AN anti-nuclear campaign group has criticised the consultation process for technology proposed for the new Bradwell B site.

The Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group questioned the real purpose of the Environment Agency’s public consultation on its assessment of the HPR1000 nuclear reactor.

Alongside the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency assesses the acceptability of new nuclear power station designs in a process called Generic Design Assessment.

This process helps ensure that any new nuclear power stations built in the UK meet high standards of safety, security, environmental protection and waste management.

It also helps avoid potential costly and time-consuming changes during construction.

But a BANNG spokesman said: “The EA’s role would seem to be to protect what little is left of the environment once it has been trashed by a grotesque nuclear development.

“We believe this consultation is more to do with giving the developer a passport to develop its reactor at a generic site, rather than specifically at Bradwell.

“The EA claims the developer has provided an acceptable waste strategy for all waste streams within the scope of this design assessment but BANNG does not share this confidence, pointing out radioactive spent fuel will have to be stored safely on-site until the end of the next century in unknowable but certainly deteriorating conditions.

“A long-term waste strategy is presently more fantasy than fact. In conditions of uncertainty, such a strategy is unacceptable and, therefore, the project should not proceed.

“BANNG believes the real purpose of the elaborate consultation is as a legitimation exercise for the EA and, through it, the developer.

“From a public and stakeholder perspective responding is a largely unrewarding exercise.

“Neverthless, BANNG has responded in the hope that our concerns will be listened to and acted upon.”

The Environment Agency has found that many of the environmental aspects of the design would be acceptable but has also set out six potential issues to be addressed before it would consider issuing a full statement of acceptability.

Programme manager Alan McGoff said: “We have been scrutinising this design since 2017 and have identified six potential issues and 40 assessment findings.

“We expect that General Nuclear System Limited will continue to work to resolve them over the next year or so of the GDA process.

“If the issues are not resolved or new issues are identified but not resolved, then we would consider only issuing an interim statement of design acceptability.”

“Our aim is to complete our detailed assessment of the design in early 2022.”