Website Content

Jump to footer

Outcry as badger colony moved from nuclear site

THIS IS SOMERSET
24 November 2010
Hinkley Point nuclear power station, where EDF Energy hopes to build a new reactor and has obtained permission to move a colony of badgers from the proposed site

Hinkley Point
Hinkley Point

Energy giant EDF Energy has been accused of breaching conservation guidelines in moving a colony of badgers off land earmarked for Somerset's proposed new nuclear power station.

The work was carried out with a licence from wildlife watchdog Natural England.

According to the Badger Trust, the legally-protected animals should only be moved "as a last resort".

However, EDF Energy won permission to move them from the site of the proposed Hinkley C power station well before planning permission has been considered.

"This is a clear warning of how EDF Energy intends to operate in the future," said Nancy Birch, spokeswoman for the anti-nuclear energy campaign, Kick Nuclear.

"At the moment it's badgers that are suffering. But our concern is that the same attitude may cause people to suffer if Hinkley C gets the go-ahead and there is an accident or radioactive leak."

Natural England said it has issued a licence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, allowing the closure of a number of badger setts.

It added: "This work involved installing one-way gates and creating artificial setts. The licence does not allow the badger setts to be destroyed and if planning permission for the power station is refused the one-way gates will be removed and the badgers allowed to return.

"Granting this licence at an earlier stage allowed time for the relocation of the badgers at a suitable time of year and reduced the likelihood of this issue delaying the lengthy planning and construction process involved in such a major development."

Nikki Clark, a member of the Stop Hinkley Campaign, said: "Natural England is meant to protect wildlife – not the interests of powerful multinationals."

David Eccles, head of EDF Energy's Bridgwater office, said: "EDF Energy are undertaking work to relocate badgers away from the proposed Hinkley Point C site in an environmentally sensitive manner. We worked very closely with Natural England, the NFU and local landowners to draw up detailed and very carefully considered plans for a badger vaccination programme and to provide alternative setts.

"We treat all welfare issues concerning local wildlife with great sensitivity. It seems curious then that anti-nuclear campaigners should attempt to create a scare story where none exists."

Past News

brianmay.com
Bookmark and Share