Huhne announces that the timetable for new nuclear remains unchanged, despite Fukushima!
Huhne announces that the timetable for new nuclear remains unchanged, despite Fukushima!
It has only been a matter of a few weeks since the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan. The whole world watched on in horror as the nuclear power plant exploded (several times) and then residents within a 50km zone were evacuated and put up in temporary shelters having been checked for radioactive contamination with geiger counters.
Despite this, it seems the UK government is unstoppable in its unseemly rush for new nuclear. Does it seriously think we have all forgotten Fukushima?
At the time when the public was reeling from the events that took place at Fukushima, Huhne promised that there would be a review of the UK’s nuclear safety arrangements. Many people assumed that they would take a good long look at what happened and thoroughly review existing stations and plans for new nuclear. At the very least it was expected by many that new nuclear plans would be modified and slowed down and they would shut down a few of the UK’s ageing, long past their sell by date reactors!
However, instead of an independent review Huhne asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman to carry this out. How can the Government’s own Chief Nuclear Inspector report that anything is wrong with nuclear safety or plans for nuclear expansion in the UK? It would be like admitting he had not done his job properly!
The Japanese operators TEPCO are today STILL fighting to control the plant and contamination is still leaking. It will be a very long time before the full details of what happened and the consequential losses are known. Yet Dr Weightman has already published the outcome of his review!
The timing of this is clearly a PR exercise designed to ensure the Government’s plans for new nuclear are not delayed by the events at Fukushima!
The Weightman report sets out 26 areas where further review is needed and recommends that these areas are reviewed by the nuclear Industry! So we are supposed to accept that new nuclear should proceed with the nuclear industry reviewing itself. Please do not forget this is an industry that is renowned for its secrecy and dishonesty and one that is hardly going to put forward any proposals to close down existing plants or, god forbid, jeopardise plans for their own expansion!
In the recent words of Chandrashekhar Krishnan, the executive director of Transparency International UK: "The revolving door between government and business is spinning out of control. "
18 May 2011
DECC Press Release: 2011/042
Huhne welcomes interim report from chief nuclear inspector (Press notice)
“Safety is and will continue to be the number one priority. I am pleased that today’s report confirms that the UK’s current safety arrangements are working.” Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne today presented to Parliament the findings of the Chief Nuclear Inspector’s interim report into the events at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in March this year.
Chris Huhne asked for an interim report to consider any immediate lessons that could be applied to the UK nuclear industry. Dr Weightman will provide a final report in September this year.
In his interim report, Dr Weightman has found that the UK has displayed a strong safety culture in its response to Fukushima and current safety measures are adequate. Dr Weightman also said that is not necessary to make immediate safety improvements to operating nuclear reactors in the UK.
Chris Huhne said:
“Safety is and will continue to be the number one priority. I am pleased that today’s report confirms that the UK’s current safety arrangements are working. I want regulators and the industry to work together, so that we continue to improve our safety regime.
“The Chief Nuclear Inspector has made clear the differences between Japan and the UK. We do not use the same reactor types, and do not plan to in future. We also do not expect to experience the extreme natural events seen in Japan.
“Dr Weightman’s interim report is authoritative and detailed and I thank him for his work. It provides us with the basis to continue to remove the barriers to nuclear new build in the UK. We want to see new nuclear as part of a low carbon energy mix going forward, provided there is no public subsidy. The Chief Nuclear Inspector’s interim report reassures me that it can.”
The Energy Secretary added that subject to careful consideration of Dr Weightman’s interim report, the Government will bring forward the Energy National Policy Statements for ratification as soon as possible. The NPSs provide a framework for decisions on planning applications for major energy infrastructure projects.
Source: S.A.N.E