At a meeting of Council on 27th February 2020, Penarth Town Council voted to carry the following motion:
THAT the Council recognises the strong public concern and strength of feeling by Penarth residents, over the safety of the sediment being dredged and transported from Hinkley C Nuclear power station. The proposed new dredging of a much larger 780,000 tonnes to be taken at more depth, is to be dumped at Cardiff grounds, just off Penarth Beach in the Severn Estuary.
We ask NRW/EDF, as part of their six-week public consultation to improve on the previous public consultation, and ask for a more robust engagement with the Public. We request that a public consultation event be held in Penarth, whereby, there would be a 30-minute plenary section, where members of the public can pose questions about the proposals, to reassure them regarding their reservations on this issue.
The Penarth Town Council would like to invite NRW and EDF to undertake a presentation to Town Council, so that Penarth Vale and Town Councillors can ask questions regarding the new licence application.
We ask that as part of their consultation, that baseline readings of the estuary are taken by an independent international body. These baseline readings should include the sediment at the depth to be excavated. These tests should include alpha spectrometry and chemical toxicity assessments, before the commencement of dredging.
This would go a long way in reassuring the public that the sediment is safe for the environment, and poses no risk to public health in the longer term.
The Motion was proposed Cllr Angela Thomas, Mayor, seconded by Cllr Yvonne Murphy and carried by vote.
