STOP HINKLEY PRESS RELEASE

18 March 2014

Glastonbury Council Urges Hinkley Opposition

Glastonbury Town Council has written to 300 Town and Parish Councils in Somerset , urging them to oppose a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

The letter raises concerns over nuclear waste storage, nuclear accidents, and the impact of construction traffic on the county. It says that since the council agreed to write to other councils, the record flooding and storm surges in West Somerset have only deepened those concerns. And it ends, "We believe that statements of concern and opposition by local representative bodies such as yours could play a part in determining Somerset 's future for the good".

A recent meeting with EDF has done nothing to allay the town's fears, according to Councillor Jon Cousins (St Edmunds Ward).

"Basically, EDF pulled out of a public meeting and sent David Eccles to our council meeting instead to tell us that Hinkley C would be good for jobs." said Mr Cousins. "He could tell us nothing about the nuclear emergency plan for Glastonbury - except that we shouldn't eat or drink anything - and assured us without a blink that EDF were prepared to store spent fuel at Hinkley Point for thousands of years".

"I was shocked to discover that the spent fuel building will not be as heavily protected as the reactor building, making it an obvious target for a malicious attack - and it will still be vulnerable to attack or natural disaster long after EDF have packed up their profits and gone".

The letter from Glastonbury Town to other councils says that Hinkley C would be "the most expensive nuclear power station on the planet" but that the final investment decision has still to be made, as the governments deal with EDF is now under review by the competition commission.

"It's not too late for Somerset people and councils to raise a voice and stop this project before the construction traffic has started rolling," said Councillor Denise Michell (St Benedict's Ward). " Glastonbury is a town which is ill-prepared for the impact of that traffic. But, despite a very reasonable appeal from Councillor Ian Tucker, Mr Eccles said that ultimately it would be up to contractors which roads they used and EDF could not be expected to give us any assurances."

"It seems that all the big issues with this project are some one else's responsibility, and EDF's only responsibility is making the money. With the public subsidy agreed by the government, Hinkley C profits are apparently set to be well over £50 billion. That puts the so called "benefits to the community" into perspective. Somerset could end up shouldering the liabilities of this project for generations, and Glastonbury council are not at all happy about that," she said.

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