What if EDF’s two new EPR2 nuclear reactors in Penly (Seine-Maritime) were dangerous for health and the environment? In a report published at the beginning of October, the Environmental Authority points out, in any case, gray areas. The mission of this independent body is to issue opinions on the health and environmental consequences of large projects such as road or energy infrastructure.
Regarding the project for new nuclear reactors in Penly, he identified several issues “with possible implications for the environment and human health” that the project owner, EDF, must “deepen”.
The opinion, issued on October 10 and made public on the 15th, lists in particular the safety of the facilities, the risk of submersion, the release of chemical substances and the destruction of marine habitats, as well as the costs of dismantling the facilities.
Climate change is not sufficiently taken into account
The Authority considers EDF’s consideration of climate change “still insufficient” for the construction of two new 1,670 megawatt EPR2 type reactors on the banks of the English Channel, “particularly due to the risk of submergence related to rising water levels and increased storms.”
This project leads, according to them, to “the destruction of notable and sensitive marine habitats without compensation for the impacts.”
The Environment Authority is surprised that “the safety documents made available” could not be subject to “a true analysis” by its members, since EDF has excluded “entire parts” “for safety reasons”, which sometimes go “beyond regulatory requirements”.
Finally, the report highlights that the EDF file does not indicate the amount necessary to cover “the dismantling” of the two EPR2 reactors, nor “the management of the waste and the restoration of the site.”
Some progress
However, the Authority welcomes the progress. He is pleased that EDF has responded to “all the recommendations” of the first opinion of November 2023 and that the company has carried out an “in-depth” impact study and more closely studied the noise pollution of the work.
An environmental authorization granted in June 2024 allowed EDF to begin installation work on two new EPR2 last year, even before the authorization for its creation, still under investigation, together with the two pre-existing 1,300 megawatt reactors.
Source: BFM TV
