News on all local media.

Shepway Lib Dems petition opposing development:

Please sign the petition at:  http://shep.lib.dm/nonucleardump

sign up to:  haveyoursay@romneymarshnrdf.org.uk (Leave comments opposing the proposals please)

Steve Dawe of Kent Green Party opposes (was on Meridian ITV 16/5)

Kent County Coucil leader Paul Carter (Tory) has immediately said he opposes it. Damian Collins MP (Tory) for Folkestone/Hythe and Marsh is opposing.

Cllr Tony Hills, (Tory) Romney Marsh local councillor- pro.

Shepway District Council 'claims' it is 'neutral', but has a long history of being pro big developments, incl climate & eco damaging ones. (opposed Marsh windfarm and is pro- Lydd airport expansion; decision on that pending in next few couple of months from Eric Pickles after last years public enquiry)

Nuclear expert John Large is opposing ( points out that geology and likelyhood of eventual flooding of area, are against such amongst other points...)

From the Kent Messenger website.

This includes the public meetings in late May.(albeit they are local to the Marsh villages, nowhere else.

 http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/may/17/romney_marsh.aspx

Neighbours to be consulted on Romney Marsh nuclear site

***A three-dimensional image of the proposed Romney Marsh underground nuclear waste centre, is on the link above***

Thousands of newsletters are to be sent to homes after it was revealed a £12bn nuclear waste site could be built on Romney Marsh.

It comes after we revealed yesterday how Shepway District Council has opened up a major debate on whether the Marsh should have such a centre.

It claims it could offset the loss of up to 1,000 jobs as the Dungeness A and B stations are phased out.

The centre would be called the Romney Marsh Nuclear Research and Disposal Facility.

The land area on the surface of the storage site would cover 250 acres, more than 22 times bigger than Wembley Stadium. The rubble and debris dug out would be equivalent to the amount brought out during the building of the Channel Tunnel.

Now the council says it wants to hear from residents.

Officials say if the public rejects it the scheme will be abandoned.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change wants to know if the community wants to give a first collective approval called an Express an Interest, without commitment. Three areas in West Cumbria have already done so.

Cllr Godfrey said: “The council does not have a formal view about whether the Marsh should host an NRDF. Our only view is that local people should be given the opportunity to decide for themselves if it is worth discussing the idea further.

“If the people of the Marsh do not support an Expression of Interest this will end there.”

The council has begun to gauge local opinion by sending 10,000 newsletters to more than 10,000 homes on the Marsh and more than 650 businesses.

Local town and parish councils, including those in neighbouring areas such as Rother and Ashford, are also being approached and a series of exhibitions.


The times and places for these are:

Noon to 8pm, Thursday May 24, Newchurch Village Hall.
10am 6pm, Friday May 25, Brookland Village Hall.
Noon to 8pm, Wednesday, May 30, Hardy Hall, Lydd.
10am to 6pm. Thursday, May 31. Dungeness Lifeboat Station.
Noon to 8pm, Thursday, June 7, Ship Inn, Dymchurch.
10am to 6pm. Friday, June 8. Scout Headquarters, Church Lane, New Romney.

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Join our survey to gauge people's reactions to the proposed nuclear waste facility

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After these exhibitions the community will have until July 20 to give their views.

After this Shepway will collate all comments and decide whether or not there is sufficient local backing to submit an Expression of Interest to the DECC.

The department will then bring in geologists to find suitable land and if public backing continues the council will set up a partnership of local organisations to take the project further.

The site could be up and running in 2040 and there is a right to withdraw from the project right up to the eve of construction, which could happen in 2025.

For further information or to have your say visit www.romneymarshnrdf.org.uk, email  haveyoursay@romneymarshnrdf.org.uk or write to the Chief Executive, Shepway District Council, Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2QY. Or phone Shepway council or 01303 853000.

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FYI :See this pro comment on KM website though.

Brendan McNamara wrote:

Deep disposal of spent fuel is the final step for the anti-nuclear groups. Radioactivity dies out and the 5% of fissioned fragments in older fuel will already have come to rest as valuable precious metals and rare earths. The rest is radioactive fuel with the potential to generate billions of pounds worth of electricity and should be returned to reactors. The NDA will require that the fuel be processed and packaged, at huge and uncontrolled costs, and put beyond use for thousands of years. This fuel will lie below Romney Marsh as a monument of folly to the victory of the Green movement over nuclear energy.
Is it critical that a decision on a 10,000 year project be taken now? Who will really benefit from the immense cash flows? How easily can local communities be bought off? Follow the money to the usual suspects.
Brendan McNamara. Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy.

17 May 2012 9:45 AM

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