BRUSSELS, May 11 (UPI) -- The European Union is demanding tougher safety standards and access to all nuclear facilities in the wake of a leak at England's Sellafield power plant.
"The recent Sellafield incident shows once more that the EU should be allowed overall framework control for the safety of nuclear installations," Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said in a statement. "In an area as sensitive as nuclear energy, it is essential to show the greatest form of transparency."
The leak occurred April 18, but was only made public this week. The Guardian said enough nuclear waste spilled "to half-fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool." The fluid is so dangerously radioactive that special robots may have to be built to clean up the mess, officials said.
It isn't the first time Sellafield has provoked the EU, Deutsche Welle said Wednesday. Last year, EU commissioners threatened legal action after Britain refused to give EU inspectors access to the entire reprocessing plant.
