FEARS over the effects of the Thorp plant at Sellafield may have on

the Solway coast have been expressed in a council report.

Mr William Davidson, director of environmental health, has also

severely criticised British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and the Government in his

report to Stewartry District Council.

Mr Davidson said BNFL had given inaccurate information about aspects

of the operation of the plant. He also has hit out at the Government's

policy on the reprocessing and operation of the Thermal Oxide

Reprocessing Plant.

He said the Department of the Environment has ignored the council's

concerns of high levels of radioactivity being washed up on the Solway

coast and that the Government has decided approve the plant with minor

amendments.

Mr Davidson also described a comment on the environmental aspects of

the operation of Thorp by BNFL as being ''breathtaking in its simplicity

and wholly inaccurate''.

BNFL says the plant will have no adverse environmental effect either

radiologically or non-radiologically within the UK or elsewhere.

Mr Davidson said that perhaps soon the public would be told that

radiation is good for them. He adds: ''It is no wonder that people who

wish the nuclear industry no ill despair of BNFL as a byword for

ineptitude in public relations as every industrial process has some

effect and indeed a few are listed by BNFL in the document.''

The council, which approached the Government earlier about the

proposed increase in the level of discharges from the plant from l993

onwards, especially caesium l37, has been asked to comment by the

beginning of next month on a series of reports and documents released by

the Department of the Environment.

Mr Davidson also said the Government statement on Thorp made much of

the economic, employment, and overseas trade aspects but unfortunately

less effort was made to comment on safety and waste management

considerations.

The report was given to councillors as Greenpeace failed in a legal

attempt at the Court of Appeal in London to stop uranium testing at

Thorp.

The court, in a 2-1 majority decision, rejected the plea for an order

stopping BNFL going ahead with testing before the legality of the move

can be challenged in judicial review proceedings later this month.

On Wednesday, Greenpeace was granted leave to seek High Court orders

blocking the Government's decision, announced last week, to let BNFL

test the plant's systems using uranium -- before a final ruling on

whether the plant should be allowed to operate at all.

But the Judge refused to ban the tests before the challenge is heard

on September 14.

Mr Justice Brooke said he had been ''very considerably influenced'' by

BNFL evidence that a stay could have cost the company up to #2m a week

and statements from HM Inspectorate of Pollution and the Ministry of

Agriculture that there would be only ''minimal'' radioactive emissions.

Mr Peter Melchett, Greenpeace executive director, said later: ''The

outcome of the case shows how very difficult it is for voluntary

organisations like Greenpeace to challenge processes which involve large

sums of money and Government departments and state-owned businesses with

huge resources.''