TASC’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE COMPETENCE AND SUITABILITY OF EDF TO BUILD SIZEWELL C CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED DURING SCREENING OF “THE FRENCH NUCLEAR TRAP”
Together Against Sizewell C’S (TASC) grave concerns about the financial stability of EDF and the safety of their nuclear reactors, are clearly demonstrated in Patrick Benquet’s film “The French Nuclear Trap” which TASC screened at Leiston Film Theatre at the weekend to an audience of 140 local residents.
TASC’s concerns continue to increase as last month it was announced that more welding problems had been identified in EDF’s nuclear reactor components and last week EDF disclosed that the budget for their EPR nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C has been increased by a further £3billion to £22.5billion and there are likely to be further time delays of fifteen months. EDF recently suggested that, under a scheme called Regulated Asset Base or RAB, all UK billpayers should pay £6 per year from start of the 10/12 year construction of Sizewell C and indefinitely thereafter and that UK taxpayers would share in the risk of cost overruns and time delays. TASC see this as an expensive subsidy of French government-owned EDF who will take all the profit and will also result in an unacceptable transfer of very real, potentially substantial and unquantifiable risk to tax payers. This reinforces why all our decision-makers need to see this film.
TASC thank everyone who attended the screening, particularly the three district councillors and two from Leiston Town Council (representing Labour, Green and an Independent). Despite all Suffolk County Councillors, East Suffolk Councillors and Parish Councils having been invited to see the film, TASC were disappointed that there were no elected representatives from the ruling Tory party. The resounding message TASC received from those attending, including Councillors present, was that this film must be viewed by as many as possible, especially Suffolk’s elected representatives and the media. We are sending out repeat invites to Suffolk County Council via leader Matthew Hicks and Sizewell representative Richard Smith, East Suffolk Council via leader Steve Gallant and Sizewell representative Craig Rivett as well as MP Therese Coffey offering to show this film again at a time and venue convenient to them. We will keep the public updated with their responses.
TASC would also like to thank our guest speaker Peter Banks who was representing campaign group Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group who commented on the RAB funding proposal, ‘‘Why should UK residents and businesses fund this “Ridiculous Atomic Bailout?”
Pete Wilkinson, TASC’s Chairman, said today,
It is now beyond credible that EDF can be given the responsibility to build EPRs in the UK. EDF appear financially incompetent and the entire EPR programme – and hence the government’s nuclear energy component of its so-called energy policy – is in tatters. They face unresolved waste management problems, growing concerns about the health effect of routine radioactive waste discharges and mounting opposition in the east Suffolk area which faces devastation should Sizewell C be given approval. Time to dump nuclear and EDF along with it.’
Further information can be found on our website www.tasizewellc.org.uk or on twitter @SayNo2SizewellC
