nuclear-news

Fears in Isle of Man community over dangers of new Wylfa nuclear power station

Fears over new atomic plant  Isle of Man Today, 14 June 18 The new secretary of the Mannin branch of the Celtic League is calling on the Manx government to oppose plans for a new nuclear power station on Anglesey.

Wylfa nuclear plant, located just 35 miles from the southern coast of the Isle of Man, closed in 2015 after more than 40 years of service.

Now the Westminster government has announced that public money will be invested into a multi-billion pound replacement…….

Allen Moore, who was appointed branch secretary of Celtic League Mannin last month and is also the organisation’s environmental officer, believes the Manx government should oppose the project.

He said: ’Opposition to the nuclear policies of the UK and French governments remains a core concern of the Celtic League. Those governments have built many of their nuclear power stations in or close to Celtic countries, and none more so than around the Irish Sea. It is to be hoped that the Manx Government does express concerns to the UK about the new Wylfa power station development. The MHKs were elected to represent us, after all.’

Mr Moore said we need to look after the environment to ensure that we survive, both here in the Isle of

Man and worldwide.

He explained: ’I was four months old at the time of the Windscale fire. If that had been even worse we wouldn’t have survived in the Isle of Man.

’At best, we would have had to be evacuated, and now the UK might be talking about the Windscale Generation as well as the Windrush Generation.

’There is a perception in some quarters that nuclear power produces clean energy and doesn’t cost much once the power station is built.

’However, as is being seen with the older generation nuclear power stations, decommissioning these plants is hugely expensive, including finding a safe way of disposing of and securing the radioactive material. What are we leaving future generations?’

The Manx government’s declared policy is to seek the complete closure of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant and to oppose the operation of any nuclear facility which is the source of radioactive pollution.

The government laboratory conducts independent monitoring of environmental radioactivity levels in the Isle of Man.

Reports suggest estimated construction costs for Wylfa have risen from £10bn to as much as £20bn. The UK govt may cover a large proportion of that funding. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=41170&headline=Fears%20over%20new%20atomic%20plant&sectionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2018

June 15, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, UK