Representation by UK & Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) (UK & Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA))
- Date submitted
- 10 August 2020
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
NFLA has made detailed comments in all four rounds of local consultation by EDF Energy on Sizewell C (see our website [Redacted]. We would be concentrating our comments on the following: - The National Policy Statement for new nuclear is out of date and needs renewing before Sizewell C can be approved. - The concerns of NFLA that a major impact of building Sizewell C would be the production of nuclear waste with a radioactive content equivalent to 80% of the UK’s existing radioactive waste inventory. This could require anywhere between 20% and 35% of the underground space required by existing waste in a deep geological disposal facility. - Unlike spent fuel generated by existing UK nuclear reactors, it is not the intention of future reactor operators to reprocess spent fuel from new nuclear reactors. As a result, spent fuel will almost certainly remain on-site for decades, perhaps for as long as 160 - 200 years. - According to the UK Government’s Article 37 submission to the European Commission on Hinkley Point C, a severe accident would only release 0.0447TBq of radioactivecaesium-137. In contrast a modelling exercise by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland suggested showed that a 10,000TBq of Cs-137 was possible. An analysis for the Austrian Environment Agency shows that a possible severe accident in the spent fuel pool could result in a release of 1,780,000 TBq of Cs137. Superimposing maps of radioactive fallout from Chernobyl, which released around 85,000TBq of Cs-137 show that a severe accident could require large areas of southern England to be evacuated depending on the wind direction. - Concerns around the financing of the new nuclear reactors planned for Sizewell C. - Construction issue problems with the EPR technology in France and Finland. - Proposed extensions to the site boundary requiring the destruction of a number of sensitive habitats. - Transport issues and nuclear emergency planning issues.