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Bookmark, Email, Print or ShareBritain’s nuclear plans spell danger
Eddie McGrady MP and Councillor Joe Conway on the terrace of the House of Commons in a snowy London just before Christmas.
The British Government’s announcement that it intends to build ten new nuclear power-stations is not good news for us in Waterford, according to County Councillor Joe Conway.
He pointed out this week that that one of the proposed sites, Wylfa on the island of Anglesea in Wales, was a mere seventy miles away. And, he added, the very first one scheduled to be built by EDF Energy was at Hinkley on the Bristol Channel, was a mere 150 miles from Dunmore East.
So concerned is Councillor Conway about the situation that he took the issue of new nuclear stations to the heart of British government in the week before Christmas. During an hour and a half long meeting with Northern Ireland MP, Eddie McGrady, at the House of Commons, the Independent public representative used the opportunity to impress on the Westminster parliament representative the importance of raising Irish concerns about the UK’s plans.
The controversial announcement that prompted Councillor Conway to act came after a radical shake-up of planning laws in the UK. Under powers awarded to its government last month, local authorities have been stripped of the right of veto over new nuclear plants and other key energy projects. Decisions will instead be taken by the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which was created to slash the period required to secure consent for energy projects from seven years to one year.
Cllr Conway, also a member of Tramore Town Council, stated: “The decision to build new nuclear reactors by the UK authorities is a controversial move to say the least, when judged against public opinion. It spells the effective end of the stated Tony Blair preference to promote wind, wave, tidal and biomass power generation.
“The findings of an official Eurobarometer 2006 survey for example, in relation to nuclear energy, found that of the 25,000 European citizens questioned, 37% were opposed to nuclear power, while only 20% were in favour. The poll also found that nuclear was the least popular of the nine energy options surveyed”.
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January 1st, 2010 at 7:28 am
As per usual we have people such as Councillor Conway who knows nothing about nuclear power throwing his two pence in! The english, french and americans have been using this type of power for years without any problems. As technology has improved so has the safety of these plants. Nuclear energy is one of the cleanest we have creating very little waste or carbon I may add to the environment. Maybe Cllr Conway should do a little research before he launches an attack just because it has the word ‘nuclear’ attached to it!!! And besides where does he think additional energy that Ireland buys in from the UK comes from!? you guessed it nuclear power, didnt think that your cupa tea was being heated by nuclear power did you Cllr!!!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 4:58 am
Suggestion, talk to the French, Conway!
January 5th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Thank you, Max Power and Sean O’Regan, for your comments.
In relation to the first, it is worrying when one gets a comment like this. It falls into the category “I don’t agree with you, so you must know nothing!” I can assure you, Max, that I have done quite a bit of research on the subject. You will note that – in the full printed article – I attested to the advantages of “nuclear”, but was most concerned about the 40 tonnes of waste up at THORP that will remain lethal for 100,000 years. In an area of repeated seismic shift, can anyone give a guarantee of safe storage for that period?
And, Sean…I will indeed be talking to my French colleagues in the Council of Europe on the matter when I attend next at Strasbourg, 17-19 March, 2010.