Community groups warn against push to ‘rip up’ UK nuclear industry rules | Nuclear power

A coalition of civil society groups warns against the dangers of the reduction of security regulations while the government pushes to “tear rules” to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants.

The 25 groups of communities neighboring nuclear sites submitted a joint response to a consultation by the nuclear regulatory working group, claiming that its proposals lacked “both credibility and rigor”.

They argue that plans to soften the regulations only serve confidence in regulators and the UK’s nuclear regulation.

The government pushes to accelerate the approvals of new factories and says that it must “tear the rules” to “draw” nuclear energy.

But the groups, in their submission to the working group, which published its interim report in August, argue that the government has presented no evidence aimed at supporting affirmations on the need to reform the regulation of nuclear security.

In reality, they say, the problems faced by the United Kingdom’s nuclear programs are the result of a multitude of factors, including poor planning, investment difficulties and slow decision by industry and the central government.

David Cullen, coalition co-chair, said: “The United Kingdom’s nuclear surveillance system has worked well for 60 years to ensure the relative safety of a high-level industrial sector.

“The measures proposed by the working group … would weaken protection for the public and would undermine the independence of childcare dogs, forcing them to follow the instructions of ministers to allow the construction of new power plants, whether or not they present risks to local communities and in the very popular campaign.”

The coalition groups are all part of the Office for Nuclear Regulation forum (ONR) Organization Organization.

In their submission to the working group, groups maintain that the current regulatory regime of onr balances the need to protect the company with the requirements to be proportional to the industry it regulates.

They say that the proposals of the working group to accelerate the approval of a project where a similar has been granted in another country, for example in the United States, could lead to a drop in safety standards in the United Kingdom.

Cullen said: “Our proposals to the working group have established measures that the nuclear industry could take to put its own home in order, and calls for more public participation to allow communities to have a word to say in nuclear decision -making which would have deep impacts in their lifestyle”.

The working group consultation ended this week.