Inside the nuclear reprocessing plant at La Hague, where additional radioactive material is to be stored following the decommissioning of a power station in southern France. (Picture by John O’Neill, 0843303)

THE emergency planning officer is reassuring islanders that nuclear facilities 40km away in Normandy are safe.

Additional nuclear waste is to be stockpiled at the La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant – 14 tonnes of uranium and a tonne of plutonium.

But Catherine Veron said the facility, and another in Flamanville, operated to the highest safety standards.

‘From an emergency planning perspective, I keep close links with officials from the reprocessing plant in La Hague and the nuclear reactors at Flamanville,’ she said.

‘We also keep close links with the local government there with the aim being that if we did ever have an incident that was going to affect the Channel Islands, we would be part of their alerting system.

‘But it is very important to stress that a nuclear accident is very unlikely to happen. It comes down very low on the risk register, so we need to always bear that in mind.’

Mrs Veron has visited both facilities.

The French have an excellent safety record, she said. ‘We are not concerned at all about the operations of those two sites,’ she said.

Deputy Carol Steere has long-standing concerns about nuclear energy.

‘I’m not a fan of the nuclear industry,’ she said. ‘The thing for me is the waste generated. What are we storing up for our children and grandchildren?