Bates condemns £160billion nuclear clean-up bill (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

Bates condemns £160billion nuclear clean-up bill

April 29, 2009 12:00 AM

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mick Bates AM, has condemned the UK Government proposals for new nuclear power stations as a colossal mistake and has called on the UK Government to focus on a policy of decentralised energy production, following the news that eleven sites in England and Wales have been proposed for new nuclear power stations.

Commenting Mick stated:

"Over the next decade Britain will be facing a major energy crisis, with a shortfall in energy production of around 20% of current capacity. However nuclear power is not the way forward. The Government must wake up and realise that new nuclear power, which will not come online until at least 2025, is a colossal mistake.

"Nuclear power is not the answer to our energy needs. Not only does it produce a deadly waste which will stay radioactive in the ground for up to a million years, but there is no final solution in place to deal with nuclear waste. Wales' two nuclear power stations alone will generate enough waste to fill 60 Olympic size swimming pools.

"Nuclear is not a clean energy source as the nuclear cycle releases carbon emissions which will not help combat climate change. There are added implications for our health as well as the immense financial cost to the taxpayer. The planned decommissioning of Trawsfynydd alone will cost the taxpayer £1.5billion to safely decommission and will take around one hundred years.

"The Government must end it's obsession with nuclear power, which is holding back the development of renewable energy in the UK. If we are to generate truly clean energy and guarantee security of supply within the next decade then generating green electricity through the use of natural resources and a decentralised energy policy is the way forward.

"The Government must invest more and invest now in a portfolio of renewable technologies, which will help the UK to lower its contribution to global climate change and stimulate a green revolution with jobs and businesses that help our environment, not condemn us to a toxic nuclear future."

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