nuclear-news

EU approval for Hinkley plant a complete sellout to the nuclear industry

EU backing for plant ‘a total sell-out to nuclear industry’Paul Melia  Irish Independent 09/10/2014 |THE European Commission has given the green light to a controversial plan by the British Government to underwrite the €21bn cost of building a nuclear power plant just 240km from Ireland. And it has emerged that Ireland’s outgoing EU Commissioner, Maire Geoghegan Quinn, was not present for the crucial vote on the matter.

A spokesman said she had committed to attending a conference in Turin, Italy yesterday, and did “feed into” the decision – but was not present for the vote……..

The move provoked fury among environmental groups, while the Austrian Government has warned it may take legal action against the commission.

This was because the decision set a “bad precedent”, as guaranteed payments had previously been reserved for renewable forms of energy.

The Department of the Environment here has also raised concerns, saying it had written twice since 2009 to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change outlining concerns about potential environmental impacts in Ireland and in the Irish Sea.

“The key issues of concern include the assessments by the UK of effects on the environment, management of radioactive waste, and the rationale underpinning the proposed justification decision for new nuclear facilities,” it said.

A spokesman added it was awaiting the full, written decision of the commission before deciding if any further action would be taken…….

Greenpeace said the Commission had “cleared a path for taxpayers” to heavily subsidise the construction of nuclear power plants, adding it was a “total world record sell-out” to the nuclear industry.

“It’s such a distortion of competition rules that the Commission has left itself exposed to legal challenges,” legal adviser Andrea Carta said.

“There is absolutely no legal, moral or environmental justification in turning taxes into guaranteed profits for a nuclear power company whose only legacy will be a pile of radioactive waste.

“This is a bad plan for everyone except EDF.”

The Green Party also expressed concern, with leader Eamon Ryan saying that competition rules had been broken by allowing “massive state subsidies” for nuclear power.

“There is no accounting for the security risks that come with the building of such a plant, and no apportioning of the massive clean up costs that will come when the plant has to be decommissioned,” he said. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/eu-backing-for-plant-a-total-sellout-to-nuclear-industry-30650482.html

October 10, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general