Hinkley Point Power Stations
(asked on 3rd March 2015) - View Source
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the post-accident emergency evacuation plan for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant in Somerset for people living on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel.
DECC has not undertaken any assessment of the adequacy of the post-accident emergency evacuation plan for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant in Somerset for citizens living on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel.
Detailed off-site radiation emergency plans are developed by local authorities hosting nuclear sites in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR). Such plans include the application of a range of counter-measures, one of which is evacuation. The local authority must ensure that the off-site emergency plans are resilient to a range of conditions within the Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ).
In the case of Hinkley Point, the DEPZ extends to 3.5 kilometres from the site. In order to prepare for accidents that are much less likely but could affect the wider population, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) REPPIR guidance recommends that a framework should be in place to extend the arrangements in the off-site plan to areas outside the DEPZ. Local Authorities are advised to draw up plans to enable them to extend measures described in their detailed plans if necessary (e.g. in response to very severe emergencies). These are known as “extendibility” plans. Further information about extendibility planning is available on the gov.uk website:
The extendibility zones in the Hinkley Point Off-Site Plan do not extend across the Bristol Channel into Wales, however Wales would be notified by DCLG should an incident take place at Hinkley Point.
Off-site plans are reviewed and tested on a regular basis, to assess their accuracy and effectiveness, and are continually updated and improved. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is responsible for ensuring that such reviews and tests take place in line with REPPIR. Further information about REPPIR is available on the Health and Safety Executive’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/ionising/reppir.htm.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and ONR also continually assess the UK’s overall preparedness in terms of planning for, and being able to respond to, nuclear emergencies.
Following the events at Fukushima in Japan in 2011, ONR carried out a detailed assessment of the implications of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami for the UK (the Weightman Report), which included analysis and recommendations concerning preparedness for severe and prolonged emergencies. The 2011 report and the assessment of progress against the report can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/.