Representation by D Watson
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Local geology stability concerns. This site is marshland over sand/clays and saturated chalk, essentially on an ancient riverbed. This proposed area is highly vulnerable to future engulfment from the sea, land slippage, erosion and the cutting off from the higher mainland further inland to become a concrete nuclear island in time and eventually becoming under the North Sea. See also the History of The Lost City of Dunwich which was on the local soft, unstable land too. The Sizewell area had an Earthquake and small Tsunami Wave in 1931 I was informed. I was interested in the local East Coast archaeology some 30 years ago; I did know of a long fault line that exists across the Southern North Sea from the Netherlands and Germany. An Earthquake in 1992 (5.8) was recorded in Holland, I was near Amsterdam and the building I was staying at was rapidly shaking (at higher frequency than another Earthquake I had previously experienced). The building sank into the ground 75mm. Not the ideal conditions for radioactive graphite cores due to core fracture risks and coolant leaks, potential for melt down or similar. I heard afterwards (from the Dutch) that the Earthquake was caused by an old riverbed collapsing. Whilst Sizewell A and B and are on the BGS geology that extends back towards Norwich, this new site C is planned at a potential geological edge; possibly a fault line to be expected at a far deeper level? This needs thorough checking. The local Environmental cost is far too high. EDF wants to concrete over the fields behind and beside B during construction (750 acres?). The area next to B station is a RAMSAR International Protected Wetlands Site and an SSSI and all within an AONB. It is unique, sensitive and irreplaceable. The RSPB Minsmere Reserve is remarkably close by too. EDF want to put a new road for 700-1000 lorries a day nearby. EDF clearly do not care enough about the Marsh Harriers, rare Amphibians and Wetland Birds or any other natural ecology and habitats. They did buy an existing field somewhere and say, that is it we will be ecologically beneficial/positive, whilst at the same time wanting to chop down a woodland in advance of this planning consent. Reactor design and building construction Issues. EDF has not actually managed to get their construction of the EPR reactor to work yet in Europe. EDF EPR Construction started at Olkivoto in 2005 and Flamanville 3 in 2007. Beset with expensive problems and were not designed to the new post Fukashima standards. EDF’s Hinkley Point C in the UK may appear to be constructing a piece of outdated specification technology? They should at least finish and start both HPC reactors first to see if the design and build is up to European standards, Flamanville and Olkivoto were not, and, as yet, are still to be completed by EDF. Highly Radioactive spent fuel rod storage and risk issue. See also the Sizewell A cooling pond leak reports.