Contents _____ comment------­ Renewed Vigour Energy Debate 3 lt has been a very busy month for the anti-nuclear movement In Britain. After the clo­ sure of British Aluminium's smelter at lnvergordon In the North of SCOtland, lt became News 4-5 clear to many people that Torness Is completely unnecessary. Sea Dump.ing? & The debate renewed Itself with an Interview with Or. Norman Dombey of Sunex Unl· varsity on Radio Four. He claimed that the Scottish electricity consumer would receive a Uranium Store 6 net benefit If construction at Torness were simply stopped. The Torness discussion con­ Local CHP initiatives 8-9 tinued on February 1st when Parliament debated the Select Committee on Energy's re­ port [seepage3]. Nuclear Power: the 10 Sugg•tlons from the media that the anti-nuclear movement Is winning and the Govern­ Real Cost ment Is becklng down has not been met with cheers and cries of "we told you so". Instead, Wales- Nuclear Free 11 a renewed campaigning vigour Is becoming apparent all over the country. On the Torness front this took the form of SCRAM erecting our sign and appearing on TV alongside the Appropriate 12-13 SSEB chalrperaon (see page15]. Technology As we go to press, Lothian Regional Council has voted by 28 to 17 to call for the aban­ donment of Torness. The Council will also _be submitting evidence to the forthcoming Py­ Reviews 14 lons Inquiry on April 19th In opposition to ALL the proposed routes, suggesting the lines SCRAM 15 should be •undergrounded' for their entire length. Meanwhile, an eminent body of academics has published a report reiterating the con· Back Page 16 cluslons of the SCOttish Consumer C~tmpalgn document "Cheap Electrlckery" (avallabla from SCRAM mall order; price £1.50 + p&p). They claim that nuclear power Is not, never has been, and never will be cheap (review page1 0]. Copy date for next issue: One reason for the media thinking that the Government .Is backing down Is the post· Friday, 30th April, 1982. ponement of the Slzewell Inquiry until January '83. Pete Wllklnson of Greenpeaca clearly shows In his article (page 8] that the cancellation of the test drilling programme Is a pre­ lude to worse things and hence must be viewed with a certain amount of scepticism. We must remind ourselves of the 'leaked Cabinet minutes' suggesting the Government DIARY adopts a "low-profile approach" on nuclear power. it's becoming Increasingly obvious that nuclear power Is unnecessary whilst the Govern­ ment Is renewing secret deals with the USA to sell plutonium for their weapons pro­ Apr. 10th Scottish campaign Against gram me [see nextlssue of the Energy Bulletin]. We therefore applaud the declaration of a Trident demonstration In G las­ Nuclear Free Wales, and the work of the Nuclear Free Scotland Campaign, but must now gow. consolidate our advances and Inform Nuclear Free Councils that nuclear power Is an In· Apr. 24th WONT Conference at Bristol tegral part of the arms race. &25th University Union, Queens Rd., We do recognise advances made In the appropriate technology campaign, albeit slow. Bristol. Contact Bristol WONT The recent meeting In Manchester to-discuss the Government CHP studies, and the Jobs c/o73Cumberland Rd., from W•mth Campaign (see pages 8&9] are both examples of this Increased momen· Bristol. tum. But we must make sure that the alternatives are Implemented In a way which Is Apr.17th Birmingham. Campaign Ag­ democratically accountable so that we don't slip Into another State-controlled system. A ainst Naimibian Uranium. State-run alternative energy programme which Is simply-designed to discredit those alter­ Contract, National Strategy natives and subdue the population Into accepting the nuclear Industry with all lts1nherent Conference. dangers MUST NOT be allowed to flourish! May Anti Nuclear Festival in Ulla- 1-------------------------------- pool. SUBSCRIBE TO THIS MAGAZINE June Meadows Festival Edinburgh. National CND Event We are always in need of funds to finance our various campaigns and to keep July 28th Green Gathering, Worthy up our office administration. Any help, financial or active will be gratefully Farm, Glastonbury, Somerser. accepted. We need the certainty of regular income to survive so why not fill in July­ Peace March Scotland, lnver- the Standing Order Form below and help us out? Aug. ness to Edinburgh. 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Supporting 11l8111ber­ FUND 262721 and make similar payments Building K. Albion Yard, 17 Balfe Street, ships:- Ordinary £70; Foreign £8 money monthly/yearly until cancelled. London N1. 01-837-1460; and by Scottish order 0; Life(!) Membership £30 0; & Northern Books Distribution Co-op, 48a Household £50 0. Signed ...................Date .................... Hamilton Place, Edinburgh 3. 031-225- Affiliation. Groups and organisations are 4950. invited to send for an Affiliation form 0. SCRAM Energy Bulletin Apr/May '82 3 IN PARUAMENT Energy Debate ._.­- very important document which he sing difficulty justifying the nuclear believed would "scupper" the Board's power programme on the grounds of plan to build a PWR at Sizewell. Had cost. Robin Cook, MP for Central the report been available In 1978 the Edinb~:~rgh, pointed out that "the net Labour Cabinet would probably not effective costs argument did not cut have authorised even the advanced much Ice with the Select Committee gas-cooled reactors. nor with the Monopolies and Mergers Six months after the Government Scottish MP's were furious that no­ Commission ... " published its White Paper on Nuclear body from the Scottish Office was pre­ Reg Race, MP for Wood Green Power in response to the Select Com­ sent at the debate to answer criticisms. offered another explanation of the mittee on Energy's report, Parliament Since the closure of the lnvergordon Government commitment to the nu­ finally got round to debating the nu­ Aluminium smelter, it has become clear power programme:- clear power programme on 1st Feb­ more obvious to many M Ps that if "The policy of ..•. installing P.W.­ ruary. there ever were any arguments for R.'s is an attempt to remove the Nigel Lawson, Secretary of State building Torness, they have now bargaining power of a section of for Energy, opened the debate by evaporated. workers and to protect the supply making it clear that the Government Two weeks earlier, Dr. Norman industry from that problem." was still committed to its nuclear Dombey, an advisor to the Select But the Government remained un­ power programme on the grounds that Committee, and a physicist at Sussex moved. The debate was summed up by it will reduce our dependence on University, attacked the SSEB's so­ Mr. Moore (Under-Secretary of State fossil fuels and because "it offers called 'robust economic case' for con­ for Energy) who is so convinced that the prospect of cheaper electricity tinuing with Torness:- the Government is right that he supplies". But the nuclear industry is "Torness is a very expensive reac­ ended by saying that:- also expected to pull its socks up. The tor; the estimates of its cost pro­ " straightforward commonsense Government sees: bably make it the most expensive underlines the Government's "the need for a strong nuclear in­ nuclear reactor ever built in any commitment to the development of dustry able to meet the increasing country, which means it will pro­ nuclear power as a source of elec­ demands which will be placed on vide very expensive electricity. tricity." it, building safe and reliable plants Now if that electricity is not want­ But with growing opposition in the to time and cost." ed I think it quite likely that if House of Commons to the Govern­ Hinkley Point B AGR station, work on Torness were just simply