Issue 11 March7- 17,1989. Weeks21 ,22 The only complete and clear account Centre Org.aniser Resigns Jill Sutcliffe, who has been running the Stop Hinkley Centre since the Inquiry started last October, has resigned in protest at the increasingly unfair treatment of objectors. Over the past month or so, the pressure on objectors have increased dramatically. Problems have in­ cluded regular changes in the time­ table, demands for ever shorter sum­ maries of evidence, and severe time limits on cross-examination. In some instances, witnesses have been dropped or objectors have been unable to appear at all. In many cases, people have arrived harassed and unprepared to make their state­ Making Women Visible mel)t. A:ll this has placed greater stress Over 100 women from all A Gallup Poll, taken in June last on the Stop Hinkley Centre, which over the South West came year, revealed that81%ofwomen are has become an office, social centre together at Cannington for against nuclear · power, said Liz and research library rolled into one, International Women's Day Baker of South West Women Against and is often filled to overflowing with Hinkley C. "Women already work an on March 8 (Day 80) to show average of 126 hours per week, caring nervous participants waiting to their opposition to plans for speak. for children, working inside and a third nuclear power station outside the home. So they have Against the odds at Hinkley Point. neither the time nor the information Their presence produced a certain to follow or participate in the Inquiry. In a press statement announcing her amount of nervousness and tension resignation, Jill Sutcliffe said that Today we want to make women amongtheusuallycalm-lookingmen visible." "it is incumbent on the Inspector to in suits from the Secretariat and the apply discretion carefully in favour CEGB. Thecarpark,normallyfull to Green candidate of disadvantaged individual objectors overflowing, was empty. Side doors Inside the hall, filled to capacity, and to demonstrate his understand­ to the Inquiry hall were locked and women sat calmly listening to ob­ ing of their position when they are police presence clearly in evidence, jectors giving evidence. These in­ making their contribution against including a surprising number of eluded Tessa Kelly, a prospective .,. policewomen. As women quietly filed European Parlia~~Candidate IN THIS ISSUE into the Inquiry hall, handbags were for We ~ ~~~ . searched. who c centl"8.ted or. IJH~ fac;t t~ Objectors concl~de safety evidence. Organiser resig r· e 6em:rt.I'es of Rome. COLA quizzed. Summaries explained. 2 March 7 - 17. 1989: Weeks 21. 22 Hinkley Inquirer MAKING WOMEN VISIBLE • CENTRE ORGANISER RESIGNS proposed PWR had a particular and the odds. By his insensitive actions, She added thather roleattheinquiry special impact on women. it seems that he is not willing to "is one of enabling people to pursue Firstly, women, foetuses and young facilitate public participation. their goal of appearing and making children are more sensitive to radi­ "Considerable sacrifices are made the Inquiry as 'user friendly' as ation, she said; secondly, women do by objectors attending this Inquiry, possible. However, in the light of my the caring tasks when family mem­ extending over finances, time, effort, observations I feel I have no option bers fall ill; and thirdly, women do s kills, personal and family com­ but to resign." most of the tasks connected with the mitments. It is now extremely dif­ Specific problems encountered by production of energy, except where ficult for the ordinary person's views objectors include: technology and advertising are in­ to be fully presented." *Less flexible timetabling, especial­ volved. ly in a topic (Safety and Health) Rumour had it that women from which concerns most people Greenham were going to stage a *Sudden shifts in appearance times, demonstration. In the event, six without consultation women wearing white masks - sym­ * Demands for shorter summaries, bolising women's invisibility at the often at short notice Inquiry - stood up in front of the *Early starts and late finishes to the Inspector. As they refused to take up daily sessions his invitation tositdown, the Inquiry * The ongoing lack of professional was adjourned for a brief period. advice, secretarial help or funding Outside the building, a women's for objectors theatre group staged a mock Inquiry, * Refusal to allow reading of a making the point that the govern­ statementon behalf of a witness who ment was not interested in the views In a statement submitted to the couldn'tappear. of ordinary people. Inquiry on Day 83, but which the Ms. Sutcliffe also complained, on Inspector wouldn't allow her to read behalf of the Welsh Anti-Nuclear in full, Jill Sutcliffe said that when Alliance, that no advertising had 2,000 Flights people decided to object, "the Public been done for the Cardiff sessions. Inquiry process becomes very per­ Responding to some of Ms. Sut­ sonal. It no longer remains a vast cliffe 's points on Day 84 the Inspector Over Hinkley bureaucracy. We expect it, quite said that £3,000 had been spent on reasonably, to work well for us, the newspaper adverts for the Cardiff public, and particularly when we meetings, and a press notice sent to Dr. Ray Seymour of the appreciate that our very lives are at 85 media outlets. He said the sugges­ Somerset County Analyst's stake ... tion that he was not concerned about department returned on Day objectors was "offensive". 78 to give evidence on User friendly However, it is apparent that dis­ Aircraft Crash Hazards "We have paid through our taxes satisfaction at the bulldozing nature (COLA 37). and electricity bills for the privilege of the Inquiry's progress extends to Seymour believes there are anum­ of being heard. But the truth is many others concerned with back­ ber of deficiencies in the UKAEA's that . .. we have no individual rights." ground facilities at the hearings. Safety and Reliability Directorate (SRD) assessments of aircraft crash hazard to the proposed Hinkley C as flight statistics were not accurate­ "Would you be content if the prob­ power station. ly available. ability of an uncontrolled release resulting from an aircraft crash was Crash rates of the m·der of 10-to-the-minus-7 or Seymour estimates the crash rates less?" asked Grove. averaged over England and Wales alone to be at least 1000 higher than Sleepless nights throughout the United Kingdom. He "I would be more content if it was a also believes that the frequency of an lot less. I would feel happier and sleep uncontrolled release of radioactivity better in my bed at night," Seymour from the proposed station is well in replied. excess of the CEGB's Design Cri­ On fast-flying combat aircraft, terion of 1 in 10 million per year., Seymour mentioned his correspon­ Dr. Seymourresponded vigorously dence with the Ministry of Defence: to cross-examination by Mr. Grove "I have had six letters from them. It One major deficiency is the lack of for the CEGB. Asked about his does not give me much confidence in estimate of the hazard from fast­ competence on assessment of air­ the MoD as the guardians of the flying combat aircraft. Many of these craft hazard, Seymour replied: "I am defence of the realm, frankly, be­ aircraft are low-flying and therefore not Chancellor of the Exchequer, but cause in these letters which flew back pose a potential hazard to the power I know that there are 100 pence in and forth they could not make up stations. It had been established every pound." their minds how many aeroplanes with the Ministry of Defence that On design criteria, Seymour em­ were flying from Yeovilton (air there were approximately 200 flights phasised that "we are considering base}". per month (2,400 per year) passing here a different site ... from Sizewell, Seymour was also concerned about over or adjacent to Hinkley Point. a differentaviationenvironment. We the Lilstock bombing range in the This was only an estimate, however, have got a new situation." Bristol Channel off Hinkley Point. Hinkley Inquirer March 7 - 17. 1989: Weeks 21.22 3 COLA Safety Case Quizze.d Accidental Several witnesses for the ginning to show glimmers of glas­ Consortium of Opposing nost, but only glimmers." Releases Local Authorities (COLA) on John Large (COLA 31), asked Malcolm Fergusson, Topic 2 were extensively about his conclusions on the radio- consultant to Earth cross-examined by the CEGB ac~i ve discharges from Hinkley C, Resources Research, gave during Weeks 20 and 21. pomted out that the controversial evidence on "The proposed reprocessing plant at Professor James Reason (COLA Wackersdorfin West Germany 1'had Consequences of Accidental 22) strongly criticised the Board been designed with the aim ofachiev- Releases of Radioactivity" (during questioning by Lord Silsoe) ing zero liquid discharges. (COLA 41). for failing to take human factors Anal sis mad 1 He questioned ~hether the con- seriously into account. y 1 t. d b t sequences of an acc1dental release of Reason described one CEGBreport L arge was a so ques 10ne a ou radionuclides could be determined on human reliability as "more to do COLA 39, describing his central with the necessary degree of con­ with advertising copy than with a theme as being that "the use of fidence. The new food ban levels serious technical discussion." He probabilistic risk analyses ... are required by the EEC were particu­ also accused the Board of com­ really quite inappropriate for high consequence industries like nuclear larly difficult, and could create, in the placency and arrogance. power stations." event of an accident, major agricul­ A statement by CEGB witness tural disruption over wide areas.