nuclear-news

Hinkley Point C: Millions of fish under threat after permit change

Campaigners say tonnes of fish could be sucked into Hinkley Point C’s
cooling system if an acoustic fish deterrent is not installed. The
Environment Agency (EA) has removed a requirement for EDF to install the
deterrent, which the company said could be dangerous to maintain.

Environmental groups say millions of fish could be killed per year. The EA
said it was confined to looking at water discharge activity, which did not
deal with the entrapment of fish. A final decision on whether EDF will have
to install an acoustic fish deterrent (AFD) will made by the Secretary of
State for Environment later this year.

The reactor cooling system tunnels
will take in 132,000 litres of water per second from the Severn Estuary to
cool the plant’s two nuclear reactors. An AFD would use underwater sound to
cause hearing species of fish to swim away.

BBC 26th Aug 2023

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-66582623

August 28, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, UK