Greenpeace Wants E.ON Nuclear Power Plant to Be Put on Hold

Environmental group Greenpeace may pursue legal action against nuclear power company E.ON.  The threats come in the wake of Greenpeace receiving information that E.ON has begun preparations to commence drilling at their site at Oldbury, Gloucestershire on August 3rd.

Greenpeace has petitioned the government to put a hold on E.ON’s operations until decisions are reached on nuclear power at the national policy level.

The green group has sent a letter to the government telling it to put a brake on E.ON. “Greenpeace is concerned to ensure that any decision to carry out preparatory work does not affect or pre-judge the regulatory or democratic process. Alternatively, the government should ensure that no work goes ahead unless and until it has been formally permitted, including through any decision on justification,” says John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, to Miliband.

Greenpeace claims that the government has allowed E.ON to rush preparations without formally reviewing the economic and environmental benefits and disbenefits to constructing a new nuclear site.

However ministers are in a hurry because Britian is soon to be facing a serious energy crunch if more power plants are not constructed.  Most of the currently existing nuclear and coal stations are expected to be obsolete by 2015.  E.ON has said that they can construct a new plant by 2017 if there are no delays in the process.

E.ON denies that they have acted prematurely before getting the go ahead from the government. “We will do nothing of a serious nature until the government gives the green light. This is just preparatory seismic work to make sure the ground is suitable. We are not preparing the foundations or anything like that,” said a spokesperson for the company.

Special thanks to www.guardian.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information please view the article on their website.