South Down MP Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) has called on the British Government to listen carefully to the concerns of a consistent majority who oppose the development of a new nuclear power plant beside the Sellafield site in Cumbria.
Ms Ritchie was responding to polls which show over 80% of people are opposed to the development.
She said: “The British Government’s singular fixation on nuclear power as a solution to long term energy resourcing is misguided and dangerous.
“The current state of the Sellafield site, with cracks in concrete tanks surrounding volatile nuclear waste storage ponds, tells the story of the threat to public safety posed by these plans. Even the consortium tasked with decommissioning the site described it as ‘extraordinarily vulnerable’. How can the public have any confidence in a new Cumbria site?
“A poll conducted by Cumbria’s North West Evening Mail shows that over 80% of people are opposed to the new development, which has already fallen a year behind schedule.
“Communities along the east coast of Ireland have suffered enough from the indiscriminate discharge of waste from British nuclear sites. I will continue to fight against any such threat recurring,” added Ms Ritchie.
