DECC Pledge 'Full and Open Consultation' on Nuclear power Plants

Rapport publié le 22/10/09 15:14 dans Environnement par Cathal Ó Luain pour Cathal Ó Luain

The UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change says that the Government is committed to a full and open process of consultation regarding issues surrounding new nuclear build. (image: DECC)

The United Kingdom has assured the Celtic League that it is still committed to a «full and open process of consultation» over nuclear power.

The League had written to the Department urging it to «engage in a meaningful dialogue over new nuclear power stations rather than a process which is fast-tracked and gerrymandered». The League also pointed out that other consulations with `stakeholders' would be jepoardised if DECC manipulated consulation on new-.build nuclear.

The full text of the DECC response is set out below:

«Dear Mr Moffatt,

Thank you for your letter of 19th April 2009 to Secretary of State Ed Miliband. I have been asked to respond to you on the Secretary of State's behalf. I apologise for the delay in responding

The Government established in its Nuclear White Paper that having reviewed the available evidence, and based on the advice of the independent regulators and the advances in the designs of power stations that might be proposed by energy companies, new nuclear power stations would pose very small risks to safety, security, health and proliferation. The Government also believes that the UK has an effective regulatory framework that ensures that these risks are minimised and sensibly managed by the industry. In addition, nuclear power stations must have their security arrangements approved by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security, including consideration of terrorist threat.

In regards your comments regarding the disposal of waste material, the Government believes that it is technically possible to dispose of new higher-activity radioactive waste in a geological disposal facility and that this would be a viable solution and the right approach for managing waste from any new nuclear power stations. The Government believes that it would be technically possible and desirable to dispose of both new and legacy waste in the same geological disposal facilities and that this should be explored through the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme (for more information on this programme, please visit (voir le site) Until such a facility becomes available, the Government considers that waste can and should be stored in safe and secure interim storage facilities

I can assure you that the Government is committed to a full and open process of consultation regarding issues surrounding new nuclear build. For further information on this and other energy related issues please visit the Department of Energy and Climate Change's website on (voir le site)

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Rogan

Office of Nuclear Development Department of Energy and Climate Change»