‘Common Sense Has Prevailed’, Says Green MEP As Energy Giant Scraps Plans To Dump Ash At Didcot Beauty Spot
18 February 2008
The South East Green Euro-MP paid tribute to local campaigners in Oxfordshire today after energy giant npower reversed its plans to dump coal ash from its Didcot A power station at a local beauty spot.
The popular Radley Lakes in Didcot had been earmarked by RWE npower as the preferred site for the dumping of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of ash from the nearby power station.
Despite attracting a raft of criticism, Oxfordshire County Council had given npower the necessary planning permission, but today the company announced it had scrapped its plans - ‘for now’.
Dr Lucas, who paid a visit to the beauty spot in March last year and joined with campaigners and local residents to fiercely oppose the dumping of ash, said:
“This is wonderful news for the local residents and campaigners who have fought to save this valuable beauty spot.
“RWE npower has finally seen sense and withdrawn its potentially disastrous plans, which would have destroyed Radley Lakes. The local campaign group has worked tirelessly to oppose npower’s ill-considered plans and I’m delighted that it has now been stopped in its tracks.”
She continued: “Didcot A power station is one of the largest and dirtiest power stations in the UK. It emits about 1% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Npower’s intention to dispose of its ash by filling one of Oxfordshire’s best-loved lakes was grossly ignorant and highly irresponsible. The company had completely failed to properly examine alternative solutions.”
“Npower has finally admitted today that the technologies do exist for productively using power station ash as a replacement for bricks and cement. The cement industry is one of the largest greenhouse gas producers in the UK. So if npower uses the ash for cement, rather than tipping it into lakes, it will avoid huge amounts of carbon emissions.
Dr Lucas warned, however, that despite today’s excellent news, the pressure on npower must not be allowed to falter:
"The manager of Didcot power station has suggested that there may still be a possibility of Radley Lakes being used as a dumping site for coal ash before the station’s closure at the end of 2015, so the future of the lakes still remains uncertain.”
ENDS
