Press Release - 18 June 2011

"No More Nuclear Power in Somerset " Stop Hinkley Campaign at
Glastonbury Festival

The Stop Hinkley campaign - opposed to the proposal to build the UK 's largest nuclear power station on the Somerset coast - will have a strong presence at this year's Glastonbury Festival (22-26 June).

Campaigners will emphasise that, in the aftermath of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, there is even more reason to halt the plans by Electricite de France (EdF) to construct twin French reactors at Hinkley Point near Bridgwater.

"After Fukushima , major European countries are showing the way towards a non-nuclear future," said Stop Hinkley spokesman Crispin Aubrey. " Germany is abandoning nuclear expansion plans, and going strongly for renewables, and Italy has voted by a massive majority against more nuclear plants. The UK government should be following suit, starting with Hinkley Point."

Stop Hinkley activities at Glastonbury Festival include:

• A short video film, supported by Greenpeace, to be shown on the screens at the main two stages and in the Greenpeace field.
• A campaign stall in the Green Futures field, with displays and information, encouraging festival-goers to sign a petition to be sent to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and to support a blockade at the power station on 3 October.
• A display of brightly-coloured flags with the messages "Remember Fukushima" and "Nuclear Power - No Thanks" and a giant "smiling sun" anti-nuclear sign in the Croissant-Neuf field.

For more information: www.stophinkley.org or phone Sue Aubrey (0796 603 4925)

Notes to editors:

1. Photo attached shows last year's Stop Hinkley stall at Glastonbury.

2. French company Electricite de France wants to build the largest nuclear plant in Britain at Hinkley Point - "Hinkley C" - just 24 miles from the festival site. The main arguments against this proposal are:

• It will leave nuclear waste on the site for up to 160 years, adding to the stockpiles from previous nuclear plants for which there is no final resting place.
• Nuclear power runs the risk of a catastrophic accident, radiation leaks and damage to local people's health.
• Nuclear power has always proved more expensive than planned, requiring massive state subsidies. The cost of Hinkley C is £8 billion and rising.
• The government is determined to rush the project through, with no local public inquiry.
• Communities round Hinkley Point will be blighted for ten years or more by noise, construction traffic and a scarred coastline.
• We don't need nuclear to keep the lights on. Britain can meet future electricity demand by a mixture of cutting energy consumption, major investment in renewable sources and cleaner fossil fuel generation.

3. Link to the Stop Hinkley/Greenpeace film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn6cu2zFAkw

4. Link to the 2010 Stop Hinkley stall at Glastonbury Music Festival