Low Level Radiation and Health Conference

A member of SANE will be attending this conference as it is a great concern to the people of The Severn Vale and the whole of humanity.

If any others from our community want to attend please contact oldburynuclear@btinternet.com 

Low Level Radiation and Health Conference in Manchester in June

Please see the draft details of the conference.

DRAFT PROGRAMME


Saturday 19th, 2010 Saturday JUNE 19th, 2010

9.30-10: Registration

10.00 Welcome to Manchester

Session Chair:

Sean Morris, NFLA secretary

ALICE STEWART LECTURE

10.10 Childhood leukemia in the vicinity of German Nuclear Power facilities - results and consequences of the KiKK study. Professor Wolfgang Weiss (German Federal Office for Radiation Protection)

10.55 Questions and Answers

Theme 1: Radiation Risks

11.10 Radiation-induced bystander effects – latest news

Dr Carmel Mothersill (McMaster University, Canada)

11, 30 COFFEE

11.50 Shape of the dose-response relationship and its impact on leukemia risk, Dr Alfred Koerblein (Environmental Institute, Munich)

12.10 Radiation biology of environmental and medical exposures

Professor Eric Wright (University of Dundee)

12.30 Chernobyl and Epidemiology TBC

Professor Richard Wakeford (University of Manchester)

12.50 – 1.10 Questions and discussion

1.15-2.00 LUNCH

2.00: Workshops:

 Very low levels of radiation and health effects, John Urquhart, PhD student, Open University

 Forgotten Heroes? A Case Study of Britain’s Cold War Atomic Test Veterans and the Burden of Proof. Tracey Morris, University of St Andrews

 Third workshop TBC

3.30: TEA

4.0 Theme 2: Managing Radioactive wastes

Session Chair: Pete Roche, Energy and Environment Consultancy Edinburgh

Geological Repository – the holes in the argument

Dr Rachel Western, Former nuclear researcher Friends of the Earth and NIREX

4.20 UK Uranium supplies: health and environmental impacts

Peter Diehl, WISE Uranium website

4.40 -5 Questions and discussion

7.00 Evening meal and social, pub Briton’s Protection, 50 Gt Bridgewater St, Manchester M1 5DL.





Sunday June 20th

11.00 Strategy workshop Briton’s Protection pub

Briton’s Protection pub which is about 8 minutes walk from the Friends Meeting House behind the Bridgewater Concert Hall - 50 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester, M1 5DL, telephone 0161 236 5895. Lunches £5-£7 a head.

The UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities was established in November 1980 and reaches its 30th anniversary this year. It is the primary local government organisation on nuclear issues. It takes a leading role within local government and lobbying central government on nuclear power, nuclear safety and nuclear weapons proliferation issues. It seeks to build a nuclear weapons free world, and is a close partner of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki led Mayors for Peace. It also opposes expansion of the nuclear fuel cycle - seeing renewable energy, microgeneration and energy efficiency as a cleaner and more sustainable alternative.

The NFLA has taken a continuing interest in the technical, political and scientific debate on the effects of low level radiation on health and has produced many policy briefings and supported considerable independent research on this important issue. It has recently submitted to the Government its concern on the effects of low level radiation around nuclear sites and urged the UK Government to lengthen the consultation on the justification of new nuclear power stations to adequately consider the findings of the COMARE commission into the German government's KIKK report. It campaigns for public safety, health and environmental protection.

The Low Level Radiation and Health Conference was set up in 1985 by members of the public keen to find out more about these issues and so 2010 celebrates its 25th silver anniversary. Since its inception, the conference has been organised by a different voluntary group of members of the public and the event has rotated to different parts of the UK.

The conference is a unique event bringing together members of the nuclear industry, Government organisations, monitoring agencies, Local authorities, medics, academic researchers, health workers, environmental health officers, campaigners and interested lay people. It is an educational event which aims to provide up to the minute research via presentations by a range of people from government, regulators, industry and academics thus making these issues accessible to as broad a range of people as possible by keeping the costs as low as reasonably practicable.



Conference Organising Group:

Contact: Janine Allis-Smith janine@core.furness.co.uk

Sean Morris, Nuclear Free Local Authorities Secretary

Email: s.morris4@manchester.gov.uk

Jill Sutcliffe, 01403 700395, jillandmark@lineone.net

Silver Anniversary

21st Low Level Radiation and Health Conference

1985-2010



Nuclear energy – new build and new radiation paradigm



Nuclear Free Local Authorities

1980-2010

Low Level Radiation

Low Level Radiation

and Health Conference

1985-2010

Manchester Quaker Meeting Hall, 6 Mount St, Manchester

Jointly held by Low Radiation and Health Conference and the Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA)

Steve Webb responds to our thoughts on the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition Agreement

Many thanks again to our MP, Steve Webb, for his continued support and assistance in these uncertain times. It is good to know we have a voice in the corridors of Whitehall!

In addition to forwarding our concerns to the Sec of State for DECC, Chris Huhne, Steve has commented on our thoughts on the Cons/Lib Dem Coalition agreement (see our blog entry dated 23rd May 2010) as follows:

"Re the many questions on the blog (!), it’s probably too early to answer many of them. For example, there is a commitment to scrapping the IPC, but not a specific date or detailed proposals for what will take its place (as this will require new primary legislation). However, given that Horizon have apparently put back their application re Oldbury for three years, then it’s hard to believe that the IPC will still be in place by then. I certainly agree with your point that it is bizarre that Horizon were the filter for the views of local residents!

You raise some fundamental points about the relative ‘power’ of the nuclear lobby as against private citizens, which is why democratic accountability, including at a local level is so crucial.

Re Lib Dem MPs being ‘gagged’ I think it’s important to recall that both the other two parties are pro nuclear. Being able to vote against nuclear in the House of Commons but being outvoted by 5 to 1 by Labour and the Tories combined was never going to achieve much for my constituents. Having a Lib Dem Secretary of State for energy and climate change and a commitment to no public subsidy offers a lot more representation in a very real way."

New photomontage shows how the views from the edge of the Cotwolds could look if E-on/Rwe/Horizon get their way

One of our members has provided the above "before" photo and an "after" photomontage of the view from the monument above North Nibley. The cooling towers have been scaled roughly in proportion to the existing power station at Oldbury based on the sizes given by Horizon. They speak for themselves, this monstrous devastation has to be stopped!!!!!!

When taking the photo our member reports that walkers around the monument that day had no knowledge of the governments plans!  It just shows that the DECC and E-on / Rwe / Horizon need to make sure they properly consult with all communities affected by this monstrosity ... we have at every stage so far called for the consultations to be taken to all communities (not just Thornbury and the nearby villages) but so far no exhibitions have taken place elsewhere and these communities are not being given a fair opportunity to take part on the debate.

CLIC clunk CLIC!---Lets be safe rather than sorry!

As we are all aware CLIC Sargent have decided to accept sponsorship from Horizon Nuclear Power, the child of Eon and RWE , two German energy companies who have decided to attempt to invest in nuclear in the UK because new nuclear is banned in Germany.

What integrity and authenticity does this give to CLIC Sargent?

We note from their website that they have a football based theme called:-

Kick for children with cancer!

maybe this should read:-

KiKK for children with Cancer!

KiKK is the study in Germany into childhood leukaemias and cancer that has stopped all development of new nuclear power plants.

Check out the CLIC Sargent website at http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Getinvolved

To keep the lights on with nuclear means lights will go out!

Remember that if the latter day German Saints of the lights have their way then we will have our lights on but a proportion of young children living close to  all nuclear establishments will unfortunately have their lights snuffed out.

Please read the Kikk study from Germany and realise why Eon and RWE are not allowed to build new nuclear in their home country.

 http://www.bfs.de/en/kerntechnik/kinderkrebs/kikk.html

and also the latest report

http://www.bfs.de/en/kerntechnik/kinderkrebs/statement_kikk_en.pdf


It is very sad to see CLIC Sargent accept sponsorship from Horizon.....for The Oldbury Fun Run.---For those readers who are outside of the UK--CLIC Sargent is a charity that helps finance research into childhood cancers and leukaemias---Strange bedfellows?

Our initial thoughts on the coalition agreement

These are our initial thoughts about the coalition agreement and we are pursuing answers to these questions from government.

• 
  
• "We will abolish the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission and replace it with an efficient and democratically accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects. "

 

• "We will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities. "

 

• "We will maintain the Green Belt, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other environmental protections, and create a new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities. "

Our 1st thoughts - this just leaves us with more questions than answers:

When will they abolish the undemocratic IPC? what is the priority here?

Will this be before they receive the 1st tranche of applications this year?

What do they mean by a "fast track process"?

Will this be fairer to the local communities and give proper opportunity and time for communities to understand these applications and make their views known to the decision makers? ie not relying on the developer to do this for them as in the existing IPC system. We all know how dismissive Horizon are of our genuine concerns why should they care they are a commercial business and are in this for profit just like any other private developer .... the government can not expect Horizon to be impartial on this it is JUST NOT REALISTIC!

Will the concerns of local communities be given proper consideration or will they continue to be over ridden by the so called "nations greater interest" as was proposed by the IPC system?

What will be done about re-dressing the bias created by the millions of pounds that have been spent by the nuclear industry (and doubtless is now and will continue to be spent) lobbying the DECC etc to ensure this process is biased towards consent regardless of the local communities concerns?

How will the government ensure that the local communities can be represented fairly against the millions spent by these nuclear giants on top notch consultants and lawyers in this process?

Who will be in charge of this process the DECC Secretary of State (Chris Huhne) or the Minister of Planning (Greg Clark)? No doubt the nuclear giants will already be lobbying hard with their top notch expensive team for their man, Greg Clark who wants these power stations built even faster than labour did and incidentally never even bothered to respond to our email blogged last month! So how much does he care about this community?

 

 

On Energy and Climate Change:

 

• "Liberal Democrats have long opposed any new nuclear construction. Conservatives, by contrast, are committed to allowing the replacement of existing nuclear power stations provided that they are subject to the normal planning process for major projects (under a new National Planning Statement), and also provided that they receive no public subsidy."

 

• "We will implement a process allowing the Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the Government to bring forward the National Planning Statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible. This process will involve:

– the Government completing the drafting of a national planning statement and putting it before Parliament;

– specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesperson will speak against the Planning Statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain; and

– clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence."

 

Nothing new here since last week, so we still have many burning questions including:

 

What is the priority here?

What is the timeline for the "National Planning Statement"?

Is this to be a re-hash of the biased and undemocratic "National Policy Statements" drafted by DECC under the tainted regime of Brown and Miliband and there close relationships to the nuclear and power industries.

Will the DECC take proper account of the submissions made by this community during the last governments consultation?

How can this community have their say if their MP can not speak on our behalf nor vote against the monstrous proposal for Shepperdine?

How can this be democratic if Lib Dem MPs can not vote against it? Many people voted Lib Dem because they were against any new nuclear construction these voters have now been officially gagged!

 

 

 

Steve Webb to pass on letter about the Shepperdine proposals.

Last week we sent our local MP, Steve Webb a letter which he has kindly agreed to pass on to Chris Huhne on our behalf calling for him to review our responses submitted to the DECC and await his reply. Thanks again to Steve for his support in fighting this massive scale proposal by the nuclear giants Eon/RWE/Horizon.

Tony Benn advises this government not to believe a word we are told by the Nuclear Industry

For those who missed todays politics show do take a look on the bbc website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tjf8   The section from The West Country starts at about 40 minutes into the progamme

They feature a very brief clipped version of an interview with Reg Illingworth by Paul Baltrop.,the political editor for the BBC in the West of England


They also featured a few seconds from Tidy Tim Proudler showing of Horizons new offices in Gloucester---His words would have been closely scrutinised by his PR Guru Leon Plexman


It also featured a studio discussion which was pretty pathetic...suggesting new nuclear is going on all over Europe. As we all know there are two potential Areva EPR reactors being built in Europe...no more...Olkiluoto and Flammanville....


We also all know that Eon and RWE have formed Horizon for the UK because new nuclear can not be built in their home country of Germany due in large part to evidence in the KiKK study about childhood cancers and leukaemias being evident close to all nuclear establishments in Germany...including, Eon and RWE plants.


 A big step forward in our fight against this blight was the appearance on the show of Tony Benn, who was responsible for the construction of nuclear power stations by the government in the 1960s and opened Oldbury Power Station!


 In the interview Tony Benn openly admitted that it was a mistake to go nuclear in this country. He talks of the huge problem of dealing with the waste which has still not been resolved and the lessons he has learned. In particular he says the main lesson he learned from it all is "you cant believe a word that you are told by the Nuclear Industry".---This from a man who used to claim that nuclear would give us "electricity too cheap to meter"

Sane's response to the coalition agreement from the government

We will be issuing a statement about our opinions of the latest coalition agreement from the government following The Politics Show on Sunday or Monday.

As always thanks for all of your support and please keep passing the messages on to all people in our community --friends,neighbours and relatives.

Every single person has a human right to know about the implications of this development and as nobody else sees fit to educate and inform our community we must continue to carry responsibility for this.

As we are all aware the proposer/developer Eon/Horizon is failing significantly in this role.

Interestingly enough news from the fields of Shepperdine is that Eons land agents, Fisher German, appear to have backed off.

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

BBC Politics Show Interview with SANE for this Sundays Show

 The Politics show from BBC have today interviewed both Horizon Nuclear Power and a representative of  our community to discuss the progress of the new nuclear power plant proposals at Shepperdine.


Tim Proudler and Leon Plexman where interviewed at the spacious new Horizon Nuclear Headquarters in Gloucester, England where over 100 people work.


Reg Illingworth was filmed and interviewed at the Cider Apple Orchard at the rear of his property overlooking the existing power station and the fields earmarked for the huge energy project that Eon want to progress in Gloucestershire .


Reg says " The interview will be featured in the Politics Show in the West Country Section on the TV on programme on Sunday--We will see what quotes they clip from the show."


We thank Paul Baltrop , Political Editor for the West of England for giving us the opportunity to speak and be involved in the discussion.

You can follow Paul's blog during these exciting times at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulbarltrop/

Eon still beating the drum for nuclear!

Tim Proudler of Eon and now Horizon (Who is he employed by ?) is still endeavouring to put out positive spin for the potential of new nuclear at Shepperdine despite of the opposition from every single local council,Steve Webb MP , Matthew Riddle, our local South Gloucs Councillor, as well as members of SANE and other local residents and a significant portion of the new coalition government.

We compliment him on his loyalty to his employers (whoever they are ) but surely he realises we at SANE see him and his associates as a giant "cuckoo in the nest".----Who will benefit today....Give the Fun Run some money....errrrrrr who or what next?...Give the locals a few pounds..that will keep them happy.

Sometimes in your life  you have to stand up for what is right even if it seems to concern your employers or fellow workers ---or is the slippery corporate pole too appealing to some people?

The truth is there is and will be no shortage of electricity even without new nuclear when it begins to come onstream in 2020 to 2035!

Oldbury residents ask new government to clarify nuclear position

11:08am Monday 17th May 2010

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• By Liza-Jane Gillespie »

A QUESTION mark still remains over the future of nuclear power at Oldbury.

People living near to the potential site of a new nuclear plant at Oldbury, proposed by energy firm Horizon, are calling on the new Lib Dem-Conservative coalition government to clarify its position.

Nuclear energy was one of the many issues detailed in the coalition government’s agreement decided by the two political parties last week.

Despite acknowledging the Liberal Democrats’ opposition to building new stations, the agreement said the Conservatives plan to push ahead with the National Policy Statement on nuclear, which at the moment names Oldbury as a preferred site.

Reg Illingworth, chairman of Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy, said: "We request Chris Huhne to give some clarity on the coalition agreement and the priorities of the Department of Energy and Climate Change on nuclear energy."

In the coalition agreement all Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain from the nuclear debate, but the agreement also stated that new nuclear power stations would receive no public subsidy.

Steve Webb, Lib Dem MP for Thornbury and Yate, said he believed the new government would give campaigners a better chance at fighting any new build at Oldbury.

He said: "Even though the Conservatives haven’t dropped their support for new nuclear the process for deciding new sites is going to be more democratic.

"The document also makes clear that there should be no public subsidy.

"For those of us who do not want a new nuclear station at Oldbury the frame work is going to be favourable."

However, Horizon remain optimistic about the project’s chances.

Tim Proudler, planning and consents manager at Horizon, said: "We're very pleased that the new Government will continue to progress new nuclear power projects. Nuclear energy is clean, safe and secure and is at least as affordable as other major low-carbon generation options.

"There’s still a lot to be done to bring about a new build programme in the UK, but good progress has been made to date, and nuclear power has a major role to play along with other technologies such as renewables, in delivering a safe, affordable and secure energy mix for the future."

Michel asks Chris Huhne about the S word and gets a +ve

Well done to Michel for asking a question of Chris Huhne at the Lib Dem meeting yeaterday!

Michel to LibDemConference y'day; put name in hat for 1m intevention from floor mic Got drawn as spkr 1 in 2nd session - foot in mouth for too many seconds, 2000 LibDems not wanting 2 listen 2 foot-notes - extracted in time 2 make point - must have made it as Chris Huhne namechecked me in his summation speech "Michel, I promise you and conference - NO Subsidy for Nuclear Power ! " Bonus result ! Thanks to the Energy Sec !

Brilliant news!!

Nuclear resurgence.........

Check ou this link about nuclear resurgence.........

Blog: stop oldbury


Post: World Wide Nuclear Energy Revival

Link: http://stopoldbury.blogspot.com/2010/05/world-wide-nuclear-energy-revival.html

Carbon trading price to be rigged?

Secret boost for nuclear plants despite coalition split

Ben Marlow

RECOMMEND?

Huhne: nuclear tensions

THE government is planning to rig the carbon trading market in a move that will encourage the creation of nuclear power plants — and push up energy bills.

Details buried in the coalition agreement reveal the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are to set a floor under the carbon price. The move would raise electricity bills for households and businesses, and, in effect, subsidise nuclear power.

It is estimated that £200 billion is required over the next decade to replace Britain’s ageing power plants and to cut emissions.

The nuclear issue is shaping up to be one of the main areas of tension between the coalition partners. Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem named as energy and climate change secretary, has led the party’s opposition to nuclear plants.

He reiterated his scepticism about new nuclear after his appointment last week, warning that there would be no government subsidies available.

Industry analysts, however, said the commitment to fix the carbon price amounted to a subsidy by the back door, which would be paid directly by energy users. “Putting a floor under the power price would effectively transfer risk from the nuclear developer to the electricity consumer,” said Peter Atherton, head of European utilities at Citigroup.

Companies that produce polluting gases must buy carbon allowances to cover every tonne of emissions — theoretically rewarding those who invest in clean energy, and penalising heavy polluters such as coal-fired power plants.

Nuclear stations do not emit carbon, meaning that they do not need to buy the credits. If the price of carbon is kept high, nuclear power becomes significantly more attractive than other energy sources.

The price of carbon credits has, at times, fallen as low as £13 a tonne, making it cheaper for companies to buy more permits and continue polluting.

The coalition, particularly the Tories, want to set a fixed lower limit, estimated to be about £35 a tonne. That would act as an incentive for investment in clean energy, including nuclear.

However, the new plants would take years to build. In the meantime, power companies would continue to generate electricity from coal and pass the costs of the higher carbon price on to consumers through higher energy bills.The carbon plan is one of a series of environmental commitments in the coalition agreement. Others include promises to create a charging network for electric cars, support for “smart” electric meters and a broad range of commitments on renewable energy.

Ben Caldecott, head of UK and EU policy at specialist investment manager Climate Change Capital, said: “The risk is that nuclear gets kicked into the long grass because Huhne has other priorities such as the green investment bank.”

Under the coalition deal, Lib Dem MPs can abstain in any Commons votes on nuclear power but will not be able to use the issue to bring down the government in a confidence vote. “The two positions will be difficult to square,” said Atherton at Citigroup.

Experts called on the two parties to put aside their differences to attract the investment needed to solve a looming energy shortage in the UK.

Hinkley planning goes backwards........

For Hinkley read Olkiluoto IV?

Well done to Jim Duffy and his team keep up the good work

Hinkley C application slips amidst uncertainty

The anticipated date for the Hinkley C planning application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission has slipped by four months from 2nd August to 1st December. This is the second delay in the application which was originally expected at the beginning of July.

The delay comes amidst new uncertainty over the project following the appointment of an anti-nuclear Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. In today's Times (1) Chris Huhne strengthened his assertion that new nuclear build will not receive any Government subsidies including in the event of a nuclear accident. This is a hardening of position from the previous Labour Government who had not insisted on full liability insurance for the proposed generation of reactors. The cost of full insurance may well be prohibitive to developers such as EdF Energy who want to build two giant reactors on the Somerset coast.

N-waste subsidy

Chris Huhne may also be under pressure from anti-nuclear Lib-Dem colleagues to examine other potential aspects of Government subsidy such as the Labour proposal for fixed pricing of nuclear waste management after the expected 60 year life of the reactors. This pricing model would give some assurance to the industry over future costs of nuclear waste disposal but could be at the expense of tax-payers. A Deep Disposal Repository is thought to cost between £12 and £20 billion. But no country in the world has a working deep repository and future costs could spiral. Barack Obama last year threw out the proposed US repository at Yucca Mountain in Utah after 20 years of development and the German nuclear repository has been mired in controversy following the discovery of misinformation from former Chancellor Helmut Kohl over its safety. Obligingly to the nuclear industry, the Labour Government missed out the risks of no repository being available in the recent 300 page National Nuclear Policy Statement. Chris Huhne will have the job of rewriting this document with obvious risks to nuclear developers.  

Fast-track Planning

It is not clear yet what the Energy Secretary plans for the unelected quango which is the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). The Conservatives have vowed to break it up in favour of a more democratic and locally accountable planning process with ministerial sign-off. In any case a rewritten Nuclear Policy Statement (NPS) to guide the planning process may also involve the appraisal of the on-site spent fuel store which EdF want to build alongside Hinkley C. The spent nuclear fuel will be so hot and radioactive it will need to cool in the storage pond for one hundred years when it comes out of the reactor. Given the 60 year life of the reactors, the dangerous toxic fuel would be sited at Hinkley and other nuclear sites for 160 years but inexplicably the Labour NPS document did not require the IPC to examine this crucial part of the power station planning application.

Public Inquiry

Chris Huhne's colleague and former Shadow Energy Secretary, Simon Hughes, has called for a public inquiry into the 'Justification' of new nuclear build. The 'Justification' process is an EU requirement to judge the health detriment of new radioactive processes against any benefits. Governments can call a public inquiry to make this judgement but the Labour Government signaled that pro-nuclear Ed Milliband would say yes or no in his role as Energy Secretary. Stop Hinkley supported other campaigners and academics (2) in saying this biased approach was wrong and in fairness a public inquiry was needed. If Chris Huhne does set up the inquiry this will delay EdF and other nuclear proposals, adding to their costs and increasing the likelihood of the development not taking place. 

No information on the reason for the Hinkley C planning application delay is currently (Saturday evening) available on either the Infrastructure Planning Commission website or that of EdF Energy, with no press releases on the latter website since January this year. But the Projects page of the IPC website (3) clearly shows the new delayed date.

Reactions to EdF consultation

EdF Energy has also been expected to launch the second phase of its local consultation on Hinkley C for some time with an anticipated date of late spring or early summer. They received over 1,000 replies to the first round of their consultation from which the results have stil not been revealed. According to their December '08 Hinkley C Newsletter (4), respondents to a pilot questionnaire felt the top 'issues that needed to be addressed to a very great extent' (EdF's emphasis) were:

Pollution / emissions control 77%

Health and safety of surrounding communities 75%

Traffic on local roads 68%

Since then the 'Save Cannington Action Group' has called for a complete rerouting of traffic through the village and for the abandonment of plans for hostels, park and ride schemes and a lorry depot which campaigners say would traumatise the village. 800 Canningtonians signed a petition to this effect. 

Williton residents have also called for plans for hostels to be thrown out with a West Somerset Free Press poll showing a large majority against local hostels. The view seems to be that all anticipated 4,000 workers should be accommodated on the massive 500 acre Hinkley site. 

In an unusual act of defiance, West Somerset Council last month rejected an EdF planning application to dig twenty trenches near the village of Shurton

Jim Duffy, spokesman for Stop Hinkley said: "It's an uncertain time right now for the nuclear industry with the sudden requirement on them to insure their reactors against a nuclear disaster. This and other costs which the taxpayer was expected to underwrite may well be making EdF think twice about their giant projects at Hinkley and Sizewell. I hope Chris Huhne and his colleagues stick to their guns over public subsidies, reverse the unelected fast-track planning process and set up the public inquiry on nuclear justification that top academics have called for. These are fair requirements but the industry might just find they can't match them. If they walk away it will be a relief for many, many people."

Jim Duffy

Stop Hinkley Coordinator

http://www.stophinkley.org/

Notes:

(1) Times 15th May 2010:

David Cameron strode into the Department for Energy and Climate Change. “I want this to be the greenest government ever." “I’m not ideologically opposed to nuclear,” Mr Huhne insisted. “My scepticism is based on whether or not they can make it work without public subsidy. One of the things the coalition agreed with some passion in the current circumstances of fiscal restraint was that there will be no public subsidy for nuclear power.” Even support in the event of a disaster was out of the question, he said. “That would count as a subsidy absolutely. There will be no public bailouts . . . I have explained my position to the industry and said public subsidies include contingent liabilities.” This is an important hardening of the position held by the Labour administration and could make it much harder for companies to finance the plants. “It is a challenge for them, as no-one has yet built a nuclear power station without public subsidy for some time.” Charles Hendry, the Tory Energy Minister, will be responsible for overseeing nuclear policy, Mr Huhne said. He added that he would prefer not to give his personal preferences.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7127202.ece

(2) Western Daily Press on Stop Hinkley support for calls for Justification inquiry:

http://stophinkley.org/NewsPages/news100315wdp.htm

Guardian 11th March on 90 academics' calls for public inquiry:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/11/independent-inquiry-nuclear-power-stations 

(3) IPC Projects page with new date for anticipated Hinkley C application:

 http://infrastructure.independent.gov.uk/?page_id=202

(4) Hinkley Point Newsletter July '09:

http://hinkleypoint.edfconsultation.info/websitefiles/Hinkley-Point-Newsletter-July-2009.pdf

(5) BBC report on council rejection of EdF planning application

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8672000/8672366.stm

OFT to investigate poaching of our utilities

What a refreshing sign from the new government that it is going to investigate why British infrastructure is being sold to foreign companies.

Sell up Eon and RWE (amongst a lot of others) and focus on your own market!

We dont need you....you need our easy market and donations from our government!

You are parasites sucking the lifeforce from our economy!

OFT to probe takeovers of UK's infrastructure

By LUCY FARNDON
Last updated at 10:55 PM on 14th May 2010

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Poaching of our transport, water and strategic assets by foreign firms and investment funds is being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading. 

The watchdog is embarking on its first broad-ranging enquiry into 'ownership and control' in an attempt to find out whether consumers are being disadvantaged. 

The 'open market' ethos of the UK - in contrast to many continental European countries - has led to £150bn of 'investment' into infrastructure over the past five years.

Buying BAA on the stockmarket is not the same as investing to improve airport services

But, splashing the cash on a stockmarket takeover - for example, when Spain's Ferrovial bought airports group BAA - is not the same as pumping money into improving services, particularly when the deals are funded by large amounts of debt.

Far-flung owners are also trickier to monitor, which is why the recent troubles in Dubai caused a minor panic about the fate of DP World, owner of P&O Ports.

Heather Clayton at the OFT said: 'There have been significant changes in ownership in infrastructure assets in both regulated and unregulated sectors of the economy over the past decade.

'We want to take this opportunity to step back and assess how these developments might have affected competition and consumers.'

Many of our gas, water and electricity firms are owned by overseas companies or specialist infrastructure firms such as Macquarie, Cheung Kong and Borealis. 

Analysts are sceptical that the probe will lead to any major change in the attitude towards takeovers. But the OFT said it may consider further, more specific enquiries after its initial report.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1278559/OFT-probe-takeovers-UKs-utilities.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0nzdgQuPJ

Eon think they can manipulate the new government?!

It is time for Eon/RWE to stop attempting to be given money from British taxpayers and electrcity consumers!

They will have to put their hands in their pockets and build nuclear power stations without subsidy!

We find it disgusting that two German companies can threaten the British people and government with "Give us a subsidy or else"

Remember when Golby talks about the "lights going out"  these people are avaricious global energy companies and not latter day philanthropists

Thankfully we are now in the era of LibDem/Conservative economics and they understand that every halfpenny of our money counts--especially when the alternative sees our hard earned money flowing back to Germany and France.

Huhne outlines coalition deal over nuclear power plants

Lib Dem Chris Huhne says there is agreement on issue of public funding A new generation of nuclear power plants will still be built - provided no public money is spent on them, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said. Nuclear energy was an issue on which the Tories and Lib Dems were split when they formed their coalition government. But Mr Huhne, one of five Lib Dems in the cabinet, said he believed a way could be found to satisfy both sides. And if a consortium wanted to build new nuclear plants "that will, in all probability go ahead", he said. Under the terms of the coalition deal published on Wednesday, Lib Dem MPs can abstain in any Commons votes on nuclear power but will not be able to bring down the government over it in a confidence vote. 'Integrity' The Conservatives were initially sceptical about nuclear power under David Cameron's leadership but have fallen broadly into line with the previous Labour government's policy of replacing Britain's ageing nuclear power plants with a new generation of privately built reactors. The Liberal Democrats have argued that renewable energy should take priority over nuclear - but Mr Huhne suggested there was little real difference with the Conservatives on the main issue of whether the public should subsidise the building new plants. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today's programme, Mr Huhne said: "There is absolutely no disagreement between us on the key principle that there will be no public subsidy. "Now, if it turns out that - for the first time in decades - a consortium is prepared to build a nuclear power station without public subsidy, then... that will, in all probability, go ahead. "But I do think there are a lot of ifs there and I do think this is a way forward which allows the integrity of the Conservative and of the Liberal Democrat positions to be maintained." National security He said the Liberal Democrats' preference for meeting the country's energy demands  remained renewables, especially as the UK had potential for wind power and wave power. He said using renewables would also improve national security, as the country  "will be more independent of imports of key energy requirements". Energy company E.On, which is hoping to build two nuclear power stations in Britain, said it was not worried by the past hostility of the Liberal Democrats to nuclear energy. Paul Golby of E.On said it would be wrong to assume that the views of individuals  were the same as the settled policy of the government. He said nuclear power would be needed: "I think we can demonstrate that nuclear has  to be part of our future energy mix if we are going to keep the lights on and reduce carbon."