Nuclear Research in Manchester

Manchester is to get a £16m research facility which will make it a centre for the
nuclear industry in the UK. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) plans
to invest £4.4m into setting up The Centre for Nuclear Energy Technology (C-NET) at
the University of Manchester.

Crain's Manchester Business 23rd Feb 2010
http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/article/20100223/FREE/100229973/1007/rss01&rssfeed=rss01

PRESS RELEASE - RADIATION FREE LAKELAND

Made in Cumbria members learnt on Monday by email that they will be funded
wholly by the nuclear and the arms trade industry. Made in Cumbria was
established in 1989 as an economic development initiative by Cumbria
County Council to promote the sales of crafts, gifts and local foods.

The nuclear industry's tentacles are securing an ever tighter grip on
Lakeland - now Made in Cumbria has succumbed and has been handed over from County
Council ownership to the tender care of Sellafield Ltd and BAE Systems
who wholly fund the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. While Sellafield Ltd
and the nuclear industry has the funds to buy passive acceptance - it does
not have the wherewithal to cover its own public liability insurance
regarding the High Level Waste tanks. The hazard is so great that no
insurance company would be able to provide cover. Nuclear insurance
subsidy is a bigger scandal than MPs expenses and Radiation Free Lakeland
have written to Tim Farron asking him to support a Parliamentary Motion
calling for an end to nuclear subsidies.

The motion EDM 866 from Paul Flynn, the MP for Newport West, states that the
nuclear industry insists it is looking for "no subsidies for any new
nuclear plants they may build in Britain; believes that comments by such
chief executives are disingenuous and misleading because many nuclear
subsidies paid for by British taxpayers are already in place, including
the multi-billion pound underwriting of insurance liabilities.."

As a working wildlife artist Marianne Birkby has been a long time member
of Made in Cumbria who provide a good service to members.

" I am appalled to be an involuntary part of an organisation funded by
the nuclear and arms industry. Made in Cumbria funding should come
directly from central/local government not taxpayers money filtered
through the nuclear
industry in a bid to buy passive acceptance. I will not be renewing my
membership when it runs out".

http://www.madeincumbria.co.uk/
http://www.cumbriachamber.co.uk/

RADIATION FREE LAKELAND
http://web.mac.com/mariannebirkby1/iWeb/Radiation%20Free%20Lakeland/Radiation%20Free%20Lakeland.html

LOCAL RESIDENTS TO MARCH IN A CALL TO THE GOVERNMENT TO SEE THE LIGHT ON MARCH 4th AT 6.15pm OUTSIDE OF THORNBURY TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES

OLDBURY IS SIMPLY NOT SUITABLE FOR NEW NUCLEAR

From Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy*

Following the recent discussion meeting held in Thornbury with representatives from
the DECC and the subsequent submissions that numerous bodies and individuals have
made to the DECC we feel it is imperative that the Shepperdine site, near Oldbury is
removed from the list of 10 sites proposed for new nuclear power stations. This site
is totally unsuitable on so many obvious grounds but we have reservations that the
government will not listen in their rush to fix the mess they are now in over their
predicted energy gap.....

We are to hold a protest gathering and march in Thornbury town centre on Thursady
March 4th at 6.15pm entitled "DECC----Please See The Light" before the meeting held
by the promoter (Eon) on the same evening.

It will involve a short march from outside the Thornbury Town Council Offices to the
Eon meeting at Cossham Hall with the protesters carrying placards, torches, candles
and other forms of light.

We will also be projecting some key messages and images on to the buildings in the
vicinity.

Reg Illingworth of SANE says "The people of the villages of the Severn Vale and the
town of Thornbury know that what DECC is proposing is wrong on so many grounds--- it
is reassuring to have the support of South Gloucestershire Council and numerous
politicians. Our County Council have now highlighted most of these to the DECC in
their formal response. Including the fact that it is in a high level flood zone,
where it is so obviously ridiculous to consider such a scheme, made even more
ridiculous when you bear in mind they are planning to store highly toxic waste on
the site for up to 150 years! Other obvious concerns highlighted by the council
include the impact of the monstrous cooling towers on the adjacent areas of
outstanding natural beauty and the cummulative effect of other large scale proposals
in the area including the Severn tidal barrage."

" We invite everybody with any concerns to join our protest on the evening. It is
still by no means certain that the government will listen to us in their rush to
rectify the damage done by doing nothing about filling the energy gap for far too
long. It will be for a maximum of one hour! It could help save our community!"

"Your support is valued"
* Notes for press:

Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy is a newly formed group of local residents living
close to the nominated site referred to in the Department for Energy and Climate
Change (DECC) draft National Policy Statement for Energy (NPS) documentation as
‘Oldbury’. This proposed site is in fact within the village of Shepperdine 2.5km to
the north of Oldbury. Our group is growing in numbers and includes residents from
the villages of Shepperdine itself, Oldbury, Rockhampton, Nupdown, Falfield and the
nearby town of Thornbury . Contact Reg Illingworth: tel 07979 560056

The DECC has just completed its public consultation on these documents and when
finalised they will nominate the sites they consider suitable for a new generation
of super-sized nuclear power stations. The documents will also set out the 'rules'
which the (much criticised new government quango) Infrastructure Planning Commission
(IPC) must follow in determining whether or not Planning Consent should be granted.
The draft of these rules sets out what the IPC can and can not consider and in its
current form seeks to pre-determine the outcome of the new nuclear sites by stating
that it should not consider many of these serious issues.





>

Please write in to the current round of consultations on nuclear power.

The Nuclear National Policy Statement explains how nuclear fits with energy policy and defines how the new fast-track planning system will process nuclear power station applications. Friends of the Earth has said it may challenge the nps consultation but it is still very worthwhile submitting as many responses as we can muster.

There is a simultaneous consultation over the "Justification" of new practices involving radiation. Under new EU law, the Government must justify any health detriment from running new nuclear power stations. This consultation has hardly been trumpeted by DECC but is potentially more of a show-stopper than the nps.

Both consultations end on 22nd February. The Hinkley C planning application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission is then expected in August, subject to both consultations being endorsed by DECC. Subject also to a safety licence being granted in June next year by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, EdF hope to begin building 'proper' later next year. They have already started investigative drilling etc and are putting in local planning applications for preliminary work.

EdF local consultation meetings have shown people are very distressed at the likely traumatisation of local villages due to the immense infrastucture of building two massive reactors. Two or possibly three reactors are slated for Oldbury with applications expected in October.

To take part in the Government consultations go to:
_www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/home/_
(http://www.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/home/)
where you can fill in a response form and also order hard copies (1,600 pages!) of the consultation documents. Or call 0870 600 5533. Ask for all documents related to the nuclear policy statement and ‘justification’. Or simply send in your response by email to:

_energynpsconsultation@opm.co.uk_ (mailto:energynpsconsultation@opm.co.uk)

On the stop Hinkley website you will find two letters addressed to Government departments. You can use them to respond to the consultations. Simply add your name and address and post to the address at the top of the letters. Alternately you can adapt them with your own words.
_http://www.stophinkley.org/EngRevu/Template%20Justification%20response.doc_

(http://www.stophinkley.org/EngRevu/Template%20Justification%20response.doc)
_http://www.stophinkley.org/Temporary/OPMJan2010Template.doc_
(http://www.stophinkley.org/Temporary/OPMJan2010Template.doc)

Jim Duffy
Stop Hinkley Coordinator

UK Signs nuclear deal with India

This week the UK signed a civil nuclear deal with India. This breaches the UK's
obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) not to provide nuclear
technology to non-signatory states. India possesses nuclear weapons but has not
signed the NPT and is not one of the declared Nuclear Weapons States under the
existing Treaty. Only this week, India again test-fired nuclear capable missiles and
is developing long-range nuclear capable missiles. The UK press and NGOs seem to
have maintained a wall of silence on this.

The press release below from the UK Department for Business

From the press release:

"The next steps include:

"- In early March the UK will host a major Nuclear New Build Conference, focusing on
new opportunities in India and the UAE. We have invited senior representatives from
the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to set out India's plans for
developing nuclear power projects and technologies in the coming years. This event
will be attended by nuclear leaders from 15 nations and will provide a platform for
British Industry to forge new links and demonstrate their competitive edge.

"- In late March the UK will host a senior academic delegation from India who will
meet with their UK counterparts funded by a million pound grant of the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council to encourage and nurture post doctoral
research in this field. This will be the initial meeting of a two-year project.

"- Many British companies involved in the UK Nuclear Supply Chain will travel as
part of a UKTI-led high level British delegation to India later this year."

Radiation Free Lakeland back jailed activist

Radiation Free Lakeland have sent a message of support to peace activist
Dan Viesnik at Pentonville Prison.

Viesnik has been imprisoned for 14 days for not paying a £500 fine after a
sit-down protest outside Aldermaston nuclear weapons factory.

He took part in the Footprints for Peace vigil at Sellafield in 2007
alongside Radiation Free Lakeland campaigners.

Viesnik had also helped coordinate several anti-nuclear power protests
including those at the Energy Select Committee last Wednesday, Buckingham
Palace in April and Australia House in November.

In his letter to Highbury Corner Magistrates Viesnik said he has decided
to continue his protest against the grotesque distortions of justice
caused by the British Government's commitment to Weapons of Mass
Destruction.

He continued his argument in the statement that he read out to the court
which protested against the resources spent on nukes in a world where
chronic poverty continued.

He ended his statement with a quote from Thoreau affirming that an
individual acting according to his/her own conscience should be a better
guide to conduct than the letter of law.

More Info:
_www.stophinkley.org_ (http://www.stophinkley.org)

http://stopnuclearpower.blogspot.com/

http://www.getnoticedonline.co.uk/news/general-news/radiation-free-lakeland-back-jailed-activisit.html

Oldbury campaigners were on the local radio, objecting to the proposed new nuclear power station at Oldbury

Oldbury nuclear station plan exhibition opens
BBC News online Thursday 4th Feb 2010


Plans for a new nuclear power station in south Gloucestershire have gone
on display.
The exhibition has opened at Turnberrie's Community Centre and there will
be a public discussion at Thornbury Leisure Centre on Saturday.
Campaigners opposed to the station have said they will stage a protest.
The three-day exhibition, organised by the Department of Energy and
Climate Change, ends on Saturday.
Oldbury is one of 10 potential sites for new nuclear stations listed by
the government in its draft Nuclear National Policy Statement, published on 9 November.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Hunt said hosting a nuclear power
station would mean that Oldbury "would continue to play a big part in
helping the UK transform its energy sector".
The department is conducting a 15-week consultation.
However, Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy said it would hold a silent
protest before Saturday's discussion, where government officials will be
present.
A spokesman for the group said its concerns included possible health risks and harm to the environment.

_http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8497504.stm_
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8497504.stm)