Plans by the British Government for the construction of 10 new nuclear power plants - seven of them along the Irish Sea - have been criticised by a prominent member of the Irish hierarchy.
The Archbishop of Cashel, Dr Dermot Clifford yesterday described the Catholic hierarchy as “totally opposed” to the proposed redevelopment of the Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria, west England.
He added that the bishops were opposed to “nuclear reactors” as an energy source.
The British government this week announced the redevelopment of Sellafield is part of a planned development of 10 new generation reactors, with the first opening by 2018.
Just three of the new generation of nuclear power plants will be located on the east coast of England — in Hartlepool in Co Durham, Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.
Though the Irish Government and environmental groups in Ireland have campaigned for years for the closure of the plant at Sellafield, the British authorities have now confirmed they will build a new reactor there.
Irish TD for Co Louth, Fergus O'Dowd, noting that seven of the proposed new reactors are located on the west coast of England, directly opposite large centres of population, said people in Ireland were “concerned about the possibility of an accident or an act of terrorism”.
He said that in such a scenario, “If the prevailing wind was blowing in our direction, we'd get hit”.
Archbishop Clifford referred to the 1957 Windscale accident when fall-out from the reactor in Sellafield covered substantial areas in both countries.
He called on the British authorities to focus on developing alternative energies such as wind, wave and solar power.
Archbishop Clifford was speaking as the Irish hierarchy launched its new pastoral reflection on climate change, The Cry of the Earth.
