GREEN EURO-MP URGES RESIDENTS TO REJECT ROMNEY MARSH NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP PLANS
Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for South East England, has voiced his opposition to the recently announced proposals to build a nuclear research and disposal facility on Romney Marsh.
Shepway District Council is currently consulting residents about a proposal to build a facility which stores nuclear waste in secure containers deep underground. Keith is concerned about the impact on local people and the surrounding environment.
Keith said: "Romney Marsh is at sea level and at risk of flooding. The reason that Dungeness was deselected as a site for a new-build replacement nuclear power station was that it was too vulnerable to sea level increases, so it's clearly not a suitable location for the long-term storage of highly toxic nuclear waste. As high level nuclear waste needs to be securely stored for thousands of years we must be confident that any site chosen is future-proof. Romney Marsh is also one of the most precious wildlife-rich wetlands in the country and home to many rare species. This is a common resource which should be protected for people to enjoy."
Keith continued: "If this storage facility went ahead, highly hazardous waste would have to be transported through densely populated areas such as London and the South East, a plan which raises many concerns about public safety. Of course my constituents in Romney Marsh need jobs, but these should come from investment in energy efficiency measures and clean renewable energy generation which doesn't leave the toxic legacy of nuclear."
Keith said: "The question of where to store this highly toxic waste highlights one of the major problems with nuclear energy generation. The government is now compounding this problem by backing the creation of new nuclear power plants. This is a wrong-headed move as there is no safe disposal or decontamination method for nuclear waste. The government is displaying a distinct lack of imagination; what they should instead be doing is investing in sustainable long term jobs which make a direct contribution to tackling the social problem of unemployment and the environmental problem of climate change. I would urge local residents to oppose these plans."
ENDS
For more information on the work of Keith Taylor MEP, please contact Alice Taylor on 0207 250 8418 orkeithpress@greenmeps.org.uk