Community groups warn against push to rip up' UK nuclear industry rules

"A coalition of civil society groups is warning of the dangers of cutting safety regulations as the government pushes to rip up the rules to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power stations. The 25 groups from communities neighbouring nuclear sites have submitted a joint response to a consultation by the nuclear regulatory taskforce, saying its proposals lack both credibility and rigour. They argue that the plans to relax regulations only serve to undermine confidence in regulators and the UK's nuclear regulatory regime."

"The government is pushing to speed up approvals for new plants and says it needs to rip up rules to fire up nuclear power. But the groups, in their submission to the taskforce, which published its interim report in August, argue that the government has failed to present any evidence to substantiate assertions about the need to reform nuclear safety regulation."

"The UK's nuclear watchdog system has worked well for 60 years to ensure the relative safety of a high-hazard industrial sector. In our view, the system is not broken and does not need fixing, and it would be madness to rip up tried and tested nuclear safety rules that have kept the public safe for a lifetime."

A coalition of 25 community groups near nuclear sites submitted a joint response to the nuclear regulatory taskforce warning that proposed relaxations of safety regulations lack credibility and rigour. The groups contend that loosening rules would undermine confidence in regulators and weaken public protection and regulator independence. The government is seeking faster approvals for new plants and claims regulatory reform is necessary to accelerate nuclear power, but the groups say no evidence has been provided to justify reform. The groups identify poor planning, investment challenges, and slow decision-making by industry and central government as core causes of programme problems. The groups are members of the ONR non-government organisation forum.

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