07 March 2013
The Austrian government's Umweltbundesamt has lodged a formal objection to the application to build the station by the French power company, EDF Energy. The dangers of a worst-case accident should be assessed before the plant is given the go-ahead, it says.
The Vienna agency's 39-page submission concludes that the environmental impact assessment of the proposed Hinkley reactors "does not permit a meaningful assessment of the effects of conceivable accidents". EDF's claim that the risk of a large release of radioactivity has been practically eliminated "is not sufficiently demonstrated", it says.
Severe accidents leading to massive releases of caesium-137 similar to that from the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in 1986 "cannot be excluded", the agency warns. Though they are unlikely, they should have been included in EDF's assessment "since their effects can be widespread and long-lasting."
The Umweltbundesamt says that a release of 53.18 petabecquerels of caesium-137 from Hinkley "would result in a considerable contamination of the Austrian territory." In most places the contamination would be above the safety levels requiring restrictions to be imposed on farmers.
"It is recommended that this should be taken into consideration before granting further permissions," it says. "Austria should be kept informed regarding the ongoing progress resolving the assessment findings concerning severe accidents."
Just over 400 years ago, in about 1606 (the calendar has been altered since then so I may be slightly out)there was a seismic event, probably close to the edge of the continental shelf, that sent a massive wave up the funnel shaped Bristol Channel upon which Hinkley Point stands. The water got as far inland as Glastonbury! Nowadays they would call it a 'tsunami'. Now where have I heard that word in connection with a nuclear power station?
Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it!
Posted by: Chris Slade | 13 March 2013 at 11:52 PM