the current leadership of Imo State to prove that is not merely playing to the gallery.
Showing posts with label Imo State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imo State. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Chief Francis Ellah: This was a man!
By
Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji
To everything in life there is a time and season. Life itself, just like anything else is transient. But for all those who come to life with bold footprints and positive impacts on other lives, nothing could be more preserving. And that is the story of Chief Francis Ellah, a man I had always admired with a lot of respect since I came to appreciate the stuff and resilience he was imbued with.
Chief Francis Ellah had the traditional title of Eze Nwadei Ogbuehi of Ogba. He was graduate of the University of London (University College, Ibadan), and a highly regarded elder statesman with outstanding political credentials.
He was a former Second Republic Senator; a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government and Head of Service; and was a member of the Rivers State Advisory Council during the Peter Odili government. In 1958, just before Nigeria’s independence he was a District Officer in charge of Orlu Division.
Admired for standing by his principles, Senator Ellah resigned from the Senate over a matter of conflicting interest in 1981. His experiences are chronicled in the critically acclaimed political treatise Nigeria and State Creation.
Recalling this incident two decades after, Chief Ellah had said “You know that this was what my unfinished motion in the Senate was based on. I was trying to move a motion at the Senate, at the time, that I thought was highly crucial to the progress of Nigeria - the structure was the problem”.
“…… But I was stopped from giving the speech so I thought I should quit. The parliament is a speaking house; if one cannot speak, there is no freedom of speech! The parliament is a talking house; you should be free to talk. So I said if I wasn’t free to talk, I should be free to write, and I wrote the book, Nigeria and State Creation”.
Against a wave of anti-Igbo sentiment and general renunciation of ‘Igboness’ by his folks in all Igbo speaking communities of Rivers State after the civil war, Chief Ellah stood out and refused to abdicate his ‘Igboness’ despite insults, intimidations and harassment by his people.
Undeterred he remained committed to his ‘Igboness’ and intermingled freely with the Igbo nation in general. In summary, he braved it bluntly refused to neither subdue nor kaput the Igbo identity in him.
He often reminded those who shied away from their Igbo identity that “An Igbo is an Igbo. Darryl Ford or someone else has written extensively about who is an Igbo. If you look at the culture, language, etc, these are some of the things that determine an ethnic group’’. …………’’I am a student of History. I start from the known to the unknown. Being an Igbo, I started with Igbo history, and then studied other ethnic groups’’…….
Recalling his roles during the Biafran-Nigerian civil war, Chief Ellah had said ‘’Well, I didn’t fight in the war, so I cannot claim to have much practical experience of the civil war’’ However it is on record that he was Biafra’s deputy prime minister of trade. Then he had a career in diplomatic service training, which led to his being posted abroad to establish the Biafran Embassy in London.
Chief Ellah later was recalled to Biafra and sent to oversee the Ministry of Transport and Communications. From there he was reassigned as Secretary to the Atrocities Commission etc. After the war, he became the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Local Government Affairs, and was later appointed the Secretary to government and Head of service in Rivers State from where he retired voluntarily in November 1978.
It would be recalled that together with the revered novelist Chinua Achebe, Chief Francis Ellah studied at the University College Ibadan where he studied History while his friend Achebe studied a combination of History and Literature. Other colleagues of his at Ibadan included Sam Nwoye, John Munonye, Ben Nwosu, and James Ezeilo, Christopher Okigbo etc.
In his words about this, he had said “….and speaking for myself, I didn’t know what I wanted to study; I only wanted higher education. When they asked me what I would read, I mentioned the subject I did best in the entrance examination….”
‘’…….People had different opinions on my performance, but Chinua Achebe came in and said he wanted to study Medicine. Somewhere along the line, he changed to English. The world would have lost a great writer, indeed, had he become a Medical officer”.
His successful business career after public service centered on important roles in the development of the agricultural, banking, and oil sectors of the economy. Upon founding the Ellah Lakes Plc, he sat on the boards of universities, banks, and diverse corporations until his sudden death on the 23rd of April 2008 at the age of 80 of what was believed to be natural causes.
Chief Ellah was nominated by the Ohaneze as one of its delegate at the National Reform Conference. The consummate gentleman, Chief Ellah was an expert organist and musicologist, an avid golfer and author of several books including Ali-Ogba: A History of Ogba People.
Chief Francis Ellah was also a strong believer in the Catholic. He was greatly involved at all levels of the Roman Catholic Church affairs. His contributions to the church were equally acknowledged and rewarded by the Roman Catholic authorities even at the highest level. He was President Inter-Diocesan Conference of Papal Knights of Nigeria (Eastern Zone). He was dual patron of the Catholic Diocesan Choir, and the Catholic Diocesan Laity Council, Port Harcourt, as well as being an active member, Parish Council, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Omoku.
His body was interred on Friday 16th May 2008 in his ancient town of Omoku, Rivers State.
May his gentle soul rest in peace!
Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji
To everything in life there is a time and season. Life itself, just like anything else is transient. But for all those who come to life with bold footprints and positive impacts on other lives, nothing could be more preserving. And that is the story of Chief Francis Ellah, a man I had always admired with a lot of respect since I came to appreciate the stuff and resilience he was imbued with.
Chief Francis Ellah had the traditional title of Eze Nwadei Ogbuehi of Ogba. He was graduate of the University of London (University College, Ibadan), and a highly regarded elder statesman with outstanding political credentials.
He was a former Second Republic Senator; a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government and Head of Service; and was a member of the Rivers State Advisory Council during the Peter Odili government. In 1958, just before Nigeria’s independence he was a District Officer in charge of Orlu Division.
Admired for standing by his principles, Senator Ellah resigned from the Senate over a matter of conflicting interest in 1981. His experiences are chronicled in the critically acclaimed political treatise Nigeria and State Creation.
Recalling this incident two decades after, Chief Ellah had said “You know that this was what my unfinished motion in the Senate was based on. I was trying to move a motion at the Senate, at the time, that I thought was highly crucial to the progress of Nigeria - the structure was the problem”.
“…… But I was stopped from giving the speech so I thought I should quit. The parliament is a speaking house; if one cannot speak, there is no freedom of speech! The parliament is a talking house; you should be free to talk. So I said if I wasn’t free to talk, I should be free to write, and I wrote the book, Nigeria and State Creation”.
Against a wave of anti-Igbo sentiment and general renunciation of ‘Igboness’ by his folks in all Igbo speaking communities of Rivers State after the civil war, Chief Ellah stood out and refused to abdicate his ‘Igboness’ despite insults, intimidations and harassment by his people.
Undeterred he remained committed to his ‘Igboness’ and intermingled freely with the Igbo nation in general. In summary, he braved it bluntly refused to neither subdue nor kaput the Igbo identity in him.
He often reminded those who shied away from their Igbo identity that “An Igbo is an Igbo. Darryl Ford or someone else has written extensively about who is an Igbo. If you look at the culture, language, etc, these are some of the things that determine an ethnic group’’. …………’’I am a student of History. I start from the known to the unknown. Being an Igbo, I started with Igbo history, and then studied other ethnic groups’’…….
Recalling his roles during the Biafran-Nigerian civil war, Chief Ellah had said ‘’Well, I didn’t fight in the war, so I cannot claim to have much practical experience of the civil war’’ However it is on record that he was Biafra’s deputy prime minister of trade. Then he had a career in diplomatic service training, which led to his being posted abroad to establish the Biafran Embassy in London.
Chief Ellah later was recalled to Biafra and sent to oversee the Ministry of Transport and Communications. From there he was reassigned as Secretary to the Atrocities Commission etc. After the war, he became the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Local Government Affairs, and was later appointed the Secretary to government and Head of service in Rivers State from where he retired voluntarily in November 1978.
It would be recalled that together with the revered novelist Chinua Achebe, Chief Francis Ellah studied at the University College Ibadan where he studied History while his friend Achebe studied a combination of History and Literature. Other colleagues of his at Ibadan included Sam Nwoye, John Munonye, Ben Nwosu, and James Ezeilo, Christopher Okigbo etc.
In his words about this, he had said “….and speaking for myself, I didn’t know what I wanted to study; I only wanted higher education. When they asked me what I would read, I mentioned the subject I did best in the entrance examination….”
‘’…….People had different opinions on my performance, but Chinua Achebe came in and said he wanted to study Medicine. Somewhere along the line, he changed to English. The world would have lost a great writer, indeed, had he become a Medical officer”.
His successful business career after public service centered on important roles in the development of the agricultural, banking, and oil sectors of the economy. Upon founding the Ellah Lakes Plc, he sat on the boards of universities, banks, and diverse corporations until his sudden death on the 23rd of April 2008 at the age of 80 of what was believed to be natural causes.
Chief Ellah was nominated by the Ohaneze as one of its delegate at the National Reform Conference. The consummate gentleman, Chief Ellah was an expert organist and musicologist, an avid golfer and author of several books including Ali-Ogba: A History of Ogba People.
Chief Francis Ellah was also a strong believer in the Catholic. He was greatly involved at all levels of the Roman Catholic Church affairs. His contributions to the church were equally acknowledged and rewarded by the Roman Catholic authorities even at the highest level. He was President Inter-Diocesan Conference of Papal Knights of Nigeria (Eastern Zone). He was dual patron of the Catholic Diocesan Choir, and the Catholic Diocesan Laity Council, Port Harcourt, as well as being an active member, Parish Council, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Omoku.
His body was interred on Friday 16th May 2008 in his ancient town of Omoku, Rivers State.
May his gentle soul rest in peace!
Nuclear Plant in Owerri: Matters arising (2)
By
Joachim Ezeji
Chernobyl is a long way from the UK, but some of the radioactive pollution was carried there by the wind. That means that even 20 years later, sheep on hundreds of farms in hilly areas have to be tested for radiation before their meat can be eaten. After the explosions at the power plant, heat and smoke from the fires carried radioactive material 1km up into the sky. A north-westerly wind blew the pollution across Europe.
In Sweden, 1,000 miles from Chernobyl, some scientists noticed that radiation levels had doubled but they didn't know why this was happening. That was because the Soviet Union, which controlled Ukraine at the time, was very secretive and had not yet admitted to the world that there had been an accident. The wind carried the radioactive cloud past Sweden to Holland, Belgium and the UK. By now the Soviets had been pushed into telling the world what had happened at Chernobyl.
The radiation that escaped from the reactor's core was eventually detected in countries all over the northern hemisphere. The day after the accident nearly 50,000 people were told to leave the nearby town of Pripyat. Everyone who lived in the town got out in about two and a half hours. Today you can still see some of their belongings just where they left them - that's because these people were never allowed to return to their homes.
They had to leave because of the danger to their health from radiation, and that danger has not gone away. The power plant, the town, and areas around it will be too dangerous to live in for hundreds of years. There is a 30km exclusion zone around the power station. Inside this zone, it's against the law to live or run a business like a shop or factory, but people can go to this area to visit.
Scientists have been surprised by how well the area's wild animal population has recovered.
The animals suffered from the radiation, but they have benefited from the lack of people. There area is now home to wolves, wild horses, wild boar and lynx.
In 2001, Dutch chemist and energy systems expert Jan Willem Storm Van Leeuwen and nuclear physicist Dr Phillip Smith published a paper based on peer reviewed methodology which showed that when the concentration of uranium ore is mined rock drops below a level of 0.02percent, nuclear power uses more energy in the form of fossil fuels than it generates as electricity. Their work demonstrates that nuclear power faces an identical situation to fossil fuels – there will come a point at which more energy is expended in extracting the fuel from the ground than is eventually available at the plug. The question is, how long will rich uranium ore last?
The most widely accepted estimate suggests that the world’s known uranium deposits could fuel the current fleet of reactors for around 42 years. However, this is based on an assumption that the world’s nuclear fleet will expand no further. Contrary to this, India has announced plans to build a further 24 reactors, China another 40, Japan 13, Russia 40, and the United States expects private sector applications for another 29.
If these projects go ahead, the demand for uranium will soar. Attempting to supply just 16 per cent of world electricity demand from nuclear power will lead to the exhaustion of rich ore reserves within 12 years, according to environmental scientist and author Paul Mobbs. The world’s largest uranium mine is Australia’s Olympic Dam. Operated by mining giant BHP Billiton, it currently mines uranium in the region of 0.05 per cent concentration, and is only economic because it also produces copper, silver and gold. Its future uranium reserves, upon which many of the nuclear industry’s hopes are pinned, hover around 0.022 per cent, dangerously close to the level at which nuclear power becomes a net emitter of greenhouse gases.
Despite its 50-year history, nuclear power is still unable to survive without subsidies. In the UK , the government has set aside some £75 billion of taxpayer’s money to deal with legacy nuclear waste, and has financially guaranteed the decommissioning of two defunct ‘Magnox’ reactors. It should be emphasized that no private sector company will undertake the building of a new nuclear power station without a guarantee that assistance will be available to deal with waste that will last for hundreds of thousands of years. Currently, the UK has a stockpile of more than 100,000 tonnes of nuclear waste, which is set to grow to at least 500,000 tonnes by 2050, even without new plants.
The nuclear industry is keen to stress that new reactors would produce much less waste than past ones. But the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has shown that the proposed new reactors for the UK, Westinghouse AP1000s, actually produce more High Level Nuclear Waste (HLW) per unit of output than the current fleet of power stations. Figures released by the UK Government’s Committee on Radioactive Waste Management show that while the volume of waste future power stations might produce is not great, it would increase the radioactivity of Britain’s stockpile by 165 per cent. It is this HLM waste that is the hardest – and most energy intensive – byproduct to deal with.
For example, the New Jersey’s state department of environmental protection has ordered the Oyster Creek nuclear power station to stop the spread of tritium-contaminated water, which has reached a major aquifer that supplies potable water. The department said there was no imminent threat to water supplies but has launched an investigation into the leak, which originated in below-ground pipework. The issue was detected last April but the department noted that the subsequent actions of Exelon Corp, which owns the plant, have not been sufficient to contain the spill. It is understood that at its current rate of spread the pollution plume would not reach the nearest well for around 15 years.
A cocktail of highly radioactive isotopes, including uranium and plutonium, HLW is so radioactive when removed from reactors that it must be sealed and actively cooled in ponds of water for 50 years, or ‘vitrified’ in glass. In an energy-constrained future, could we afford to pay for this legacy?
Of the 40 or so countries that will have to address the long term management of long – lived radioactive wastes, the majority have adopted a policy in favour of deep geological disposal. Of those who are yet to decide, none has adopted a policy in favour of indefinite (as opposed to Interim ) storage, although the Scottish government is currently consulting on a variant of this for the more limited inventory of waste located currently in Scotland.
The US has a geological disposal facility, known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant that has been operating successfully for many years; Finland is in the process of excavating its deep repository; France is characterizing its preferred site; Sweden selected its preferred site last year with strong public support; and many others are going through the siting process.
Whilst some countries are facing challenges in repository site selection, such as Japan for HLW and the US spent fuel, these are not due to the technical/scientific reasons for disposal. What is the ethics of a decision to despoil the planet with intrinsically dangerously material; Dig very deep holes and bury our waste?
It remains to be seen what Ohakim’s options are in the planned Owerri nuclear plants.
Concluded.
Joachim Ezeji
Chernobyl is a long way from the UK, but some of the radioactive pollution was carried there by the wind. That means that even 20 years later, sheep on hundreds of farms in hilly areas have to be tested for radiation before their meat can be eaten. After the explosions at the power plant, heat and smoke from the fires carried radioactive material 1km up into the sky. A north-westerly wind blew the pollution across Europe.
In Sweden, 1,000 miles from Chernobyl, some scientists noticed that radiation levels had doubled but they didn't know why this was happening. That was because the Soviet Union, which controlled Ukraine at the time, was very secretive and had not yet admitted to the world that there had been an accident. The wind carried the radioactive cloud past Sweden to Holland, Belgium and the UK. By now the Soviets had been pushed into telling the world what had happened at Chernobyl.
The radiation that escaped from the reactor's core was eventually detected in countries all over the northern hemisphere. The day after the accident nearly 50,000 people were told to leave the nearby town of Pripyat. Everyone who lived in the town got out in about two and a half hours. Today you can still see some of their belongings just where they left them - that's because these people were never allowed to return to their homes.
They had to leave because of the danger to their health from radiation, and that danger has not gone away. The power plant, the town, and areas around it will be too dangerous to live in for hundreds of years. There is a 30km exclusion zone around the power station. Inside this zone, it's against the law to live or run a business like a shop or factory, but people can go to this area to visit.
Scientists have been surprised by how well the area's wild animal population has recovered.
The animals suffered from the radiation, but they have benefited from the lack of people. There area is now home to wolves, wild horses, wild boar and lynx.
In 2001, Dutch chemist and energy systems expert Jan Willem Storm Van Leeuwen and nuclear physicist Dr Phillip Smith published a paper based on peer reviewed methodology which showed that when the concentration of uranium ore is mined rock drops below a level of 0.02percent, nuclear power uses more energy in the form of fossil fuels than it generates as electricity. Their work demonstrates that nuclear power faces an identical situation to fossil fuels – there will come a point at which more energy is expended in extracting the fuel from the ground than is eventually available at the plug. The question is, how long will rich uranium ore last?
The most widely accepted estimate suggests that the world’s known uranium deposits could fuel the current fleet of reactors for around 42 years. However, this is based on an assumption that the world’s nuclear fleet will expand no further. Contrary to this, India has announced plans to build a further 24 reactors, China another 40, Japan 13, Russia 40, and the United States expects private sector applications for another 29.
If these projects go ahead, the demand for uranium will soar. Attempting to supply just 16 per cent of world electricity demand from nuclear power will lead to the exhaustion of rich ore reserves within 12 years, according to environmental scientist and author Paul Mobbs. The world’s largest uranium mine is Australia’s Olympic Dam. Operated by mining giant BHP Billiton, it currently mines uranium in the region of 0.05 per cent concentration, and is only economic because it also produces copper, silver and gold. Its future uranium reserves, upon which many of the nuclear industry’s hopes are pinned, hover around 0.022 per cent, dangerously close to the level at which nuclear power becomes a net emitter of greenhouse gases.
Despite its 50-year history, nuclear power is still unable to survive without subsidies. In the UK , the government has set aside some £75 billion of taxpayer’s money to deal with legacy nuclear waste, and has financially guaranteed the decommissioning of two defunct ‘Magnox’ reactors. It should be emphasized that no private sector company will undertake the building of a new nuclear power station without a guarantee that assistance will be available to deal with waste that will last for hundreds of thousands of years. Currently, the UK has a stockpile of more than 100,000 tonnes of nuclear waste, which is set to grow to at least 500,000 tonnes by 2050, even without new plants.
The nuclear industry is keen to stress that new reactors would produce much less waste than past ones. But the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has shown that the proposed new reactors for the UK, Westinghouse AP1000s, actually produce more High Level Nuclear Waste (HLW) per unit of output than the current fleet of power stations. Figures released by the UK Government’s Committee on Radioactive Waste Management show that while the volume of waste future power stations might produce is not great, it would increase the radioactivity of Britain’s stockpile by 165 per cent. It is this HLM waste that is the hardest – and most energy intensive – byproduct to deal with.
For example, the New Jersey’s state department of environmental protection has ordered the Oyster Creek nuclear power station to stop the spread of tritium-contaminated water, which has reached a major aquifer that supplies potable water. The department said there was no imminent threat to water supplies but has launched an investigation into the leak, which originated in below-ground pipework. The issue was detected last April but the department noted that the subsequent actions of Exelon Corp, which owns the plant, have not been sufficient to contain the spill. It is understood that at its current rate of spread the pollution plume would not reach the nearest well for around 15 years.
A cocktail of highly radioactive isotopes, including uranium and plutonium, HLW is so radioactive when removed from reactors that it must be sealed and actively cooled in ponds of water for 50 years, or ‘vitrified’ in glass. In an energy-constrained future, could we afford to pay for this legacy?
Of the 40 or so countries that will have to address the long term management of long – lived radioactive wastes, the majority have adopted a policy in favour of deep geological disposal. Of those who are yet to decide, none has adopted a policy in favour of indefinite (as opposed to Interim ) storage, although the Scottish government is currently consulting on a variant of this for the more limited inventory of waste located currently in Scotland.
The US has a geological disposal facility, known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant that has been operating successfully for many years; Finland is in the process of excavating its deep repository; France is characterizing its preferred site; Sweden selected its preferred site last year with strong public support; and many others are going through the siting process.
Whilst some countries are facing challenges in repository site selection, such as Japan for HLW and the US spent fuel, these are not due to the technical/scientific reasons for disposal. What is the ethics of a decision to despoil the planet with intrinsically dangerously material; Dig very deep holes and bury our waste?
It remains to be seen what Ohakim’s options are in the planned Owerri nuclear plants.
Concluded.
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