Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. In recognition of that and the subsequent nuclear tragedy at Fukushima, CND has called on the government to abandon plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“30 years on from the world’s most serious nuclear disaster, we remember the thousands of lives lost and blighted by the impact of radiation, the homes and livelihoods abandoned and destroyed in Ukraine and other affected areas. Today we bear witness to the legacy of environmental destruction and continuing damaging health consequences that live on.
“The lesson of Chernobyl is that nuclear power poses a grave danger to human life. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, and the Fukushima disaster of 2011, it seems the government has not learnt this lesson. The government urgently needs to reconsider its plan to build a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
“The Prime Minister himself has acknowledged that power plants are a target for terrorists; last month he attended talks with President Obama to discuss how to stop terror groups seizing radioactive material.
“The government needs to face up to these challenges and deliver a safe, genuinely sustainable solution to our energy needs. Other countries have learnt the lessons of Chernobyl and Fukushima and have abandoned nuclear power. It’s time for our government to learn those lessons too. Nuclear power is just too dangerous and must be abandoned now before the worst happens.”