Greenpeace call for more testing of ‘nuclear mud’ being dumped near Cardiff

Environmental movement Greenpeace has called for further testing of mud from the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in England, which is being dumped at sea near Cardiff.

Contractors NNB Genco, responsible for building and operating the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset, plan to dispose of 300,000 tonnes of mud a mile off Cardiff Bay. A barge made its first trip to dump mud on Monday evening.

Greenpeace said that EDF, which is building the reactor in Somerset, had “misrepresented Greenpeace’s current position regarding the dredging and dumping of mud from the Hinkley site”.

“We request in the strongest terms that EDF ceases from stating that Greenpeace accepts that the mud is not toxic as that is not our current view,” they said.

“We are clear that we do not know if the mud is toxic or not, and therefore we support calls for more testing to be undertaken.

“Legitimate questions are being raised by local residents and concerned citizens about the limits of the testing that has been done so far.

“Their calls for further testing should be respected and we support calls for further testing of the mud before it is moved.

“It is important that the results of this testing removes any reasonable doubt that this mud may be harmful for current or future generations.”

EDF has said that the mud is “typical of sediment found anywhere in the Bristol Channel and no different to sediment already at the Cardiff Grounds site”.

Natural Resource Wales have also said that the chemical and radiological results from samples taken of the mud were within “acceptable, safe limits”.

Opponents of the scheme, The Campaign Against Hinkley Mud Dumping, submitted an application to the High Court in Cardiff on Monday seeking an interim injunction.