EDF hits back over Hinkley Point complaint (From This is The West Country)

EDF hits back over Hinkley Point complaint

3:00pm Saturday 24th September 2011 in Somerset

EDF and Somerset County Council have shot down anti-nuclear campaigners’ claims that the energy giant has broken a time limit condition requiring it to remove a spoil heap from the Hinkley Point site by the end of last month.

Campaign group Stop Hinkley accused EDF of failing to remove spoil contaminated with asbestos left over from the construction of the original Hinkley site by August 31 – a condition of the planning consent granted to EDF by the county council last January.

In a letter to the County Gazette, Stop Hinkley spokesman Crispin Aubrey said: “If EDF cannot stick to the rules on something like this, then it doesn’t bode well for when it comes to more serious issues to do with operations at Hinkley Point.”

But Gordon Bell, a spokesman for EDF, argued that the delay was caused because the site contained more asbestos than it had originally expected, prompting the company to ask the county council for a deadline extension on August 22.

The county council validated the application on September 12, giving EDF until February 29, 2012.

He said: “EDF Energy has remained fully compliant in its remediation works at Hinkley Point.

“While carrying out the approved remediation work, EDF Energy contractors found more asbestos materials than initially expected.

“Consequently, more time is required to remove remediated materials in a safe and supervised way.

“EDF Energy is not contravening planning permission by carrying out certain remediation works within the site itself and the disposal of spoil to the Hinkley Point A turbine hall.

“This work is being carried out in the full knowledge of the county council.”

A county council spokesperson said it would “continue to monitor the situation.”