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Britain Forced To Rethink Nuclear Power Plans
London (AFP) Feb 15, 2007 The British government's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power plants were dealt an embarrassing blow Thursday by a court ruling in favour of environmental group Greenpeace. The High Court in London ruled that a government decision last year to approve plans for new nuclear power plants was illegal because public consultations were flawed. In its court action Greenpeace accused Prime Minister Tony Blair's government of failing to carry out "the fullest public consultation" before taking a decision last year. A judge ruled that the government's consultation process before making the decision was "seriously flawed" as well as "procedurally unfair," and granted Greenpeace an order quashing the decision because if was "unlawful." The ruling is subject to a possible appeal. Greenpeace hailed the ruling. "The government's so-called consultation on nuclear power was obviously a sham, and we're pleased that the judge has agreed with us," said Sarah North, head of the group's nuclear campaign. "The government completely failed to consult adequately and even kept relevant documents to themselves. They've now been forced back to the drawing board to conduct a proper and lengthy review," she added. Britain has about a dozen nuclear power stations, most of them built in the 1960s and 1970s, providing about 25 percent of the country's electricity, compared with natural gas which provides about 40 percent. Advocates of new reactors -- which emit virtually no carbon dioxide -- argue they would help Britain meet its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2010. For the government, Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling argued that the energy review referred to by Greenpeace was only part of an ongoing process which would ensure full consultation. But the High Court judge ruled that "something has gone clearly and radically wrong" with the consultation exercise. The consultation paper distributed to the public seemed to be only an "issues paper," he said, adding that the information contained in it was "wholly insufficient for (people) to make an intelligent response." He ruled that the document contained no substantial information on two key issues: economics and waste disposal. On the latter the consultation paper was "not merely inadequate but also misleading," said the judge. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sought to downplay the significance of the ruling. "This judgment is about the process of consultation, not the principle of nuclear power," said a spokesman. "Tackling climate change takes leadership, taking on tough long-term choices. "This is why we continue to believe nuclear power has a role to play in cutting emissions and helping to give this country the energy security it needs." Meanwhile, there was further bad news for the government Thursday after a Scottish court fined the DTI-funded UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) 140,000 pounds (208,000 euros, 274,000 dollars) for breaching disposal laws. UKAEA admitted four charges of illegally releasing radioactive particles into the sea and illegally dumping radioactive nuclear waste over a 20-year period at the Dounreay site it operates in northern Scotland.
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US Takes Step Toward Joining UN Nuclear Fuel Bank Project
Washington (AFP) Feb 07, 2007The United States on Wednesday took a step toward joining a proposed UN-supervised international nuclear fuel bank aimed at deterring the spread of nuclear weapons. A leading Democratic lawmaker introduced a bill in Congress authorizing US participation in the nuclear fuel bank that drew immediate support from the Republican administration of President George W. Bush. |
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