Thursday’s earthquake serves as a warning that proposals for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point should be halted, an independent European candidate has claimed.
Richard Cottrell, the Campaign West candidate for May’s elections to the European Parliament, says the 4.1 magnitude Bristol Channel earthquake was “a signal that warns of the follies of constructing another nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.”
He added: “We are fortunate this was minor event, but it does confirm that the Bristol Channel is subject to seismic events.”
“Four hundred years ago a larger quake caused a huge tsunami in the channel and the Severn Estuary. The Great Flood Event of 1607 killed thousands and wrecked the economies of Somerset, Gloucestershire and South Wales.”
“It over-topped Hinkley Point and destroyed the small habitation which is now the city of Cardiff.”
He added: “All along the advocates of Hinkley Point C have been insisting there is no quake risk, in fact just like the Tokyo Electric Power Company which declared there was no reason not to build the Fukushima plant in an exposed promontory prone to earthquakes and floods.”
“This is a signal warning to stop Hinkley Point now and call for an imminent risk assessment before any further work is undertaken.”
