 |
Links here to:-
BRADWELL SITE LISTED FOR NEW NUCLEAR BUILD
As widely anticipated Bradwell has been included on the list of ten sites announced by the government as potentially suitable for new nuclear power stations. Each station will come with a highly radioactive spent fuel store. In effect the government is proposing ten lethal waste dumps dotted around England and Wales. Spent. Regardless of Mr. Miliband’s assurances that nuclear waste can be disposed of, there is no solution in sight and may never be.
But the Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (BANNG) believes the site to be totally unsuitable. The government is tentative in its support for Bradwell and recognises the severe deficiencies with this site.
Among these deficiencies are the fact that the site is low lying and increasingly vulnerable to flooding and storm surges resulting from climate change. The waste stores will be there for up to 200 years at least by which time the site may be inundated. Attempts to defend the site for such a time would be extremely costly and risk affecting other areas of the coastline of the Blackwater estuary.
If a new power station is given the go-ahead, the low-lying Bradwell coastline will be transformed into a substantial, nuclear industrial complex. The hulk of the old station (which still contains intermediate radioactive wastes) will remain for 100 years at least. It will be joined by a new mega power station, which will be there well into the 22nd century, and a highly radioactive spent fuel store which will not be removed until around the end of that century. The infrastructure will require to be rebuilt and will include very large transmission pylons. The impact on the landscape will be immense. The communities of the Blackwater will have to live with disruption, blight and danger for two centuries. Long before then adverse coastal processes will have taken their toll on the site.
The coastline around Bradwell has International and National Environmental Designations. It is an important habitat for thousands of overwintering water fowl and other birds and has significant and fragile flora and fauna. In its statement on Bradwell the government recognizes its ‘inability to rule out adverse effects’.
The impact on the vulnerable marine ecology of the estuary itself will be incalculable. The fishing and famous oyster industries will be threatened by the need to extract vast quantities of cooling water from the shallow estuary. As a result, British Energy has estimated that the temperature of the water on the Bradwell side will rise by 10 degrees C and on the Mersea side by 1 – 2 degrees C. This would be enough to endanger the world-famous Colchester Native Oyster.
It will prove impossible to evacuate local populations in the event of a nuclear incident. Bradwell is not a remote site and should such an incident occur, it might well have impacts as far away as major towns such as Colchester and even Chelmsford and Southend.
Varrie Blowers, Secretary of BANNG, commented: ‘What is proposed for Bradwell bears no relation to what was there before. Ed Miliband’s announcement should have given everyone who lives in the area of the Blackwater estuary something to be deeply concerned about. It is insane to consider building a new nuclear complex – especially a highly radioactive waste store – on such a vulnerable coastline’.
BANNG will be attending each of the Dept. of Energy’s exhibitions at Bradwell, Maldon and West Mersea and will continue to collect signatures for its petition against the proposals. ‘Our experience from petitioning so far is that Mr. Miliband is wrong in his assertion that existing nuclear communities are ‘enthusiastic’ about new nuclear build.’
BANNG Petition – great response
A great deal of work has been put in to collecting signatures for the BANNG petition over the summer. Apart from the house-to-house collections, petitions have been placed in shops in Mersea and in different villages around the estuary. Signatures have been collected at peak holiday times on the beach and at other times at the Co-op. Events such as the East Mersea Fete and the Five Parishes Show were also fruitful sources for signatures. A group of eight supporters took the petition to Bradwell village itself and met with a surprisingly good response.
Further efforts will be made in the coming weeks as the emphasis moves beyond Mersea to other communities around the estuary. It is intended to hand in the petition to make maximum impact near the time the new nuclear sites are confirmed.
We need as much help as we can get so anyone willing to collect signatures should contact
Lesley Mullins on 07808 402177.
_______________________________________________________________________________
BANNG in Top Level Meeting in London
Chair of BANNG, Prof. Andy Blowers met with senior government officials responsible for nuclear policy in London on September 15th. A wide range of issues concerning the proposals for new nuclear power on existing sites were discussed.
Among the concerns raised by Professor Blowers was the lack of clarity about what is being proposed, especially the plans for managing highly active wastes on a low lying site like Bradwell for a hundred years and more. BANNG, along with other groups, has been pressing the government to hold a public inquiry into whether new nuclear power stations can be justified. As it stands the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who is promoting nuclear energy will also take the decision on whether it is justifiable. ‘I made it very clear that it was indefensible for the Sec of State to be both judge and jury in the case’, Prof. Blowers said.
The forthcoming National Policy Statement on nuclear energy was also discussed at the meeting. It is expected that Bradwell will be listed by the government as a site potentially available for development. But, some of the problems with the Bradwell site such as evacuating Mersea Island in an emergency, the effect of sea level rise on the Bradwell site and the impact of cooling water on the shallow Blackwater estuary will be key issues that must be fully considered.
After the meeting Prof. Blowers said.: This was a useful opportunity for government to get a feel of how serious the concerns and objections to new nuclear are, especially at a site like Bradwell. It was clear to me that the arguments being put by BANNG and others are being taken very seriously.’ |
|
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…........
Name ……………………………………………………………………………......................................
Address…………………………………………………………………………….......................................
Telephone: …………………….............. Email……………………………………................... Suggested donation £5 - You will be advised of our next meeting.
Your contact details will only be used to communicate with you and will not be passed onto a third party
Photos: Ian Clarke | 
