The Vale of Glamorgan Council

Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee: 9th November 2017

To update Members of the issues relating to the dredging and disposal of material in association with construction activity at Hinkley Point and to receive a presentation from representatives of EDF Energy.

That the content of the report is noted.
That Members consider the presentation from EDF Energy representatives and discuss and consider the issue as appropriate.

The report provides an update since the matter was previously considered by Cabinet and the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee.

Full details relating to the issue of dredging and disposal of material from the construction of Hinkley Point C Power Station is as set out in the report presented to Cabinet on 9th October 2017 and considered by Scrutiny on 12th October 2017. At that meeting, Members received a presentation from Mr. Tim Deere-Jones and also present to answer questions was Mr. John Wheadon of Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Further to the consideration by Cabinet, the Leader of the Council has corresponded with the Leaders of Newport, Monmouthshire and Cardiff Councils, the Chief Executive of NRW and the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs. In addition, a meeting was convened at the request of representatives of EDF Energy and this was attended by the Leader and the Managing Director. Having written to the Minister, the initial response (attached at Appendix A) sets out reasons why she felt that a meeting was not appropriate. Notwithstanding this letter, the Leader and the Leader of Cardiff Council are scheduled to meet with the Minister on 8th November. Feedback from that meeting will be reported to the Scrutiny Committee. Furthermore, the response of NRW to the correspondence issued by the Leader is attached at Appendix B.
At the last meeting of the Committee, it was reported that NRW would provide the Committee with the scale of sampling that had been agreed. This information was forwarded to all Members of the Committee by e-mail on 24th October, 2017.

The relevant issues and options are as set out in the earlier report to Cabinet and are therefore not repeated here.
The representatives from EDF Energy who will be in attendance at the meeting are as follows:

- Chris Fayers, Head of Environment New Build Programme

- Peter Bryant, Decommissioning Specialist and Radioactive Waste Advisor

- Dr. Stephen Roast, Marine Technical Specialist.

In this regard, the Leader is already in communications with Leaders, given the significant public interest. Officer time associated with consideration of this matter will be funded by existing budgets.

The radiological assessment undertaken by CEFAS and the Regulatory concluded that the dumping of materials dredged during the construction of Hinkley Point C was acceptable from a radiological standpoint.

The Marine Licence 12/45/ML was granted under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Regulator is NRW.

Consideration of this matter links to the Corporate Well-being Outcome of an Environmentally Responsible and Prosperous Vale.

No Ward Member consultation has taken place as this is very much a Vale of Glamorgan wide issue.

Report to Cabinet: 9th October, 2017

Karen Bowen, Democratic and Scrutiny Services Officer, Tel: 01446 709856

Rob Thomas, Managing Director