Join a PEACEFUL VIGIL at Bradwell
HOW SPECIAL ARE
MERSEA ISLAND
& THE BLACKWATER
TO YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN? |  |
If we value the beautiful Blackwater Estuary - we must act now, or loose it.
Join a PEACEFUL VIGIL at Bradwell
click here for details
if you worry about........
- Toxic Waste Storage
- Environmental Damage
- Security & Terrorism
- Evacuation
- Floods & Storm Surges
- Health risks
- Local industries
- Visual Impact
- Nuclear Blight
Bradwell operator guilty of 14-year radioactive leak
Terry Macalister - guardian.co.uk - Friday 6 February 2009
The nuclear power industry suffered an embarrassing blow today when the operator of the Bradwell-on-Sea plant was found guilty of allowing a radioactive leak to continue for 14 years.
Magnox Electric Ltd, the operator of the site, denied some of the allegations but was found guilty of breaking the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 over the way it dealt with waste on the premises.
The Environment Agency, which brought the company to court, said the case demonstrated how the operator had failed to carry out inspections on a holding tank between 1990 and 2004. The company pleaded guilty to two separate offences for failing to maintain the tank..............link to full article
BANNG comments that ‘The leak occurred over 28 years. There’s no way of knowing precisely what volumes leaked and how far they travelled. In any case this demonstrates the difficulties in maintaining and regulating a complex plant without incident over the long term. There is no reason to believe that a future plant would be operated safely throughout its lifetime and every reason to believe that incidents, minor or more problematic, will occur sooner or later.
A second point is that this incident was not revealed immediately to the public. There is something sinister and worrying about an industry that chooses not to reveal potentially harmful incidents.’
Dr Ian Fairlie - Consultant on Radiation in the Environment - was asked to comment on the statement made by the Environment Agency on the leak - read his comments - here.
Magnox South Meeting on Decommissioning
A meeting was held by Magnox South on Monday 9th February 2009 in the Church Hall of St. Peter and St. Paul, West Mersea - refreshments at 6.30 p.m. with start at 7 p.m. - to inform residents of ‘progress’ on decommissioning of the old power station.
This meetingl provided an opportunity for residents to probe the Bradwell site staff and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on the progress with decommissioning, the status of land transactions and the future of new nuclear build..........Report to follow.........
Andrew courts nuclear meltdown at the Palace
Oliver Marre - The Observer, Sunday 11 January 2009 What is Prince Andrew's new year's resolution? Not, it seems, to be any less controversial than he was in 2008. This column has learnt of a plan to hold a gala lunch on 5 February at Buckingham Palace for heavy hitters in the nuclear industry, which is, according to critics, a startlingly fraught arena for a member of the royal family to enter...........link to full article
why dump on us? By Andrew Blowers
Andrew Blowers looks at the siting process for new nuclear reactors and finds power, profit and pragmatism dictating the siting criteria and a return to the ‘decide-announce-defend’ approach to decision-making...........................link to full article
Planning Act removes democratic decision making
At the end of November 2008 the Planning Bill completed the parliamentary process to become law. This legislation removes a historic democratic decision-making process about major infrastructure projects such as nuclear power stations..............Link to Friends of the Earth article
BERR Press Release 27 January (Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform)
MARKET RESEARCH STANDARDS BOARD ruling
GORDON BROWN’S public consultation on nuclear power was fixed by the market research company which carried out the polling, according to the official trade body.
In an explosive ruling with profound implications for energy policy, the Market Research Standards Board has found that in the consultation conducted by Opinion Leader Research, “information was inaccurately or misleadingly presented,or was imbalanced, which gave rise to a material risk of respondents being led towards a particular answer.” The ruling follows a complaint from Greenpeace.
The ruling can be found at:
NO NEED for NEW NUCLEAR at BRADWELL
Because ………
GREATER CAPACITY means more radioactivity
ON SITE STORAGE of high level RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Danger from RISING SEA LEVELS
Impact on HEALTH caused by radioactive emissions and discharges
Difficulty of EVACUATION of Mersea Island in an emergency
Adverse EFFECT on our Fishing and Tourism Industries
They still HAVEN’T CLEARED UP the mess that’s already there
New Nuclear would only produce less than 10% of our energy needs
- so we have to INVEST IN ALTERNATIVES NOW
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What are the alternatives ..........
Be MORE EFFICIENT with what we use and research renewable energy
Develop LOCAL SUPPLIES of energy
WIND FARMS – UK has the best wind resource in Europe
TIDAL ENERGY – Practical and available
BIO MASS – from organic waste
SOLAR ENERGY - Proven source of power
SAVE OUR BLACKWATER ESTUARY - SUPPORT “BANNG” NOW
Please send your donation to:
Varrie Blowers, 8 Shears Court, West Mersea, Colchester CO5 8LB.
OR for further information call or email Varrie on:
Tel: 07932 644482 Email:varrieblowers@yahoo.com
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Photos: Ian Clarke
