Dredged waste not a hazard, tests show
WASTE which campaigners say is “radioactive” and is being dumped in Welsh waters is not dangerous, tests have found.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has carried out tests on material which is being dredged from waters near Hinkley Point nuclear power station and will be put into Welsh water.
The material is being dredged from the construction site of the Hinkley Point C power station off the Somerset coast in England and will be put into a disposal site off the coast of Cardiff.
The samples have been checked by independent experts, against international guidelines, and they have found the chemical and radiological results were within acceptable, safe limits.
NNB GenCo was given a marine licence by NRW to dispose of the material in 2014.
Samples of dredged material have to be tested every three years to meet international guidelines.
As that three years had passed, the samples had to be retested after March 2016 when the first test had expired.
But last autumn an expert, Tim Deere-Jones, came forward and said he had concerns and asked the Welsh Government to halt the plans so he could carry out further analysis.
A petition went to an Assembly Committee and experts were asked to give evidence.
At that, NRW agreed it would order specific radiation tests.
They were carried out on samples taken in 2009.
Both the routine tests, and the extra tests, have also come back as safe.
NRW says it is satisfied there is no risk from the dredged material to people, the environment, or the wildlife that lives there.
The analysis of the sediment was carried out by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and assessed by NRW’s radiological experts in consultation with Public Health Wales.
John Wheadon, permitting services manager for NRW, said: “The sediment from the dredge sites has been tested thoroughly by independent experts.
“We are satisfied there is no risk to people or the environment and the material is safe for disposal.”