New row over Thyspunt

‘Public being shortchanged on right to be part of nuclear decision’

ESKOM’S controversial Thyspunt nuclear reactor project is under the spotlight again, with allegations that it is trying to shortchange the public’s right to participate in a major development application.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said Eskom’s required gazetting of its site licence application and placement of notices in the media alerting the public to the application and the opportunity for participation showed a dubious lack of urgency, and had not been properly done.

“The fact that a matter of national importance was suspiciously hidden in provincial gazettes and limited newspapers suggests a purposeful lack of meaningful public participation – especially when this matter is of significant importance to the public at large,” Outa said.

Eskom has rebutted the allegations, saying it has complied with National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) processes and that it “takes exception to Outa’s misinformed campaign that alleges Eskom is trying to rush through the process”.

Bay nuclear watchdog NoPENuke said yesterday it had received no alert on the site licence application or the related public participation period, although it is a registered interested party on the Thyspunt project.

It urged the public to “fire up keyboards and e-mail servers and let the NNR know what you think” before Eskom’s August 29 deadline.

A copy of the provincial gazette in The Herald’s possession notes Eskom’s “application to the NNR for a Nuclear Installation Site Licence for Thyspunt” plus a 30-day public comment period and a deadline of August 29.

Eskom said yesterday this timeframe was in line with the day the application was gazetted – “on July 29”.

But as The Herald’s copy shows, the gazette is dated August 8, and that should mean the public have until September 6 to comment, Outa project manager Julius Kleynhans pointed out.

Besides this apparent mistake, the nuclear energy issue and the targeted sites were of such significance that more time and detail in the application were needed to allow for meaningful public comment, he said.

“This detail should include the cost and size of the reactors proposed for Thyspunt and Duynefontein [next to the existing Koeberg nuclear plant] in the Western Cape, and their impact on the environment”. The notices were generic and vague and did not explain the proposed operation of these reactors or reflect site-specific studies, he said.

“The decision to build the reactors precedes the entire decision on the ability of the nation to afford Eskom’s nuclear programme and also the alternative energy solutions available, which may negate the need for the building of nuclear reactors,” he said.

NoPENuke spokesman Gary Koekemoer said comments needed to be with the NNR by 5pm on Monday, so the public needed to urgently get involved.

Public participation submissions should go to Peter Bester, special nuclear projects, at NISLcomments@nnr.co.za