Home South African Activists call on public to urgently object to new Koeberg nuclear plant

Activists call on public to urgently object to new Koeberg nuclear plant

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This Sunday is the deadline for objections to the granting of permission to build a new nuclear plant on, or adjacent to Koeberg.

Environment lobby groups and activists are urging the public to object to a new nuclear plant on, or adjacent to Koeberg. Picture: Henk Kruger/ANA

ENVIRONMENT lobby groups and activists are engaged in a social media campaign to get the public to write to the government and object to the granting of permission to build a new nuclear plant on, or adjacent to Koeberg before this Sunday’s deadline for objections.

The campaign, led by the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei), citizens are being asked to send emails to [email protected] and [email protected] of the appeals and legal review directorate of the department of environment, forestry and fisheries.

Safcei executive director Francesca de Gasparis said: “We are very concerned that the government has reopened the environmental impact assessment for the Duinefontein site which is right next door to Koeberg.”

“This was done some time ago with the objective of being able to create and build a new nuclear plant alongside Koeberg.”

Koeberg Alert Alliance’s Peter Becker said: “Objections must, however, relate to information released in the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of 2019. This is because the record of decision was based on a report which explicitly and repeatedly linked the need for the new nuclear build to the requirements of the now superseded IRP 2010.”

DA parliamentary spokesperson for mineral resources and energy Kevin Mileham said: “We are appalled by reports that the Minister, Gwede Mantashe, is seeking to fast-track the procurement of nuclear energy by seeking a section 34 approval from Nersa. Such an approval will enable the department to commence a tender process for the construction of a nuclear power plant or plants.”

Co-ordinator of Extinction Rebellion Cape Town Cassie Goodman said: “We ask the minister and his department to focus on preparation and procurement of the 20 400 megawatts of wind and solar energy required by the 2019 IRP between now and 2030, as well as on the various significant energy policy reforms needed to provide our country with security of energy supply, instead of being preoccupied with the questionable pursuit of 2 500MW of nuclear power.”

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