Wales’ environment minister says she understands concerns over plans to dump more mud dredged from near a Somerset nuclear power site into the sea off Cardiff Bay. There was huge controversy over the initial work, carried out in 2018. EDF Energy wants to deposit up to 780,000 tonnes of sediment dredged as part of building Hinkley Point C. Minister Lesley Griffiths said “robust” licensing laws would protect both human health and the environment. Ms Griffiths confirmed that EDF Energy has agreed to conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to “provide reassurances to members of the public on its proposed activity”. The plans were debated in the Senedd on Wednesday, in response to a petition which received more than ten thousand signatures demanding an EIA. The seabed alongside Hinkley Point C – which is being built near Bridgwater – is being dredged so that the £21.5-22.5bn power station’s water-cooling system can be installed. EDF Energy says this will involve tunnelling more than 3km into the Bristol Channel. Campaigners have raised fears the process could be churning up contamination from the old Hinkley A and B reactors, which used to be on the site.
BBC 21st Oct 2020 read more »
The builders of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station must be completely open about the potential environmental impact of dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of mud in the sea near Cardiff, politicians in Wales have said. EDF is proposing to deposit mud excavated as part of the huge construction project on the Somerset coast in the waters off the Welsh capital next year. The Welsh parliament debated the issue on Wednesday after 10,000 people signed a petition calling for a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) to be carried out on the proposal. Petitioners, led by the musician Cian Ciarán, of the band Super Furry Animals, fear the mud could be contaminated and may cause environmental damage and harm the health of people who live in south Wales. Ahead of the debate, EDF confirmed it would carry out a full EIA but members of the Welsh parliament, or Senedd Cymru, said it was vital the findings – and the workings – were published in full. Llyr Gruffydd, a Plaid Cymru member of the Senedd, said there were “real concerns” that the dumping may harm marine life and put public health in danger.
Guardian 21st Oct 2020 read more »