The proposed expansion of Hinkley Point power station near Burnham-On-Sea should be axed in light of this weekend’s nuclear accident in Japan, according to anti-nuclear campaigners on Saturday (March 12th).
The Stop Hinkley group claimed that the explosion at Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan – which followed Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami – demonstrates the risks associated with nuclear power.
“The events in Japan provide yet more evidence that nuclear power is unsafe,” Stop Hinkley spokesman Crispin Aubrey told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“We should immediately shelve plans for any new reactors in this country, including the Hinkley C proposal.”
“If the Fukushima nuclear power station is releasing radioactive gases into the atmosphere then it means that its protection mechanisms have already failed.”
He added: “The nuclear industry always says that this sort of thing cannot happen with modern reactors. How many more warnings do we need before we realise that this technology is inherently dangerous?”
“The UK may not be an earthquake zone, but there are many other scenarios which could result in the loss of coolant and a potential meltdown at a nuclear power station.”
“Internal documents leaked from French electricity company EDF last year showed that the European Pressurised Reactor design planned for Hinkley Point could suffer from a control mechanism failure leading to a Chernobyl-type explosion.”
An EDF spokesman said on Saturday evening: “All EDF Energy’s nuclear power stations are protected against the effects of seismic events. These measures are detailed in approved safety cases which are agreed with the regulator and cover all credible seismic events in the UK.”
Pictured, top, is the explosion in Japan and, above, how the expanded Hinkley Point power station would look
