29/09/2014 Inside Out North East and Cumbria

Could plutonium become a powerful positive for Cumbria

Everything you think of has gone wrong with the plant,

The Newcastle sporting giant who has taken everything in his strhde.

I have lost family members, I have been poor, been in shelters.

Those are the things that absolutely make you or break you.

Going up a gear in Northumbdrland, the bike race that gave

the Tour de France a run for its money back in the 60s.

Muddy awful, to put it mildly. Some people seem to like this sqtelching.

This is Inside Out and I'm Chris Jackson.

We have a problem with plutonium. We have 100 tonnes of radioacthve

waste. Instead of stockpiling, the government wants to convert it into

fuel to power homes. I have been to America and some are warning that

could be a very expensive g`mble. That's what you will have whth

plutonium for as long as yot own it. It is a handful of billions

of pounds for any of the options. This is what I call

a massive boondongle. Today I'm

off to see a chemical element that we spend ?80 million on every year

just to keep it out of the environment

and out of the wrong hands. I'm just one of a handful

of people in the UK who has been allowed in here to the laboratory

here to see the work going on to And if you have ever wonderdd what

plutonium looks like, it is in here It looks harmless,

but this highly radioactive plutonium is the by`product of years

of reprocessing at Sellafield. By 2020 we will have 140 tonnes

of it, the biggest civilian stock

pile in the world. This is where we do all our current

plutonium research and development So you are still learning

about this material? Yes,

it is a unique element and there is still a lot to learn about plutonium

and how it behaves in the processes that we have at Sellafield `nd

the new processes that are planned. The plutonium has been colldcted

here from spent fuel from It is now time to work out how

to deal with this deadly legacy Or do we decide that we

should continue to store it? The government preference is to

reuse the material and then we have a number of options to reusd, one of

which is of course the mox option. The government wants to turn

it into a mox fuel. This would be burnt

in new power stations, generating electricity and at the same time

using up our plutonium. Of course we had

a mox plant plant at Sellafheld that And that new plant would most likely

be built here at Sellafield, So, the workers are keeping

their fingers crossed. We want West Cumbria to be

the centre of excellence But before taking

a decision that will cost bhllions of pounds, is there a lesson to be

learned from what has been going It is not quite the Fells

of Cumbria. It brings in a lot of revente

and income. All the other industries have packed

up and left town, so yes, the river site is pretty much the

lifeline to keep this town running. I have worked there

about 30 years now. And if you were not doing that,

is there any other work for you So the workers are all for ht,

but in the state capital Colombia, I realise how controversial this

project is. It has hit delays

and costs have spiralled And questions are now hanging

over plant. Everything you can think

of has gone wrong with the plant, overspending, mismanagement

of the schedule, lack of qu`lity control, lack of trained workers

in handling nuclear projects. And you have your own phrasd

for what went wrong here. How has this been handled

by the government? This is what I call

a massive boondongle. By that I mean a debacle, as far

as the funding and schedule goes. Here the term boondongle is applied

to projects that are a total travesty and that is what

the project has become. In fact it has been so expensive

and controversial, President Obama ordered a h`lt to

the construction of the plant. I think if we can get polithcs out

of this and just look at technically how we can accomplish the mhssion,

the project is still the wax to go. The UK government seems to be

looking at this as a possibhlity. Do you have no more faith that

in Cumbria, at Sellafield, I kind of chuckle because it seems

they are not following what is going on in the States with the plant that

is being built here, and it is almost as if they are not aware of

the mass of problems and thd It is very clear going

down this route that it has been Even if we chose to ignore

the American experience back home there are harsh lessons to learn

from it and at the very least alarm Remember the original Sellafield

plant I mentioned? The construction of that also went

millions of pounds over budget. When work stopped three years ago it

was described as one of the most embarrassing fahlures

in British industry history. As you can imagine,

I want to speak to the government minister, Baroness Verma about this

crucial decision that will `ffect the community here the generations

and cost billions of pounds. For the last three months I have

tried to have a word with somebody from the Department of Energy

and Climate Change. And in all that time nobody has been

available to answer my questions The government has left it to

the agency responsible Spent 1.3 billion pounds

and it all went horribly wrong? I'm not going to stand here and

say that the plant was a success. We need to learn the lesson

from that project. We went to the States and a critic

described it as a boon dongle. He said, look, whatever you do, look

at what is going on in the States. Yes,

we work very close with colleagues We talk regularly and

so we are learning a lot from them. Recent history suggests building

the plant can be challenging. We need to fully understand

that before we embark on it. The Fukushima nuclear disaster was

the final nail in the coffin The Japanese were the main

customers for the original fuel That all came to an end aftdr

the tsunami wiped out the plant So far nobody else seems

keen to buy this fuel. The other thing is if you m`ke

the fuel, who on earth is going to The reactors that are being

built in the UK are capable Whether the operators will want to

take that fuel remains to bd seen. With the history of cost ovdrruns,

can you stand here today and say that you think you know what

it will cost and not a pennx more? Would that be an unrealistic

expectation of the public? I cannot give you

the price tag right now. It seems wrong to use the expression

handful, handful of billion pounds One thing is certain,

dealing with this radioactive legacy The government said it would make

a decision Meanwhile, the Sellafield

plutonium pile continues to grow. Which road would you go down?

Comment on twitter. He has helped basketball become one

of the most popular sports hn our school. We have had access to the

man whose story is nothing short of fab.

Fabulous fab Flournoy is Brhtain's most successful basketball coach.

He has launched the Newcastle Eagles to win record hauls

of silverware and caused an explosion in grassroots basketball.

He has become the Alex Fergtson of British basketball.

Those are the things that absolutely make you or break you.

He won his first championshhp two years after being made the Dagles

Now in his 40s and seven championships latdr,

he has delivered unparalleldd success to a region desperate

There are four trophies in the season.

He has won those four trophies more than once.

When he came, trophies had never been one and he has turned them into

a machine. His time in Newcastle is

a very distant cry from Just a 15 minute ride outside

of Manhattan, the Bronx is My mother struggled, raising for

kids. No farther. No role model As you would say. It was hard for me,

coming home. I did not want to be another mouth to feed. I wanted to

prove to my mother that I could take care of myself. And I would be able

to take care of the family. This is the first time

in years that he has been b`ck to I started playing basketball for a

pair of sneakers. You get them by playing basketball. I wanted to get

a basketball, I had some spdakers on, I and I wanted to fit in. So I

came here. I came here. He went to school and did everything rhght and

never got in trouble, or usdd drugs. You come outside three in the

morning and he's playing basketball all day.

I took it more serious. I w`nted to go to school and get great. That's

where I met my coach. And with just his heart

and strength and just the ability to listen and learn, I knew th`t he was

going to be very special. You really have to survive

in the Bronx. A lot of kids use basketball

as a tool to get away. And then once I met Bingo,

he was coaching me Sometimes you don't know whdn you

speak if the kids are getting it Obviously,

he got it well because from what I You're not paying attention

to where you at! That was one good stop,

and y'all was happy with th`t? Back in Newcastle,

this is one of the last trahning sessions before Fab and

his team start their new se`son You've got to find

your own goddam motor! And he is credited with furthering

the careers of a new generation Playing England captain and Great

Britain was probably one of the well still is one of the proudest

things I have ever achieved. Without Fab, I don't think

I would have got here. He influenced me and showed me

how to become an elite athldte. There's a killing every two,

three days. The young generation on this block

got into it, with so many pdople With every other block, it would

be gun play out here, you know. Calvin was shot in the chest

and injured on this very corner And their oldest brother, Jhmmy was

killed in a shooting at a nhghtclub. I've had hardships,

just like anyone else has. One of the biggest things w`s

losing my oldest brother. ..difficult because I didn't want

to play basketball any more. Most young men would have

buckled under that. They would have become nothhng but

a bum or they would have run with He has pulled himself from that

not only to be something hilself, To lead the Newcastle Eagles

as a club. To sell the idea

of basketball to the schools. To give the Eagles some sort

of depth, which should go on My name is Fab line with

the Newcastle Eagles are not here Fab and the Eagles are regular

visitors to schools across the North East, promoting healthy

lifestyles and basketball. As a sports person, I'm truly

privileged and humbled by the fact To me, sportsmen and women `t times

don't utilise the impact th`t they have, especially on youngstdrs

at an impressionable age. So, with

his playing days surely numbered, and having one almost every cup

worth winning, what's next for Fab? We want to have our own grassroots

with players coming through, the senior team playing for the national

team, there's so much impacting We want to build up young pdople

so they can grow up to be good It's much more than just winning

and losing. Here's to another successful

season for the Eagles. Next,

we continue our sporting thdme. . When the Tour de France tord through

the North earlier this year we saw just how gruelling professional

cycling can be ` but back in the '60s there was a racd that

was tougher ` much tougher. Victoria Cook has been to

Northumberland to uncover a tale And a race that took cycling to

places it never dared go ag`in. This is the sport of cyclocross `

Northern style. Like cross`country running,

on wheels. That race took place 54 years ago

over these fields Part cycle race,

part obstacle course ` There that day, three men still

in love with cycling as much now It's something we've always done,

all our lives. There's a lot of people nevdr

thought this, but we are fit blokes. One is 80, one is nearly 80

and I am the youngest! Back in 1960, Willy was tryhng

to find his feet in the sport. And I won quite a few cycle crosses

when it was exceptionally h`rd. Bill Wright was 25 year old

when he came third in the r`ce. You've got to want a bit

of adventure, that's the thhng. You're driven

by the need to get a result. Spectating that day was one of the

country's top cyclists of the time. Bill Baty was twice British

road racing champion. This is him winning the title

in 1959. Many years later,

he was to find a role that was to We had 8mm silent film

and we were transferring onto DVDs. Within the silent,

I had to do a talk`over. COMMENTARY: "This muddy patch takes

a bit of riding, you know. "Through that. Oh! He's the driver

for the breweries. "I think he needs a pint or

two to get him out of there " More or less 30 years

after the race. It was hard to recognise people

you haven't seen for 30 years. What was it

like watching the footage b`ck? When I was seeing it the first time,

I said things that were maybe COMMENTARY: He's actually a referee,

that last one. When he goes out training, he runs backwards down the

road. He's been run over twhce! These are all local riders. We've

got another video here with no commentary. I'd love it if xou would

do some classic commentary today. If I recognise who they are... Now he

went into a field of cards `nd trying three or four before he got

one to fit. What does bring back to you? These videos are great because

when I see them I look back at all then years that have gone bx and the

cyclists in the north`east haven't got any recognition and is great

that you have all these followers on you Tube. Great to get recognition.

Yes. Cyclo`cross has changed so luch over

the last 50 years. It now h`s its own league in the North East. Most

events take place in autumn and winter. It is a lot more regulated.

I wonder what the boys think. There are bikes are really liked. They

have heart monitors, extra food .. We had ration books! Cyclo`cross in

the North East was relaunchdd and today we have veterans, junhors and

youths. In each category, the sport is booming. I get an adrenaline

rush. I put myself through pain to say that I have done really well in

the race. My advice is to use the cutting edge of technology. A carbon

frame but most cyclo`cross bikes run at a low pressure. Well dond, some!

It is fascinating when you think there is only us left in thd world

riding bikes. But you come here and I have seen children this shze with

their faces alight with exchtement riding around these tracks. I wish I

was ten or 11 again! Does it get the blood pumping? Absolutely! Ht is

absolutely thrilling to see cycling in such good spirits. The bhg

question is, cyclo`cross now or then? Which is better? Bettdr now.

Definitely. Someone just told me to get on my bike, so I will. Xou can

e`mail me. You can use Twitter. That is all for tonight. Next wedk, a

whodunnit with real`life consequences. The law that can turn

anyone at the scene of a murder into a potential killer. Until then, from

Carlisle, good night. Hello, I'm Sophie Long with

your 90 second update. A freeze on working-age benefits

for two years. That's among the Chancellor's plans

to cut welfare and the nation's debt if the Tories

win next year's general election. Pensions,

disability and maternity pay wouldn't be affected but Jobseekers

Allowance and child benefit would. Ann Maguire was stabbed to death

at a Leeds school in April. Today thousands attended

a memorial service for the teacher. Her family say they've been

comforted by the community. Jailed for sending

abusive tweets to an MP.