EVIDENCE suggests mud dumping from Hinkley Point C power station at Cardiff Grounds is sustainable, as sediment has been demonstrated to disperse over time, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has said. The environment watchdog was responding to comments by Barry and Vale Friends of the Earth, who say they “embarrassed” NRW with a recent freedom of information request. A response to the request revealed that materials were detected on the seabed within the dump site off the Vale coast in April 2019 – six months after initial dumping. “This clearly shows NRW was wrong in claiming the Hinkley excavated material would disperse in the currents,” said member of Friends of the Earth Max Wallis. The information relates to results of a survey conducted by Titan Environmental Surveys Ltd in April 2019. The 12 samples collected were analysed, and Friends of the Earth say compared with pre-dumping levels the samples showed both coarse gravel and clay remained from the dumped material, but NRW says that is misleading.
Penarth Times 9th Sept 2020 read more »
A petition opposing more dumping of mud from the construction site of Hinkley Point C in the sea near Cardiff Bay has totalled over 10,000 signatories. This figure is twice the amount needed to trigger a debate in the Senedd on the matter. The petition, set up by Cian Ciaran, invited respondents “not to allow the Welsh government to break their own law,” referring the to Environment Wales Act (2016) which protects the natural environment and its sustainable use. A spokesperson for PAWB, (People Against Wylfa B) said they were delighted that “so many people had understood the risks” around this issue. This latest petition builds on a similar one, launched in 2018, before the first dumping of 300,000 tons of mud by EDF power, part of their construction effort.
Nation Cymru 10th Sept 2020 read more »