The Environment Agency has opened 2 public consultations on permits for construction at Sizewell C nuclear power station in East Suffolk.
The Environment Agency has opened 2 public consultations on permits for construction at Sizewell C nuclear power station in East Suffolk.
Photo Sizewell C Ltd: Visual representation of the development at Sizewell C
People from Leiston and surrounding areas will be able to feedback during the public consultation, which runs from 9 July – 6 August 2024.
Sizewell C Limited has applied for 2 environmental permits relating to the construction of the new nuclear power station:
Construction Water Discharge Activity permit - to allow the company to remove water from its construction site. It is proposing 9 discharge points to remove groundwater from excavations and rainfall. The receiving environments (Sizewell Foreshore, the North Sea, Leiston Beck and surrounding tributaries) for the water discharges are provided in the permit application.
Combustion Activity permit - to allow the company to operate diesel generators at the construction site. The static and mobile generators provide electricity to power tools and equipment needed for the construction of the power station. Mobile generators can be moved to different locations within the boundary of the permitted site, as required by the workforce.
Construction phase permitted activities may include:
Site investigation works such as drilling boreholes
Discharging construction trade effluents and/or site drainage to either ground or surface waters, or the sea
Taking water from the ground or a surface watercourse for use in construction
Combustion emissions from static and mobile diesel electricity generators
Dewatering from excavations – and associated discharges
Works affecting watercourses, rivers and flood defences
Waste management
Where appropriate, we will consult on the applications for these permits. We will make our decision once we have considered the comments we receive in the consultation.
The consultations close on 6 August 2024. After the consultation ends, the Environment Agency will carefully consider all comments made during the consultation before deciding whether to grant the environmental permits.
The 2 consultations are related only to construction activity on the Sizewell C site. They are not about the need for nuclear power, UK energy policy, the siting of nuclear power stations, nor the safety and security of the design.
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