Soil at Hinkley Point Power Station has not been contaminated with uranium

Soil at Hinkley Point Power Station has not been contaminated with uranium, the Environment Agency says today.

Claims by Green Audit that soil at the power station site had been contaminated with ten tonnes of enriched uranium has been investigated by the Environment Agency.

Enriched uranium is a component of uranium used in nuclear reactors such as Hinkley Point B.

Their findings revealed today conclude that the allegations are unfounded.

Soil samples were taken from eleven locations on the proposed site for Hinkley Point C near Bridgewater and at three farms in the vicinity.

They were analysed using mass spectrometry, a method of accurately measuring isotopes present in soil.

David Bennett for the Environment Agency says: “ The results of our sampling show that no enriched uranium is present. Uranium is present naturally in small quantities in all rocks and soils. The levels of uranium found in the soil samples taken both on and off the site are low, and at naturally occurring levels.”