A Call to Action as a Tribute to Someone Who Must Be Remembered!

by Margaret Westbrook

While reading the local Westmorland Gazette in Kendal today, I came across a short article which marked the death of Duncan Bell, described as a Sellafield “whistle blower” who died of cancer in July aged 49.

This article reminded me that there were announcements during the European election period which highlighted the fact that the government is planning to site another 3 nuclear power stations on the North West coast – and even intending to demolish some wind generators in order to find space for one of them! At the time I said that I felt another Greenham Common coming on…

As I searched the web for more information I came across words from Adrian Windisch, chair of Reading Green Party, which pay tribute to Duncan and which I have summarised below…

Talented poet and former nuclear foreman Duncan Ball was a man who repeatedly spoke out about unsafe practices in the Magnox plant at Sellafield, where he had been employed as a foreman. His subsequent experience followed the same route as other whistleblowers.

Having tried all avenues to raise the alarm about unsafe practices causing releases of radiation, in 2004 Duncan left what he called a “literary bomb” in the Sellafield visitor centre. This was nothing more harmful to the general public than a CD which contained a detailed log of dangerous practices within Sellafield! As a result of such activities, Duncan, who lived in Penrith, was jailed for 2 years.

Duncan’s poems chronicled the nuclear industry and include one that was read out publicly at the recent international “Lakes for Living” conference in Windermere.

"For nuclear waste growing bigger and hotter
they're sucking the life from Lakeland and Otter,
cooling the poison they've shipped from afar
condemning the angler and Arctic Char.

"What's the harm? There's water aplenty!"
Say the loudest mouths with heads near empty,
while for son and daughter the waters spoil
cooling waste in the kettle I fear will boil…"

Along with many other Sellafield workers, Duncan was under the Compensation Scheme for Radiation Linked Diseases for terminal cancer. Despite his condition Duncan continued to campaign and in April of this year Duncan he supported Radiation Free Lakeland’s sponsored walk around Wastwater to raise funds for Chernobyl Children’s Project.

A spokesperson for Radiation Free Lakeland said “Duncan was described and discredited by the nuclear industry as “obsessive” but the truth is he was a hero whose only crime was trying to alert his employers and the wider public to dangerous practices in the nuclear industry. His voice will still be heard for generations to come through his wonderful and prescient poetry – Cumbrians need to listen to the truth of what Duncan had to say”

More of Duncan’s poems can be seen on the Radiation Free Lakeland website and further information on Duncan can be found here:
Poet who blew whistle on Sellafield dies
Sellafield bomb hoaxer is jailed
no2nuclearpower
another-green-world

Duncan died of a form of myeloma, a type of cancer said to be unusual for someone of his age, strongly suspected to be due to radiation exposure during his 17-year career at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria.

BNFL, Gordon Brown and his brother Andrew (media chief at EDF Energy, owners of British energy), unelected minister Peter Mandelson, Ed Miliband etc will be relieved to hear of Duncan's passing.

Those of us who have long campaigned against nuclear weapons and the nuclear industry – and especially those of us who live in the North West - must join with other campaign groups and stand up and be counted in honour of this man and for our children’s future.

GREEN PARTY MEMBERS, WE MUST DECIDE WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING ACROSS OUR REGION TO BRING THESE ISSUES TO THE ATTENTION OF RESIDENTS IN THE NORTH WEST. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.